x5 THE MEADOW. 



ing some instructive or even merely entertaining 

 book. 



When, on another occasion, I returned from 

 my ramble on the sea-shore, and, instead of rest- 

 ing after my fatiguing walk, set busily to work 

 with my dishes of water, blotting-paper, and 

 calico, floating out the specimens of sea-weed 

 which I had collected, you were yet more puz- 

 zled. I did not attempt, however, to satisfy your 

 curiosity, but promised that you should accom- 

 pany me in my next excursion into the country, 

 when you would probably discover, that I had 

 some motive for my incomprehensible conduct 

 beyond the simple desire of making a collection 

 of all the plants that I met with, and arranging 

 them in packages. That promise I am now about 

 to redeem, premising, that I do not meditate 

 making you a botanist during the few rambles 

 which I shall have an opportunity of taking with 

 you; but that my object will be, to bring before 

 your notice some of the many interesting facts 

 which Botany, if ever you should study that science, 

 will enable you to discover for yourself. 



If you should be tempted to become a natu- 

 ralist, you will have to study books containing a 

 considerable number of " hard names," which you 

 have never before seen, of which it will cost you 

 some trouble to find the meaning, and which you 

 will at first have some difficulty in recollecting. I 

 do not say this to discourage you, but to caution 

 you against falling into an error, now unfortu- 

 nately very common, that it is possible to acquire 

 a fair knowledge of any science without industry 

 and pains. It is true enough, that many of the 

 most important discoveries have been made almost 



