SEPTEMBEB. 433 



glories of creation, or even to nourish a meditative or 

 inspiring thought imbibed from the plants they exa- 

 mine, it may be well to call in the evidence of the 

 uninitiated in science as to the pleasure and instruc- 

 tion derivable from the inspection even of a single 

 leaf. ' And the following description of the sensations 

 of a novice on first inspecting a Geranium, though 

 naively expressed, are not the less intelligible. " I 

 remember after smelling at the first leaf of the rose 

 Geranium, and also when I received additions to my 

 stock, how I was struck with wonder and amazement 

 at the power, wisdom, and goodness of God, in im- 

 parting to the green leafoi one plant the fragrance of 

 another, such as the balm, musk, pennyroyal, &c. 

 How condescending to our senses, how indulgent, as 

 it were, even to our childish and playful fancies ! It 

 was thus my mind was struck when I smelt the first 

 leaf. Thought I, it is strange that a green leaf plucked 

 from a plant no way similar, should possess all the 

 flavour of the flower plucked from another." * Ideas 

 like these are the first efforts of poetry in the human 

 mind thought, analogy, fancy, reflection, and images 

 of purity and loveliness are all awakened in the sensi- 

 tive mind at the sight of green leaves and opening 

 flowers even memory sternly surveying the wreck 

 of the past, sadly grasps the fading flowers that alone 

 remain to her of the pictures that have faded away, 

 and these are the talismans that again conjure up 

 departed joys 



" The heart's affections are they not like Flowers ? 

 In life's first spring they blossom ; summer comes, 

 And 'neath the scorching blaze they droop apace ; 

 Autumn revives them not : in languid groups 

 GRANT THORB URN'S Forty Years in America. 



2P 



