FUMITORY AND SUNDEW TRIBES. 153 



of opium-eaters, and lie was not surprised to hear 

 his father speak strongly of the vice and misery 

 of those unhappy persons, 



As the children proceeded on their walk, they 

 found, in the loose soil at the hedge of a corn-field, 

 an elegant little plant which they knew well, but 

 which they had seldom seen in blossom quite so 

 early. It was the common fumitory, with rose- 

 coloured blossoms, tipped with purple. 



" What a dear little flower this is," said Mary, 

 "to come out in May, and keep on blowing till 

 November !" 



" The FUMITORY tribe," said her father, " is not 

 far removed from poppies, and your favourite plant 

 was once in great request among superstitious 

 persons, because the smoke of it was declared by 

 the ancient exorcists to have the power of driving 

 away evil spirits. Hence the name fumitory r , from 

 fumus, smoke. Close upon this tribe come the 

 SUNDEW, the BARBERRY, and the VINE tribes." 



At the name of sundew, Mary, who generally 

 had a scrap of poetry connected with her favourite 

 flowers, began thus : 



" By the lone fountain's secret bed, 

 Where human footsteps rarely tread, 

 'Mid the wild moor or silent glen, 

 The sundew blooms unseen by men." 



