KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



149 



SPRING'S FIRST LEVEE. 



BY HELEN HETHERIXGTON. 



Old Winter was passing, when Nature arose, 

 Revived and refresh d with her gentle repose ; 

 And she smiled as she bade him farewell : 

 For sweet Spring had promised to visit the glen, 

 To roam with the children of Nature again, 

 Through forest, dale, valley, and dell. 



The snowdrop and crocus first came to engage 

 The pretty pale primrose to act as her page, 

 And the cowslip to bear her commands : 

 The green turf and clover had made for her feet, 

 A carpet bespangled with daisies — so neat ! 

 Interspers'd o'er the sunniest lands. 



She came with a smile (as all happy days come) ; 

 The grasshopper's chirp, and the bee's busy hum 

 Kesounded o'er valley and plain : 

 Her courtiers, r _the Moss-rose, and sweet Migno- 

 nette, 

 And delicate Lily all happily met, 

 Aud join'd in the numerous train. 



Every day brought new visitors splendidly drest — 

 AH welcomed by Nature and her lovely guest, 

 They made no delay, nor excuse ; 

 She laid down the plan she would have them pursue, 

 And pledged them her friendship in bright 



sparkling dew, 

 From golden cups cull'd for her use. 



High over the mountains she roam'd with the 



day, 

 And listen'd entranced to the lark's gentle lay, 

 As he gracefully rose on the wing : 

 The birds felt her presence, and merrily sang, 

 Through forest and valley, the wild echo rang, 

 And welcomed the sweet smiles of Spring. 



And at eve when the golden sun sank in the west, 

 And the children of Nature reposed on her breast, 

 She roam'd by the moon's gentle rays; 

 Where the rivulet sang as it rippled along, 

 And the nightingale warbled his rich mellow song, 

 Commencing each lay with her praise. 



Then the morn came again, and thus time passed 



away, 

 With the smile of the merry, and songs of the gay, 

 All doubts, fears, and cares were removed; 

 The notes of the cuckoo were borne on the breeze, 

 The gay squirrel leaped from the boughs of the 



trees, 

 And Spring felt that she was belov'd. 



She welcomed them all with a soothing caress, 

 But the sweet violet crept in the folds of her dress, 

 And timidly feared to offend; 

 She pass'd not unnoticed, a fragrance so sweet 

 I^ed Spring to discover its shady retreat, 

 And she claimed it as her " bosom-friend." 



And now all was happiness. Gaily the sun 



Shed a radiant pleasure on every one, 



And showered sweet smiles from above : 



All blessings were traced to his kind gracious 



hand, 

 Who giveth the increase, enricheth the land, 

 And crowneth our labor with Love. 



THOUGHTS ON THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



What a vast, elaborate, and beau- 

 tiful portion of created things are 

 Vegetables ! How diversified their appear- 

 ance ! how varied their uses ! Every plant ; 

 nay, every blade of grass, every leaf, exhibits 

 in itself so much design and forethought, 

 and is so replete with wonders, that it were 

 unpardonable for any one to overlook their 

 claims on our attention. 



Whether we examine microscopically the 

 minutest moss or parasitical fungus (each 

 magnificent), or cast our unaided vision over 

 plants of more gigantic proportions ; whether 

 our minds revert to the luxuriant display 

 and exuberance of tropica? vegetation, where 

 the Palms, " those princes of torrid regions " 

 flourish in perfection, or dwell on the more 

 placid and cheerful appearance of our own 

 woods and meadows green ; or ponder on the 

 humble mosses of the Arctic circle, which form 

 part of the Laplander's support — we shall 

 rind plenty to absorb our attention, excite 

 our admiration, and stimulate our curiosity. 



Wherever we turn, there are plants : and 

 now let us glance at a few of their uses. 

 They purify the air, by absorbing and assimi- 

 lating in their tissues the carbonic acid 

 exhaled from the lungs of animals, and unfit 

 for their support ; at the same time that they 

 give off oxygen from the leaves (which 

 perform the functions of lungs), so essential 

 to the support of animal existence. Thus 

 there is a mutual interchange of requisites 

 and indispensables ; the one consuming the 

 rejected of the other, — each supporting either, 

 and maintaining a just equilibrium. 



Again, man and most brutes obtain the 

 greater portion of their sustenance from 

 vegetables, in one form or another. From 

 them likewise we have materials for building, 

 clothing (cotton is the envelope of a seed), 

 and warmth (coal is fossilated vegetable 

 matter). And L.stly, when sickness attacks 

 those most dear 10 us, it is from plants that 

 most of the remedies are obtained. I say 

 most ; for glancing my eye round the apart- 

 ment where I write, the preponderance of 

 these over medicines procured from either 

 i the Animal or Mineral Kingdom, is 

 strikingly manifested. 



All parts of plants are used either as food 

 or in ;he alleviation of disease. We have 

 , Ginger. Horseradish, Liquorice, Gentian, 

 Rhubarb, Sarsaparilla, Dandelion roots, and 

 i Arrowroot (a fsecula derived from the same 

 1 organ); Oak, Cinnamon, and Peruvian Ixirls ; 

 i Hemlock. Senna, Tea, Tobacco leaves ; Rose, 

 i Elder, Chamomile, Violet, Orange ilovtrs ; 

 ' Carrawav, Flax, Mustard. Coriander. Fennel 

 ! fruits (usually called seeds), as well as those 

 j better known as articles of dessert. The pith 

 | of a Palm forms Sago, the stigmas of a Crocus 



