The Ivy. 225 



like the flowers, of a greenish white color. The Rhus Toxico- 

 • pendRON and this are merely varieties of the same species. 

 The wood of the Poison Ivy is easily broken, finely grained and 

 white; in the old plants, yellowish in the centre. The juice of 

 the plant, when first exposed to the air, is of a rich cream 

 color, but shortly afterwards, in the space of from fifteen to 

 twenty minutes, changes to a deep black, useful as forming a 

 perfect indelible ink. The color, when it is first stained with it, 

 is hardly perceptible, but continues to grow darker, and will last 

 as long as the fibres of the linen remain connected with each 

 other. Many experiments have satisfactorily demonstrated the 

 value of this fluid ; but it is rather difficult to procure, as the 

 touch and effluvium of the plant will cause in most cases a train 

 of distressing symptoms, even attended with fatal results. A 

 case is related of a gentleman who became sick by marking his 

 wristband with some of the juice to observe the effect. The 

 disease brought on by it seems to be of an erysipelatous charac- 

 ter, and is treated 6y rest, opium, low diet, and evacuations. 

 It is the emblem of Malignity. 



THE IVY. 



Have you e'er seen the moon's soft splendor 



Sleep peaceful on some ruined pile, 

 Gilding with radiance mild and tender, 



Each broken arch and mouldering aisle 1 



Have you e'er seen the ivy clinging, 



Round fragments broken and decayed, 

 As if its mantling wreaths 'twere flinging, 



To hide the breaches time had made 1 



Oh ! thus should care or sorrow wound thee, 



Be Friendship's soft endearments thine, 

 And fondest sympathy around thee 



As close her thousand tendrils twine. 



And when, at last, each youthful token 



Shall yield to wasting and decay, 

 And thou, like arch or column broken, 



Shalt feel proud manhood's strength give way. 



Oh ! then may love by time unshaken, 



Around its earliest prop still cling 

 (For when was mouldering arch forsaken 



By the fond wreath it caused to spring^ 

 P 



