Thistle. 
Cirsium arvense, Narurar Orper: Composite —Aster Family. 
M4 IELD CIRSIUM (from the old Greek name), or the True 
; Thistle, is the name of this variety, while the general word 
“ Thistle is a common name for various prickly plants which 
are widely dispersed and very annoying weeds. The most 
S common of these is the Canada Thistle, which is the curse 
5 of any land where once established, as every seed is fur- 
nished with an airy balloon of its own, to bear it to some 
new, unoccupied district. It also spreads by its creeping root. The 
flowers are arranged in small purple heads. There is also a yellow 
variety. When the leaves are a short distance above the ground 
in spring, they are sometimes. used as a salad, and the stems may 
be used as a boiled vegetable, if they are first stripped of their skins 
and soaked a short time in water to extract some of the bitterness pervading 
them. The following is the tradition of the adoption of the Thistle as the 
national emblem of Scotland: A body of Danes or Norsemen waiting to attack 
the Scots during the silent watches of the night, sent out a few spies to recon- 
noitre; these tramped upon some thistles, and, being wounded thereby, uttered such 
furious maledictions as to arouse the Scots, who were thus saved from disaster. 
Austerity. 
IS breadth of brow, and Roman shape of chin, 
Squared well with the firm man that reigned within. 
—Campbell. 
SHUT the door to face the naked truth, I took the perfect balances and weighed; 
I stood alone —I faced the truth alone, No shaking of my hand disturbed the poise; 
Stripped bare of self-regard, or form, or ruth, Weighed, found it wanting —not a word I said, 
Till first and last were shown. But silent made my choice. 
—Christina G. Rossetti. 
IS square-turned joints and strength of limb | TRUST the frown thy features wear, 
Showed him no carpet knight so trim, Ere long into a smile will turn; 
But in close fight a champion grim, I would not that a face as fair 
In camps a leader sage. As thine, beloved, should look so stern. 
— Sty Walter Scott, —Wm. Leggett 
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