A GEE AT HUN NEK. 279 



By a moment s indulgence of anger I destroyed the 

 chance of raising a new species of plant, a changea 

 ble crimson flax crimson one year and yellow the 

 next. Weeville, when subsequently informed of my 

 indiscretion, attempted to console me by endeavor 

 ing to make out that it was a w T eed which had smoth 

 ered the original flower. He even doubted whether 

 there ever had been any crimson flax in my garden, 

 and pretended dissatisfaction with my description of 

 that plant. He said he was not aware that crimson 

 flax was a perennial, and thought that the designa 

 tion in the catalogue was an error, ridiculous as such 

 a supposition was to my mind. He undertook to 

 show me numerous weeds by the road-side for 

 weeds are quite abundant in Flushing which bore 

 yellow blossoms, and which he felt confident were 

 the same as the one I had raised. They did resem 

 ble it in many points ; but, as I had marked my plant 

 carefully, had seen it blossom the year previous, and 

 knew whereof I spoke, I utterly disdained his expla 

 nation. I must still feel that the loss of my new 

 flax was serious, and must regret the outburst that 

 led to it. Even a flower convertible into a weed, or 

 changing biennially from one to the other, would be 

 rare and curious. 



Moreover, although we did raise several garden 



