292 Wood Sorrel. 



Till the bright day star to the west 



Declines in Ocean's surge to lave ; 

 Then, folded in her modest vest, 



She slumbers in the rocking wave." 



Yes, thou art day's own flower ; for when he's fled, 

 Sorrowing thou droop'st beneath the wave thy head f 

 And watching, weeping through the livelong night, 

 Look'st forth impatient for the dawning light, 

 And, as it brightens into perfect day, 

 Dost from the inmost fold thy breast display. 



Oh !' would that I, from earth's defilement free, 

 Could bare my bosom to the light like thee ! 

 But ah ! I feel within a blighting power, 

 Marring each grace, like hidden worm the flower, 

 And trembling, shrinking, gladly would I fly 

 That " light of light," Jehovah's piercing eye. 



Yet whither can I go ? Oh ! there's a wave 

 Where he who weeps for sin his soul may lave ; 

 he re would I plunge, and sad, Lot hopeless, lie, 

 Waiting the first fair day-spring from on high, 

 Then glad emerging from the healing stream, 

 . Welcome, like thee sweet flower, the dawning beam. 



Wood Sorrel. 



This plant belongs to the class Decandria, order Penta- 

 gynia. The generic name is derived from oxus, sour, on account 

 of the quality of its juice. Its characters are : — Calyx, five 

 parted ; petals five, often connected at the base ; capsules five 

 celled, five cornered, opening at the corners ; seeds arilled. 

 Specific characters : — Styles equal ; leaflets in threes, obcor- 

 date, hirsute ; root toothed. This is a bulbous perennial plant, 

 much used for culinary purposes. The leaves are all radical, 

 or spring direct from the root, and in threes ; leafstalks long 

 and slender, semicilindrical ; leaflets inversely heart-shaped 

 and hairy ; flowerstalks round and hairy, with two opposite 

 sharp floral leaves ; sharp segments of the calyx, oblong in 

 shape ; petals oblong, white, striped with purple, yellowish at 



