THE SPEEDWELL. 305 



lake; making the still water transparent with a 

 vivid and glowing light. The friends sat on a 

 soft, mossy bank, enjoying the calm loveliness of 

 the scene, and conversing upon the varied phases 

 of human life, in the unaffected sincerity of true 

 friendship. At their feet was a bright tuft of the 

 lovely germander -speedwell, covered with a pro- 

 fusion of brilliant blue blossoms. Rousseau's friend 

 pointed to the little flower, the Veronica chamoB- 

 drys, as wearing the same expression of cheer- 

 fulness and innocency as the scene before them. 

 Thirty years passed away ! Care-worn, persecuted, 

 and disappointed, acquainted with poverty and 

 grief, known to fame, but a stranger to peace, 

 Kousseau again visited Geneva. On such a calm 

 and lovely evening as thirty years before he had 

 conversed with the friend of his bosom, and had 

 received a teaching from the simple beauty of a 

 flower, he again was seated on the self-same spot. 

 The scene was the same. The sun went down 

 in golden majesty as before ; the birds sang as 

 cheerfully in the soft light of eventide ; the crim- 

 son clouds floated solemnly in the western sky; 

 and the waters of the lake were skimmed by glit- 

 tering boats as heretofore. But the house wherein 

 the first feelings of love and friendship, and the 

 first fruits of his genius, had budded, was now 

 levelled with the ground. His dearest friend was 

 sleeping in the grave. The generation of villagers 

 who had partaken the bounty of the same bene- 

 ficent hand was passed away, and none remained 

 to point out the green sod where that benefactor 



