EAELY SPRING. 19 



them, and in which, to eyes that look on the sweet 

 simplicity of creation with joy and pleasure, they are 

 always beautiful. Very much of what we are apt to 

 consider the uncomeliness of things comes in reality 

 of our not seeing them in their natural and proper 

 conditions, but under some artificial and constrained 

 circumstances that interfere grievously with the native 

 characters. Look, for instance, at the unfortunate 

 monkey, dragged from its native haunts, and carried 

 about the streets on an organ-top. There it may well 

 look ridiculous and even disgusting. But see the 

 creature at play in its native woods, its free nature 

 finding scope and opportunity, and living in harmony 

 with the rudeness of the scene, and instead of being 

 absurd, it becomes graceful, and the tree seems incom- 

 plete when the creature quits it. Much the same is it 

 with the despised plants denominated " weeds." 

 True, if allowed to spread unchecked, many kinds 

 establish upon farm-land a disastrous empire, that 

 supersedes the prospective crops, strangling the roots, 

 twining round the stems, or mingling their pernicious 

 seeds with the wholesome grain ; but this is a fact 

 belonging to a different class altogether from that 

 which includes the consideration of the absolute and 

 intrinsic beauty and usefulness of the plants. Rag- 

 wort, that covers the neglected fields with gaudy 

 yellow, nourishes the caterpillar of a lovely butterfly 

 that will eat no other leaf with content ; thistles, 



