50 WITH HERBS AND FLOWERS 



sick ; or a flute heard from out of a forest, a silver 

 sound rising up among silver-lit leaves, into the 

 moon-lighted air ; or the low conversation of persons 

 whom you love, that sit at the fire in the room 

 where you are convalescing, when we think of 

 these things, we are apt to imagine that nothing 

 is perfect that has not the gift of sound. But we 

 change our mind when we dwell lovingly among 

 flowers ; for, they are always silent. Sound is never 

 associated with them. They speak to you, but it 

 is as the eye speaks, by vibrations of light and not 

 of air. 



HENRY WARD BEECHEB. 



THE USE OF FLOWERS 



GOD might have bade the earth bring forth 



Enough for great and small, 

 The oak-tree and the cedar-tree, 



Without a flower at all. 



We might have had enough enough 



For every want of ours, 

 For luxury, medicine, and for toil, 



And yet have had no flowers. 



The ore within the mountain mine 



Require th none to grow ; 

 Nor doth it need the lotus flower 



To make the river flow. 



