194 NATURES STORY OF THE YEAR 



the vista of memory, to mock a pretended lover 

 of Nature. 



When springtime quickened every root and 

 stem, and ruder plants spread lanky arms to gain 

 the most of the golden rays, the wild marjoram 

 also raised its head and dared to look at the sun. 

 But it was not eager ; slowly if surely it spread its 

 leafy hands and developed its offerings for bee and 

 butterfly its effort to be beautiful. It crowned 

 each stalk with a deep-red cluster of buds, which 

 opened to a purplish-pink. The blue butterfly 

 loved to pause there, with wings coquettishly 

 upraised. The little copper and gay vanessas, 

 together with palpitating droneflies and many 

 other summer insects, found refreshment on the 

 fragrant clusters. 



The pride of the year soon wanes, and the wild- 

 flowers drop their petals ; but the wild marjoram, 

 though losing every bright hue, withstands the 

 storm, and its once gay flower-head yet retains 

 a sweet aroma. It then can yield no food to any 

 butterfly, yet several of the smaller sorts find the 

 strong stem a convenient perch, and its colour 

 so harmonises with their under surfaces that the 



