^ The Scented Qarden $£ 



used a meaningless word when he had the whole range of 

 sixteenth century names from which to choose ? Re- 

 membering that two of the greatest botanists of his day- 

 called wallflowers ' Hertes ease ' one cannot help cherish- 

 ing the belief that Spenser used a name which describes 

 the wallflower as no other name could describe it — 

 1 comfort.' 



We have lost many of our pretty old English names of 

 flowers. Some were applied to different plants, and in 

 many cases it is difficult to identify them at all. The old 

 names were naturally in common use as much in the New 

 as in the Old World. But there, as with us, many are for- 

 gotten. For instance, in describing the gardens of ' New 

 Amsterdam,' Adrian van der Donck mentions ' Jenoffelins, 

 ' Baredames,' * Maritoffles,' ' Summer sots,' etc. What 

 flowers do these pleasant names represent ? I like par- 

 ticularly ' Jenoffelins ' and ' Maritoffles.' Van der Donck 

 describes yellow maritoffles as ' a very sweet flower.' 



How satisfying the old flower names are, and how true. 

 Forget-me-not preserves the memory of a beautiful old 

 legend. There came a day when the Heavenly Father 

 bestowed on all the flowers their names. But a pale blue 

 flower, a little dreamer, forgot her name. She looked in 

 the clear water at her feet and up to the blue Heaven 

 above her, but try as she would she could not remember. 



When night came on, and the stars shone out, it filled 

 her with wonder to think that her Heavenly Father knew 

 the number of those dazzling myriads in the infinite 

 gardens of Heaven, and called them all by their names. 

 1 I cannot remember my name. Do you know it ? ' she 

 whispered to one of the fairest stars. ' Not yet,' said the 

 star, gazing down on the exquisite beauty of his new little 



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