JANUARY 7 



was a golden covering of Jasminum nudiflcn-um, and 



the China roses had many half-opened flowers. But 



Christmas Eve brought a change ; then came ' a frost, 



a killing frost ' — 



' An envious, sneaping frost. 

 That bites the first-born infants of the spring,' — 



and for three weeks a very low thermometer. 



But, in spite of the cold, some flowers, though very 

 few, bravely held their own ; and though they looked 

 sad enough while the frost lasted, yet as soon as the 

 thaw came they brightened up again, and looked as 

 happy as if the mild weather of the early part of 

 December had met with no interruption. Two flowers 

 especially distinguished themselves in this way, the 

 cyclamen and the Christmas rose, and on both I must 

 say something. 



I am often surprised that the cyclamens are so little 

 grown, for, with the exception of the Persian cyclamen, 

 they are all quite hardy, they give no trouble, they 

 may be let alone for years, and they increase rapidly 

 by their seeds self-sown. The autumnal cyclamen 

 (C. heeler ce folium) produces its pink or white flowers 

 before the leaves, and at a time of year when we 

 have many other plants in flower, and so, though the 

 flowers are very pretty and sweet-scented, they are 

 not so much noticed; but they are followed by very 

 beautiful leaves, which look like variegated ivy-leaves, 



