FEELINGS OF THE TRUE NATURALIST. 231 



been much better pleased if the leaves had not 

 turned black in drying. But, papa," he continued, 

 " I do not understand how old people can take much 

 pleasure in botany. They generally stay at home 

 a great deal, and do not often travel, so that they 

 cannot have much chance of finding new plants." 



"I assure you," replied his father, "that old 

 people, and even sick people, if they have culti- 

 vated this taste in their youth, find it a great re- 

 source in the season of their infirmity. An in valid 

 lady once made a very beautiful collection of plants 

 while confined for a long period to her couch ; and 

 this she managed by sending a servant to collect 

 considerable quantities every day, from which she 

 selected those that were worth drying. A valued 

 friend of our own was cheered to her dying hour 

 by a remarkable love of flowers, in which I believe 

 she saw emblems of that pure and sinless state on 

 which, through the merits of her Redeemer, she 

 has now entered. And with respect to the aged, 

 nothing I can say will give you so good an idea of 

 the value of this sort of knowledge to them, as a 

 beautiful passage which I have read in Mr. Swain- 

 son's ' Discourse on the Study of Natural History.' 

 Speaking of the old age of a true naturalist that 



