XXI, 



RIVERSIDE LETTERS 



171 



similar faithfulness is displayed by the petals 

 of the Christmas rose, they lose their lovely 

 whiteness it is true, but remain in a leathery 

 hard state around the cluster of seed 

 pods to the very end. These seed pods 



Helleborus niger 



Helleborus viridis 



look in my drawing rather like little sucking 

 pigs at their meals ; their shape is rendered 

 perhaps more intelligible in the seed head of 

 the green hellebore, where they look un- 

 commonly like short stout pea pods. The 

 green hellebore is a native of our country ; my 



