Flowers and Gardens 



there with white flowers of the grass of 

 Parnassus, the one thing fair enough 

 to stand by its side. Only two or three 

 blossoms were left (for it was late in 

 August) lingering still, bright but very 

 pale as the dawn-belated moon, and the 

 brawling stream spoke hoarsely to them 

 in its passing by. I have often seen the 

 blossoms finer, but they never impressed 

 me more than these did that misty morn- 

 ing. Globe Flower ! Why should 

 we not call it Kingcup ? A mere 

 buttercup neither needs nor justifies the 

 name.^ 



How interesting it is to watch these 

 broad round blossoms when they open 

 in the spring, first showing themselves 

 of a greener hue, and much the best 

 if dusted over, as so frequently happens, 

 with brown upon the outer petals. And 

 gradually, day by day, as the flower en- 

 larges, the clear brightness is seen coming 

 through the petals, as the moon through 

 the folds of cloud which overlay her, till 

 at length the full orb shines forth revealed 

 like a very planet in its glory. The 



' [Kingcup is the name of Caltha palustris, which is not 

 a buttercup, though of the same large family as the 

 buttercup ; and is mentioned as " Water-Blobs " on p. 189 

 — H. N. E.] 



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