Crocuses | 35 
The iris, geranium, gladiolus, and salvia, which 
make their début later in spring when there are 
many beauties in the field, must be gay if they 
would be observed. They must appear in cos- 
tumes which ‘‘ shout,’’ as the French say. 
But the crocus has not needed a bewilderingly 
splendid dress in order to secure attention, because 
she has scarcely a rival thus early in the season, 
and it is rather Hobson’s choice with the bee. 
Thus there is scarcely a single brilliant or con- 
spicuous blossom among all the first begotten of 
the spring. The early wild flowers which we find 
in sheltered sunny hollows are white, or pale-yel- 
low, or lilac, or delicate sea-shell pink. The 
spurred columbines, in their brilliant uniforms of 
red and gold, will not appear upon the rocks till 
May. They have but coward hearts, for all their 
martial colors, and dare not come out so long as 
Jack Frost and the North Wind prowl abroad. 
But the Joans of Arc among the flowers, which 
lead summer’s hosts and brave winter’s last des- 
perate onslaughts, look as tender and demure as 
Priscilla ‘‘ the Mayflower of Plymouth.”’ 
