INTEODTJCTORY. 9 



steadily to his purpose. Wlien first the other day-pupils 

 found that he was addicting himself to collecting flowers, 

 they named him " Miss Flora." He declined ever replying 

 to this cognomen, but did not otherwise notice it. A reserved 

 timid boy of the name of Luscombe, who had long been a 

 humble admirer of Edward's, asked to be allowed to join him 

 in collecting, and, after awhile, one of the tutors began to be 

 a member of their Saturday excursions. The three were 

 caricatured upon the great school-gates, and Luscombe was 

 frightened out of his allegiance for some weeks ; but the petty 

 persecution died a natural death, and then the rambles re- 

 gained their charm, even to the timid boy. 



And Esther, with her young group of pupil sisters, col- 

 lected almost daily. Alice and Kate loved to vie with each 

 other as to how many different flowers they could collect in 

 each day's ramble ; and the quiet Herbert found his chief 

 amusement in observing the different parts of plants and their 

 curious structure ; and he justified his admission to the club 

 by presenting good selections of leaves, stems, roots, and 

 corolla, and making careful sections of the stems of the two 

 great classes. As the summer progressed, Esther had the 

 pleasure of a trip to Scotland, which, with two or three little 

 visits, gave her longer holidays than usual. Fanny and her 

 mother sojourned in Wilts, Devon, and Cornwall, after leaving 

 Clevedon ; and Edward <HivAed Ms summer holidays between 

 friends in Kent and Shropshire. 



The flowers disapjxeamed, and fruits came in their stead ; 

 the song of the harnes^liome sounded as cheerily as the laugh 

 of boys rifling the copse of its nuts. An early snow-storm 

 swept over the cleared fields and put a stop to everything ; 

 and then the old year died away, having waited like holy 

 Simeon to behold the birth of the Lord's Christ, and to hear 

 the song of the angels, " Glory to God in the highest, on 

 earth peace, good will to men." 



When each member of the botanical club had done honour 



