12 ORCHID HYBRIDS. 



ing of what now, after it seems a decade, will shortly 

 appear before you. A son of Sem. I never knew per- 

 sonally of a generous, unselfish trait of that race to a son 

 of Ham or Japhet. But I had heard from a man whose 

 every word I would endorse and spread as gospel, that 

 this man, a glittering member of the jeunesse doree, 

 was the only representative of all his society companions 

 who could be looked up to as a man of higher principles. 

 To him I went. Not humble; I was not begging. Not 

 proud; I was petitioning. Petitioning for what? For 

 a paltry loan of a few hundred dollars, on interest which 

 would admit breathing under. He knew of me; he 

 knew my salary; he knew what position I held. And I 

 knew that he had the disposal of not hundreds of thou- 

 sands, nay, millions. I went to him, and went from 

 him. Not angry with him; I knew better. Angry at 

 me for having gone against my conviction, my positive 

 opinion of judging of his kind with the right measure. 

 Twelve months have passed. The Gardeners' Chronicle 

 has brought a list of hybrid Cypripediums. Mr. Meas- 

 ures has felt induced to publish a second edition of his 

 list, and now comes the Orchid Review with its first in- 

 stallment of Selenipedia. Twelve months of waiting, 

 of saving, of fearing. Twelve more, and my manu- 

 script would remain where it is. If any of my readers 

 know what it is to have once lived in affluence, and 

 to be reduced to need, if he knows that, conditions a 

 hundred times worse than to have been poor at all times: 

 he better join with me into the most damning curse 

 which ever has been pronounced over riches. The 

 French Revolution of crime and murder may have been 

 nasty to those subjected to the blind folly of an em- 

 bittered mob. But, poor creatures, with all your* terrible 

 -deeds, you can never equal in ten such periods the see- 



