64 GARDEN FLOWERS. 



more astonisliing than pleasing. It is not 

 agreeable to step thus, all at once, from dead 

 winter to living summer, and to lose the chai-m 

 and interest of the gradual revival of a'll that 

 has leaf or wing." 



In many tropical countries the change from 

 the winter to the early season is little marked, 

 for when the trees are evergreen, and the 

 flowers always bright, there is less variety in 

 the aspect of the season. The gradual coming 

 of leaves and flowers in our climate, and their 

 no less gradual decline, is to the year what the 

 morning and evening twilight are to the day. 

 "We should never estimate the shortness of life 

 were it not for the changing aspects of things 

 around us ; and whether this change be sudden 

 or slow, whether the flowers go and come in a 

 few hours, or a few weeks, yet as Ave mark 

 these beautiful objects to which the Scripture 

 has compared oiu' mortal lives, we should 

 adopt the words of David: " Lord, make me to 

 know mine end, and the measure of my days, 

 that I may know how frail I am." 



May is universally hailed by the poets, as 

 the loveliest month of the year, and its coming 

 seems to revive in some the freshness of life, 

 and to make them feel young again. Many 

 sweet and familiar flowers now spring up day 

 by day on the garden bed ; and some very 

 beautiful shrubs are dressed in their garlands 

 of blossoms. The scarlet hawthorn blushes 

 like the rose, and it is merely a variety of our 

 wilding May. The dark lilac still contends with 



