154 WILD FLOWERS OF 



events the re-awakening of vernal life, and the bright 

 succession of flowers that now daily rise up, has an 

 exciting influence upon the mind, and it insensibly 

 reverts back to those bright oases of the memory, that 

 still seem reviving with the sight of renewed vernal 

 life. 



The same recurrence of images to the eye, still calls 

 up the buoyant feelings of olden days, while one spark 

 of sensibility remains to warm the heart ; for nature 

 still ever revolving, nevertheless displays again the 

 same flowery forms and scents that once taught the 

 swelling heart to bound with irrepressible enthusiasm. 

 Hence it is that the sight of vernal flowers cannot fail 

 to call up some blissful emotion in every breast, 

 because memory hurries us back to the first vernal 

 flowers that we ran tottering to pluck, or displays the 

 polyanthus we were wont to water in our little garden, 

 or the gaudy flower that beyond our reach, we ear- 

 nestly entreated an indulgent and beloved parent to 

 pluck for us. These are incidents that all are familiar 

 with ; and simple as they are, they affect us because 

 they recal the purest and best sympathies of our 

 nature. Who can fail to be moved with WOED- 

 ; SWOBTH'S description of the "trembling, earnest 

 .company" of little ones, " each with a vernal posy at 

 his breast," who are represented by him as standing 

 round their reverend pastor in the untried character 

 of catechumens. Himself one of that innocent band, 

 he thus beautifully apostrophizes in reference to it :- 



" How flutter'd then thy anxious heart for me, 

 Beloved Mother ! Thou whose happy hand 

 Had bound the flowers I wore, with faithful tie : 

 Sweet flowers! at whose inaudible command 



