172 



THOUGHTS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



bring • peace to the cottage,' while it blesses 

 the palace, and every virtuous home be- 

 tween those wide extremes — because it 

 bespeaks the appreciation of what is natu- 

 ral and simple, and pure — teaches men to 

 set the divine law of excellence above the 

 low human standard of utility — and be- 

 cause, above all, in the most lovely and 

 bountiful of God's works, it leads them up 

 to Him that made them, not in a mere 

 dumb, inactive admiration of His won- 

 derful designs, but to bless Him that 

 He has given them pleasures bdyond their 

 actual necessities — the means of a cheer- 

 ful countenance, as well as of a strong 

 heart. 



Still more — because — if ours be not too 

 rude a. step to venture within such hallowed 

 ground — it speaks of a Christian people 

 employed in an occupation, which, above 

 all others, is the parable that conveys the 

 deepest truths to them — which daily reads 

 them silent lessons, if their hearts would 

 hear, of the vanity of earthly pomp, of the 

 beauty of heavenly simplicity, and purity, 

 and lowliness of mind, of contentment and 

 unquestioning faith — which sets before 

 them, in the thorns and thistles, a remem- 

 brance of their fallen state — in the cedar, 

 and the olive, and the palm-tree, the pro- 

 mise of a bette r country — which hourly re- 

 calls to their mind the Agony and the Bu- 

 rial of Him who made a garden the scene 

 of both, and who bade us mark and con- 

 sider such things, how they bud, and 'how 

 they grow,' giving us in the vine a type of 

 His Church, and in the fig-tree of His 

 Coming. 



Again, we would ask those who think 

 that national melioration is to be achieved 

 by dose upon dose of Reform or Red-tapery, 

 where should we now have been without 

 our savings-banks, our allotment system, 

 and our cottage gardens ? And lest we 

 should be thought to have been led away 

 from flowers to the more general subject, 

 we will add that when we see a plot set 

 apart for a rose-bush, and a gilliflower, and 

 a carnation, it is enough for us : if the jas- 

 mine and the honeysuckle embower the 

 porch without, we may be sure that there 

 is a potato and a cabbage and an onion for 

 the pot within : if there be not plenty there, 

 at least there is no want ; if not happiness, 



the nearest approach to it in this world — 

 content. 



' Yes! in the poor man's g-nrden erow 



Far more tlian herbs and flowers; 

 Kind thoughts, contentment, peace of mind, 



And joj for weary hours.' 



Gardening not only affords common 

 ground for the high and low, but, like 

 Christianity itself, it offers peculiar bless- 

 ings and privileges to the poor man, which 

 the very possession of wealth denies. 'The 

 Spitalfields weaver may derive more plea- 

 sure from his green box of smoked auricu- 

 las,' than the lordly possessors of Sion, or 

 Chatsworth, or Stowe, or Alton, from their 

 hundreds of decorated acres ; because not 

 only personal superintendence, but actual 

 work is necessary for the true enjoyment 

 of a garden. We must know our flowers, 

 as well as buy them. Our great-grand- 

 mothers, who — before they were great- 

 grandmothers — ' flirted on the sunny terra- 

 ces, or strolled along the arched and shaded 

 alleys' of our old manor-houses, — ' had 

 their own little garden, where they knew 

 every flower, because they were few ; and 

 every name, because they were simple. 

 Their rose-bushes and gilliflowers were 

 dear to them, because themselves had 

 pruned, and watered, and watched them — 

 had marked from day to day their opening 

 buds, and removed their fading blossoms — 

 and had cherished each choicest specimen 

 for the posy to be worn at the christening 

 of the squire's heir, or on my lord's birth- 

 day.' 



In a like strain, 'he wise and good au- 

 thor of ' Human Life' beautifully says : 



' I would not have my garden too ex- 

 tended ; not because flowers are not the 

 most delicious things, speaking to the sen- 

 timents as well as to the senses, but on 

 account of the intrinsic and superior value 

 of moderation. When interests are divi- 

 ded, they are not so strong. Three acres 

 of flowers and a regiment of gardeners 

 bring no more pleasure than a sufficiency. 

 Besides which, in the smaller possession, 

 there is more room for the mental pleasure 

 to step in and refine all that which is sen- 

 sual. We become acquainted, as it were, 

 and even form friendships, with individual 

 flowers. We bestow more care upon their 

 bringing up and progress. They seem 

 sensible of our favor, absolutely to enjoy 



