a badge, and her orators were accus- 

 tomed to address the people as 'Athen- 

 ians crowned with Violets.' Indeed so 

 much was the Violet beloved that a 

 gold one was the prize at the floral 

 games. A Greek prayer over the de- 

 parted gives the Violet as the first flower 

 mentioned — 'May many flowers grow on 

 the newly made tomb, the Violet, mar- 

 joram, narcissus, and around them all 

 roses grow.' The love of flowers, espe- 

 cially of these sweet firstlings of the 

 spring, seems to have been always deep- 

 ly rooted in human nature. Violet, like 

 children's eyes, heavy with sleep, have 

 a kind of human interest." 



'"'But the poets intimate that the 

 Violet hangs her head out of sheer mod- 

 esty, don't they, Auntie?" said Madge. 



"They do, but when modern scientists 

 wrote her biography it was found that 

 she had utilitarian reasons for her de- 

 jected attitude. The v lolet is an insect- 

 loving flower, having perfume in some 

 cases and color attractions — the blue col- 

 or v^^hich Grant Allen says belongs to 

 only the most advanced flowers. It 

 hangs its head on its slender stem 

 in order that the rain may not come 

 near the honey stored in the spur of 

 the largest petal, and also the better to 

 allow the pollen dust to fall into the 

 queer little receptacle prepared for it by 

 the orange-tipped anthers in the middle 

 of the flower. When the bee in quest 

 of honey touches the thin, broad tip of 

 the style of the stigma the anthers are 

 shaken apart and the dry pollen falls 

 upon the insect. The bee is hairy, and 

 the pollen grains are rough, so many 

 of them are i etained and thus the Violet 

 becomes fertilized through insect agency, 

 for the bee carries the pollen to another 

 flower and leaves it there ; but this proc- 

 ess I have explained to you before. Now 

 have you any questions to ask before 

 we take up another flower?" 



"Yes," said John. "Why is the Dog- 

 toothed Violet so unlike the blue Violet 

 with its spur ?" 



"Because it is a Violet only in name. 

 It is really a lily, with a root shaped 

 like a dog's tooth. The blossom hangs 

 its head and sways in the wind as a 

 Violet does, hence its common appella- 

 tion. The petals are dotted with yellow, 



and the mottled leaves are almost as 

 pretty as the flower. You have al- 

 ready learned how difficult it is to trans- 

 plant, as the bulbs grow too deep for 

 your knives. The stems are tender and 

 easily broken." 



"Tell us about tlie Anemone, please," 

 the little girls pleaded. "Here is a 

 beautiful one." 



"In, France the Anemone is called the 

 Pasque-flower. It is also named Trin- 

 ity flower because three of its leaflets 

 combine to form a leaf." 



"Isn't there a fable about its name?'* 

 Edith inquired. 



"Yes. A pretty story is told as to 

 the origin of the Anemone which 

 ascribes it to the tears of Venus as she 

 wept for the slain Adonis. The name 

 is a Greek word meaning 'wind' flower. 

 The delicate leaves are easily disturbed 

 by the wind and it is often found grow- 

 ing on windy Heights. The poet says: 



Coy Anemone ne'er uncloses 



Her lips until blown on by the wind. 



"There is a variety in Colorado three 

 times as large as this one. It is laven- 

 der in color and comes into bloom so 

 early in the spring that it takes the 

 precaution to wear a warm silk or fur 

 wrap as a protection against the cold. 

 When the plant is sufficiently strong to 

 do without it, the fur coat is dropped." 



"The little darling!" cried Madge, 

 "how I would like to find one all 

 wrapped ill its fur coat." 



"A curious characteristic of the 

 Anemone is that it is one of nature's 

 barometers, as it indicates the approach 

 of night or a storm by curling its petals, 

 or sepals, rather, as the petals in this 

 flower are aborted or absent." 



"I remember," said John, "that you 

 once told us the Clovers were all weather 

 guides." 



"Yes,'* said Howard, "and we took a 

 lamp and went out to see the leaves 

 of the White Clover go to sleep.'* 



"you told us about the subterranean 

 Clover, too,'* chimed in Madge, "and it 

 works as if it had 'sense' or 'reason,* 

 you said. When it blossoms it holds up 

 its head for the bee to visit; and when 

 it is fertilized it turns it down again ; 

 and develops .fingers ' with which it 



