THE PASTURE THISTLE. 2J 



of some of the humblest of its creatures, is of the greatest im- 

 portance to man in at least one case, for the downy fibre which 

 in the open boll covers the black seed of the cotton plant, clothes 

 also the whole civilized race of man, and is the foundation of 

 one of the chief and most astonishing industries of modern 

 times. 



The water-lily, which produces its seeds beneath the surface 

 of the water, has a curious contrivance for dispersing them. It 

 encloses them in a light, thin bag, which is filled with air, and 

 is impervious to water. This acts as a float or life-preserver to 

 the seed, which, directly it is released from the mother plant, 

 rises to the surface and floats away, " driven by the winds and 

 tossed," or carried by the currents of water. By and by the sack 

 bursts or decays, and the seed immediately sinks and is embedded 

 in the mud at bottom, and is ready to produce a new plant in 

 a new place. The plant world is full of these ingenious contriv- 

 ances. But it is time we permitted our poet to tell the reason 

 why she takes the thistle to her kindly regard. 



Thou hast no lovers, and for that 



I love thee all the more; 

 Only the wind and the rain to be 

 Thy friends, and keep thee company. 



So, being left to take thine ease 



Behind thy thorny wall, 

 Thy little head with vanities 



Has not been turned at all, 

 And all field beauties give me grace 

 To praise thee to thy very face. 



