THE WALL-FLOWER. 



" Oh ! come to the river's rim, come to us there, 

 For the White Water Lily is wondrous fair ;" 



and much more she sweetly sings of its praises in her 

 " Romance of Flowers." 



THE WALL-FLOWER {Cheiranthus fruticulosus). — 

 Faithful in Adversity. 



" Recesses where the Wall-flower grew." — Scott. 



We find this fragrant flower blooming in places where ruin 

 and desolation prevail. In the cracks of ancient walls, in 

 nooks and corners of shattered towers, on cottages and tombs 

 in decay, there we may find the wall-flower, in short, wherever 

 adversity and misfortune have befallen masonry of old, valued 

 for what it has been, there this flower flourishes, faithful to 

 the friends who cherished it when they were prosperous and 

 gay. Thus Delta (Moir) has sung of it, 



" The Wall-flower — the Wall-flower, how beautiful it blooms ! 

 It gleams above the ruined tower, like sunlight over tombs ; 

 It sheds a halo of repose around the wrecks of time ; — 

 To beauty give the flaunting rose, the Wall-flower is sublime. 



Flower of the solitary place ! grey ruin's golden crown ! 

 Thou lendest melancholy grace to haunts of old renown ; 

 Thou mantlest o'er the battlement, by strife or storm decayed ; 

 And fiUest up each envious rent Time's canker-tooth hath made." 



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