66 PROSERPINA. 



near, do but lay hold of one, and, at the touch, the 

 entire blossom is lifted from its stalk, and may be laid, 

 in perfect shape, on our paper before us, as easily as if 

 it had been a nicely made-up blue bonnet, lifted off its 

 stand by the milliner. 



I pause here, to consider a little ; because I find myself 

 mixing up two characteristics which have nothing neces- 

 sary in their relation ; namely, the unity of the blossom, 

 and its coming easily off the stalk. The separate petals of 

 the cistus and cherry fall as easily as the foxglove drops 

 its bells; on the other hand, there are monopetalous 

 things that don't drop, but hold on like the convoluta,* 

 and make the rest of the tree sad for their dying. I do 

 not see my way to any systematic noting of decadent or 

 persistent corolla ; but, in passing, we may thank the 

 veronica for never allowing us to see how it fades, f and 

 being always cheerful and lovely, while it is with us. 



9. And for a farther specialty, I think we should take 

 note of the purity and simplicity of its floral blue, not 



* I find much more difficulty, myself, being old, in using my al- 

 tered names for species than my young scholars will. In watching 

 the bells of the purple bindweed fade at evening, let them learn the 

 fourth verse of the prayer of Hezekiah, as it is in the Vulgate 

 " Genera tio mea ablata est, et convoluta est a me, sicut tabernaculum 

 pastoiis," and they will not forget the name of the fast-fading ever 

 renewed " belle (Tun jour." 



f " It is Miss Cobbe, I think, who says ' all wild flowers know how 

 to die gracefully.' " A. 



