On the natural Love of Flowers. o2Z 



hied the careful mother, in her hours of peace or alarm, to a 

 quiet home. In this apartment were several pencil drawings 

 untouched and imsoiled, evincing an evident taste for the 

 fine arts. The whole famii}^ were, however, removed to a 

 cage, to which it resorted to supply the necessary food, until, 

 jealous of the frequent visits of the curious, it took a good 

 occasion to remove both itself and its charge. The only 

 possible access to the room from the adjoining woods was 

 down the chimney, and as such entrances for visiters are in 

 these days rather unusual, no one thought of such an occur- 

 rence. 



The flying squirrel constructs its nest in some hollow tree; 

 but what deviation of "blind instinct" impelled it to seek 

 so curious a resort, and so pertinaciously to resist every at- 

 tempt to exclude it.' t t n 



August, 1835. J- L. R******. 



Art. II. On the natural Love of Flowers. By A Correspondent. 



There are men among us, who look upon the cultivation 

 of flowers with perfect contempt. They can see no utility in 

 this occupation, and look iipon the amateur florist as a lack- 

 a-daisical, sentimental character, more fitted to write son- 

 nets and to read novels, than to act efliiciently in the business 

 of life. To such, the fragrance of the rose, the tints of the 

 lily, and the delicate formation of the violet, are for ever lost; 

 an avenue to pleasure open to others, is to them completely 

 closed; a sense, which to others is the source of much pleas- 

 ure, is denied them; the light of beauty radiating from each 

 bud and blossom, is shut out from their minds — for, though 

 the form and substance of creation be admitted, its soul — its 

 expression, never reaches them. 



Such claim to be our matter-of-fact men — utilitarians — the 

 most useful members of society; they believe that they have 

 great duties to discharge, and have no time to spare to exam- 

 ine matters of so small moment. Flowers, they admit, are 

 pretty things., fitted to please the idle — pretty thincrs, indeed, 

 but mere toys for the young and romantic — they, forsooth, 

 have occupations of more importance than to multiply and 

 increase such trifles; and from their eminence they look 

 down with contempt upon the grown-up man who wastes his 

 valuable time in the cultivation of these insignificant objects. 



