THE DAHLIA AND VERBENA. 35 



THE DAHLIA AND VERBENA. 



A TALL and richly drest Dahlia boasted. She 

 lifted up her head haughtily, as though she felt 

 herself a queen. Her lips moved, and she was 

 heard thus to soliloquize : 



&quot; I alone, of all the flowers around, am truly 

 beautiful. Which of them can compare with 

 me, in elegance of dress, or dignity of deport 

 ment? 



Yet I suffer for want of society. I cannot 

 associate with those around, who are destitute 

 of my accomplishments. 



Here is an insipid Verbena at my feet, al 

 ways trying to be sociable. She is so ill-bred 

 as to smile, when I meet her eye, as if she 

 were an acknowledged acquaintance. 



It is in vain that I strive to convince her of 

 her vulgarity. I cannot even look down with 

 out seeing her. I wish she would move away, 

 and give place to some neighbor, more proper 

 for one of my rank. 



I doubt whether she even knows that my 

 name is Lady Liverpool. I will throw her 



