Is it regret for buried time--grief for the friend whom he has
lost--which makes him feel so tender and susceptible of the influences of
Spring? Not wholly so: for "life re-orient out of dust," the revival of
vegetation, raises his spirits, and "heartens," strengthens his trust in
that Power which made the earth beautiful.
Nor is it altogether "regret" that he feels; for the face and the voice of
his friend come back; and the voice speaks of me and mine--his sister as
well as himself--and he is conscious of
"Less yearning for the friendship fled,
Than some strong bond which is to be"--
reunion hereafter.