UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 27 



triumphing over the powers of darkness, while 

 the name of Christ, " as a sweet savour," was 

 diffused wherever he came. 



My uncle said that this expression, " sweet 

 savour," alludes to the custom in the Roman 

 procession, of strewing the streets with flowers, 

 and causing the altars to smoke with incense ; 

 while, immediately before the victorious general, 

 a long train of attendants marched, carrying 

 perfumes, which exhaled a sweet and powerful 

 fragrance; and thus was the knowledge of 

 Christ, like a reviving odour, diffused around, to 

 improve and strengthen all who received it. 

 Indeed, it is still the custom of all eastern 

 nations, he says, to introduce sweet waters and 

 other perfumes, on solemn occasions, which 

 makes the propriety of the allusion still more 

 strong. 



15th. As we walked through the flower- 

 garden to day, I ventured to suggest that the 

 yucca and the prickly pear would make more 

 impenetrable hedges than the sweet-brier and 

 china rose. 



" I cannot help smiling," said my aunt, " at 

 your partiality to the plants to which you have 

 been accustomed, when you would prefer hedges 

 of the frightful prickly pear to these. If, indeed, 

 we could have such hedges of the Chinese 



