arm, and its branches spread far and 

 wide, concealing the desolation, and 

 making one spot of beauty where all 

 else is sad. 



When I saw it in the spring, hun- 

 dreds of blossoms crowded on its 

 branches, and around it hovered slen- 

 der brown bees, while from the shel- 

 ter of its branches the white-throatedi 

 sparrow called, and the cardinal bird 

 whistled, " Cheer-up, oh, cheer-up." 



So enshrined in our sentiments and 

 affection is this shrub that we scarcely 

 can realise that it is a foreigner brought 

 to our shores. Twelve species are 

 found in a wild state through various 

 parts of southwestern Europe, central 

 Asia, the Himalayas to Mongolia, 

 northern China, and Japan. There are 

 several statements as to how it became 

 distributed over European gardens, 

 but the most authentic seems to be 

 that it was brought to Vienna by 

 136 



