SYMPATHY OT NATURE. 261 



Car the occasion, think it their duty, and make it a pleasure 

 to stain themselves red and yeUow : ' 



" Ipse Bed in pratis axies jam suave rubenti 

 Muxicfe, jam croceo mutabit vellera luto." 



GaUus is a prey to unsuccessful love ; the laurels pity him 

 sincerely, and the brambles even shed some tears over his 

 fate: 



" lUum etiam lauri, ilium etiam fievere myricae." 



When Anacreon wishes to drink, the roses come of them- 

 selves to crown his silver locks : 



" To paiav TO tSiv kptaTiav, 

 To pobov TO KaWf0vWov." 



For my part, I am to-day as happy as possible; I have got 

 rid of an annoyance — Edmond is gone, although tiU the 

 moment of his departure, nothing announced that he did not 

 intend to stay twenty years. 



Thus " Happiness is composed of evils we have escaped." 



I am happy, and yet I seek in vain in my garden for a little 

 sympathy. 



■ Certainly, I am under no obligation to the roses for being 

 in bloom, or to the honeysuckles for throwing about their 

 odours so prodigally from the tops of the trees ; this is not 

 done for my sake ; they do not do this for the purpose of 

 associating themselves with my joy. 



But there are some flowers which I in some degree reckoned 

 upon ; the gorteria — ^that beautiful flower with its green foliage 

 lined with white, and blossoms of a splendid orange colour 

 which only open to the sun — ^might have shown me a little 

 delicate attention by expanding its rays to-day, although the 

 weather be rather dull. 



The tiger lilies — ^those beautiful cups of purple and gold 

 which last only for a few hours — might have prolonged their 

 blooming for a minute or two, as an evidence of rejoicing. 



The aristea — which, upon a miniature fohage of the iris, ex- 

 hibits charming little blue roses that close in the shade — might 

 have had the good feeling to keep its blossoms open. 



The Jriars and the laurels might have afforded me a few 

 tears of joy, as they wept so freely in pity for GaUus. 



