ihe sentimoit is imiversaL Your society, then, is doing- a good 

 work, by exciting an interest in this direction. In this work-day 

 world, we must have our ideals. We cannot always plod and dig, 

 and wash and bake and sweep. But for some, the types of the fair- 

 est and best, are not alwf.ys at hand. The man, indeed, whose 

 Work lies in the open fields, may, however closely occupied, catch an 

 inspiration from the varied landscape, from the heavens aboTe him, 

 from the song of birds, or from the many forms of regetable life that 

 meet his eye on every hand. The young girl may think she finds- 

 them m the shallow sentimental literature of the day. But hew i& 

 it with her whose houshold duties shut her away fi'om converse 

 with nature in a great measure, and allow her no time even to re- 

 fresh her mind with the inspirations of genius? There reoiain, it is; 

 true, the consolations of religion, to relieve the severity of her lot^ 

 but even here the heart often follows the eye seeking the aid of con- 

 genial surroundings in which to Ivreathe its highest aspirations. 

 Give her flowers then, say we. They are one of the simplest as 

 well as one of the most efifective means of giving variety to the mo- 

 notony of her life. A glance at their beauty, a breath of their fra- 

 grance will often charm awav the shadows and let sunshine into the 

 heart. Sometimes they do more than, this. They develope if they 

 do not inspire the religious sentiment. We remember having seen 

 this idea finely drawn out many years ago in a work of fiction en- 

 titled "PiccioH." A convict who was a skeptic also, was startled 

 one day to see a plant pushing its way up into the dim light of the 

 prison between the stones that paved his cell. Having but little 

 else to occujiy his attention, he watched the little messenger from 

 day to day, noting its every change. Soon it won his affection ; 

 then the plant became a preacher and he a learner, and so persua- 

 sive were its appeals to his better nature, that before its Hfe-work 

 was done and flower and seed were perfected, the unbelieving heart 

 too had opened into the beauty and sweetness of a christian's faith ^ 

 Then we all know the aptness and force with which they are used 

 to iUnstrate moral and religious truth. To such an extent has this 

 been practiced that there are certain flowering plants which have 

 become synonomous with certain virtues or qualities of mind. The 

 violet is almost another name for modesty, and the lily everywhere 

 stands for jDurity. Some loving enthusiasts have even gone so far 

 as to give a language to flowers, assigning to different ones all the 

 passions and emotions with every shade, so that he who becomes 



