28 THE ROSE IN CEREMONIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 



mostly of noble-looking boys and beautiful girls, of all ages under 

 fourteen, the latter dressed in white and crowned with wreaths 

 of roses and other flowers. The manly attention of the boys to 

 the fair creatures with whom they walked hand in hand, would 

 not have disgraced the gallantry of Bayard, or the politeness of 

 Chesterfield. As the procession wound slowly from our view, 

 under the shade of the lofty live oak and the rich magnolia, we 

 could not help reflecting how beautiful was this graceful enjoy- 

 ment of the sunny days of childhood, and how preferable to the 

 mental excitement and precocious training of many of the infant 

 philosophers of this most enlightened nineteenth century. 



It is much to be regretted that in circles where fashion reigns 

 supreme, nature is gradually giving way to art, and instead of 

 the fresh and natural beauty of a newly-gathered Rose, various 

 forms of artificial flowers are found upon the center table, or in 

 the hair of those whose quick discernment and refined taste 

 should lead them to perceive the great inferiority of these arti- 

 ficial toys to the delicate beauty and welcome fragrance of a 

 Rose just from its parent plant. 



Very much additional matter could be inserted respecting the 

 early history of the Rose, and its connection with ancient 

 superstitions. Sufficient, however, has been given to show the 

 esteem in which the Rose was held by the ancient Greeks and 

 Romans. 



