82 WILD, OR AMATIVE FLOWERS. 



edible berry. The habit of the plant is evergreen, and it may be found 

 on sandy knolls, in thickets, and under the shade of bushes in Oak- 

 openings; a finer, larger form is also to be met with in the forest, in 

 cedar swamps ; the leaves, fruit and flowers being nearly twice the size 

 of the above. The leaves are strongly revolute at the edges, very smooth 

 and shining. 



There is nothing that we cling to with fonder affection than the 

 flowers of our country, especially such as in childhood we delighted 

 to gather. Thus the Daisy, Primrose and ^"iolet of England and 

 Ireland, and the Bonnie Heather and Harebell of old Scotia, are dear 

 to the heart of the emigrant, and the sight of one of these beloved 

 flowers cherished in a garden or green-house, will awaken the tenderest 

 emotions. An old Scotch w^oman when asked how she liked Canada, 

 replied. "Aye, nae dout its a gude land for food, and for the bairns, 

 but there is nae a bit of heather, or ae bonny Bluebell in a' the Ian'. 

 Its nae like my ain country." 



When shown a bunch of Harebells, which I had gathered fresh 

 from a gravelly bank ; she grat (wept) at the sight of them. "To see," 

 she said, " the bonnie wee things once mair before I died." 



I was once touched by the rapture, even to tears, of a Swiss nurse, 

 Avho on seeing some flowers of the Alpine Ranunculus growing in the 

 garden of Tavistock Square, flung herself on the grass beside 

 them and kissing each blossom, cried out, " Ah ! flore de ma pays." 

 " Ah 1 flower of my country." 



The brilliant scarlet berries of several of the shrubby little Winter- 

 greens, forming so gay a contrast to the dark, glossy foliage, render 

 them very attractive. 



On dry rocky hills we find the Box-leaved Winter-green orBearberry, 

 ArdosiapJiylos Uva-iirsi, (Spreng.) which clothes the dry, rock)- and 

 gravelly hills all through the continent of North America, is found far to 

 the North, even in barren Labrador, and on the rocky slopes of the 

 far-off Hudson's Bay. It abounds far north in Norway, and clothes the 

 ground with its spreading branches. As winter approaches the dark 

 green leaves assume a purplish-bronze hue which is enlivened by the 

 bright red berries. These pretty evergreens might be adopted as a 

 substitute for the Holly, by such as care to keep up the old custom of 

 dressing the house with green boughs at Christmas-tide in honour of 

 the birthday of the Saviour. Might not the primitive Chiistians 

 have intended by these emblems to keep Faith, Hope and Charity 

 ever green within the Church and Homestead. 



A deeper meaning often lies in the old usages of our forefathers 

 than wc are willing to acknowledge in this our day of cotton-spinning 

 and gold-digging, railroads and electric telegraphs. 



