42 The Japanese Floral Calendar. 



the most difficult plants which it has ever been my lot to 

 try and paint ; the flowers are at their best only in the early 

 morning, and each blossom, after it has opened, closes 

 again before noon the first day ; on the second day its petals 

 drop. The leaves are so large and so full of modeling that 

 it is impossible to generalize them as a mass ; each one has 

 to be carefully studied, and every breath of wind disturbs 

 their delicate balance and completely alters their forms. 

 Besides this, their glaucous surface, like that of a cabbage 

 leaf, reflects every passing phase of the sky, and is con- 

 stantly changing in color as clouds pass over." 



"Children use the big [lotus] leaves for sunshades, the 

 seeds for marbles or to eat" ; and the people eat lotus roots 

 without forgetting their native land! Mr. Finck also 

 states that the conundrum, "When is a pond not a pond?" 

 is answered by saying, "When it has no lotus in it." 



The lotus is, of course, a favorite subject of Japanese 

 art: "its leaves are usually gemmed with dew-drops, and 

 this effect the artist seizes upon at once." 3 In this connec- 

 tion Mr. Huish also quotes the following poem : 



"Oh ! Lotus leaf, I dreamt that the whole earth 

 Held nought more pure than thee ; held nought more true : 

 Why, then, when on thee rolls a drop of dew, 

 Pretend that 'tis a gem of priceless worth?" 



Heuzen (A. D. 836-856). 

 3 Huish's Japan and Its Art. 



