240 BLUE TO PURPLE 



every hand we see various shades of purple, mauve, violet, 

 and heliotrope, — but very rarely of blue. 



" Blue ! 'T is the life of heaven, the domain 



Of Cynthia, the wide palace of the sun, 



The tent of Hesperus, and all his train. 



The bosomer of clouds, gold, gray, and 



Blue ! 'T is the life of waters, ocean 



And all its basal streams. 



Blue ! Gentle cousin of the forest green, 



Married to green in all the sweetest flowers." 



TRUE FORGET-ME-NOT 



Myosotis sylvatica var. alpestris. Borage Family 



Stems: erect, tufted. Leaves: oblong, linear. Flowers: in dense 

 racemes ; calyx five-parted, hirsute ; corolla salver-form, the throat 

 with small blunt crests at the base of the rounded lobes. 



This is the real True Forget-me-not. It grows from about 

 four to six inches high and is found only at high altitudes. 

 Its tiny turquoise flowers are very fragrant. Unlike the 

 prickly burs of the False species, the nutlets of the True 

 Forget-me-not are quite smooth. 



There are innumerable stories told concerning these blue- 

 eyed flowers, which are the emblems of undying love and are 

 identified with our most romantic sentiments. One of the 

 most charming legends about them runs thus : 



"When to the flowers so beautiful 

 The Father gave a name. 

 There came a little blue-eyed one 

 (All timidly it came), 

 And, standing at the Father's feet, 

 And gazing in His face. 

 It said, in low and trembling tones, 

 Yet with a gentle grace : 

 ' Dear Lord, the name Thou gavest me, 

 Alas ! I have forgot ' ; 

 Kindly the Father looked Him down 

 And said, ' Forget Me not.' " 



