212 A TOUa ROUND MY GARDEN. 



People who write history strive in vain to find great causes 

 for events, and to prove the premeditation of the tiles which 

 fall upon the head of the world. There is a crowd of small 

 habits against which we struggle at an immense disadvantage, 

 and over which I have never seen a victory obtained. The 

 Cardinal de Retz, great-grand-uncle of the Coadjutor, kept 

 during three years his horses, his hounds, and his hunting 

 appointments at Noisy, near Versailles, saying every day, I 

 will go there to-morrow. And he never went there. 



There is a deep pool very near us, in which it is said there 

 are eels; do you remember that during a month we said 

 every evening, Well, we will go to-morrow, and lay some 

 lines in that pool 1 We passed before it four times a-day, and 

 yet you know that you went away without carrying our pur- 

 pose into effect, and I have never thought of it since. 



It is fifteen years ago since I failed in making a curious 

 experiment, of which you, perhaps, have heard : it was with 

 the Fraxinella. 



The fraxinella is a beautiful plant which I met with in a 

 corner of my garden ; from the centre of a tufted and shining 

 foliage, it throws out a large spike of flowers, rose-coloured or 

 white, according to the variety. 



I have frequently heard it said that from the vesicles which 

 cover it there escapes a sort of gas or volatile oil, that this 

 gas produces a kind of inflammable atmosphere, which takes 

 tire if a taper be brought near it in hot weather, and forms 

 around the plant a luminous glory not at all injurious to it. 



I have frequently determined to satisfy myself with my 

 own eyes of the truth of this assertion, but have hitherto let 

 all opportunities slip; I will try to think of it this evening. 



The Nigella of Damascus is a flower of a beautiful pale 

 blue, which blooms all enveloped in a green foliage, cut as 

 finely as hairs, which has procured it the name of Venus's 

 hairs; it is a charming plant, and multiplies itself to a great 

 extent in gardens where it is once introduced. The Orientals 

 make great use of its seeds for all sorts of seasoning. 



When the regular period arrives, the bride, surrounded by 

 more than a dozen bridegrooms, would appear to you to be a 

 little embarrassed between those beautiful curtains of blue 

 silk and green gauze; she is taller than they are ; it scarcely 



