THE CARNATION. 101 



BRANCH AND BLOSSOM. 



' PRAY, Master Blossom, are you not rather lavish 

 of your praise ? What can you know yet of these 

 new flowers ? have you proved them sufficiently, 

 that you speak in such good round set terms of their 

 excellence ? If you wish the world to believe that 

 you possess some little taste and judgment, I advise 

 you to express your sentiments with more caution 

 and reserve, lest they should be called in question 

 hereafter.' 



f Why, Branch, have they not proved themselves 

 already ? But I know your fond partiality to your 

 old favourites, and your great reluctance to admit of 

 any excellence in any of the new ones. There's your 

 favourite Pellew, if you get him good once in seven 

 years it is as much as you do ; as for old Washing- 

 ton, with all his reputation, if the summer proves 

 wet, does he not then come pouncy as brickdust ? 

 See the trouble there is with Clarence, fine as he is, 

 to keep him in health : I may say the same with 



