62 WILD FLOWERS 



days of auld lang syne.' Longfellow likens 

 them to 



' Stars, that in earth's firmament do shine.' 



Dr. Wendell Holmes carries this idea 

 further. He feigns that after the fall of man 

 the stars and flowers agreed to keep a watch 

 on the human race, and to shame men into 

 well-doing : 



'A million sleepless lids, they say, 



Will be at least a warning; 

 And so the flowers would watch by day, 

 The stars from eve to morning.' 



The wickedness of human nature defeated 

 this well-meant plan. The vigil of stars and 

 flowers deters no one from sin ; but flowers 

 certainly reduce the measure of human 

 depravity. I do not say that every person 

 who does not love flowers is evil; but I do 

 maintain that there is some element of good 

 in every one who possesses that love. The 

 love of flowers thus forms one redeeming 

 feature in the character of many a bad man. 



Fragile as many of them are, there is a 

 tender grace about wild flowers, which makes 

 them in their own place the equals of the 

 richer and more highly cultivated garden 



