STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 51 



real to the child, and the great source of life naturally becomes the 

 object of love and worship. 



We ought never to be quite satisfied with what we are doing, for 

 with each year's experience we ought to be able to do a little more 

 and to do it just a little better. And this suggests whether our 

 Society may not undertake some such work with the children in 

 Lewiston and Auburn. It might be small in the beginning, but 

 this need not deter, for if the means will permit we have only to 

 advance step by step. Should we be the agency through which the 

 children may be led to love the care and study of plants, or should 

 a desolate home be cheered by some floral beauty, our work would 

 be of unmeasured worth. It would be like the leaven of the 

 Scriptures ; yea, it would crown the Society with floral tributes and 

 adorn the hearts of the children with beautiful and loving thoughts 

 of the Great Creator. 



God might have bade the earth bring forth 



Enough for great and small, 

 The oak-tre3 and the cedar-tree, 



Without a flower at all. 

 We might have had enough, enougli 



For every want of ours, 

 For luxury, medicine, and toil. 



And yet have had no flowers. 



Then wherefore, wherefore were tliey made, 



All dyed with rainbow liglit, 

 All fashioned with suprensi.-st grace 



Upspringing day and niglK ; — 

 Springing in valleys green and low. 



And on the mountains high, 

 And in t!»e silent wilderness 



Where no man passes bj ? 



Our outward life requires them not, — 



Then wherefore had they birth? — 

 To minister delight to man, 



To beautify the earth; 

 To comfort man, — to whisper hope. 



Whene'er his faith is dim. 



For who so caretli for the flowers. 



Will care much more for him, 



Mary Howitt. 



