The Yellow Crocus 



greatly in different aspects : the petals to 

 a careless eye, and especially in a dull 

 light, may seem but a surface of glossy 

 orange. Yet look carefully, and they are 

 lighted with rosy reflections, pencilled with 

 delicate streaks and nerves of shade, and, 

 above all, bestrewed with little gleaming 

 points, a host of microscopic stars which 

 cast a fiery sheen like that of the forked 

 feathers of the Bar-tailed Humming-bird, 

 as if the surface were engrained with dust 

 of amber or of gold. And with all this 

 there is united what seems almost a trans- 

 parency, like that of topaz or some precious 

 gem, giving us an idea of that fine gold 

 " like transparent glass," which we never 

 understand till we see it in the clouds at 

 sunset. 



But there is perhaps even yet a deeper 

 loveliness in the flower. What is that in 

 the lower portion of the chalice which 

 makes it seem not so much as if inlaid 

 with colour like the rest, but rather as 

 if dim golden flame lay burning there, a 

 liquid atmosphere of light. The wall, 

 when we look closely, is paler and more 

 transparent in seeming, or rather its sub- 

 stantial colour has given place to a pale 

 yellow surface like shaded pearl, mirror- 

 like and lustrous, changing whenever we 



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