WOODRUFF AND LAVENDER 111 



(Southernwood), was the favourite with old and 

 young. 



Sweet Woodruff, with its dainty Httle white 

 flowers and clustering foliage of bright green, is a 

 plant more often seen in cottage-gardens than the 

 gardens of the rich. People never seem to know 

 where to put it. In the flower-garden it is a little 

 weedy ; in the rock-garden it is almost too quick a 

 spreader ; but let the pretty creature have its w^ay 

 somewhere, and no one will begrudge the room it 

 takes. Even this innocent little plant has its 

 enemies ; there is a tiresome green beetle, some- 

 thing like a tiny Rose-beetle, who will devour it 

 in hot summers if you let him. 



Woodrufl* and Lavender, woven into garlands, 

 were used of old time in the decoration of churches. 

 To bring out the hay-scent of the leaves they must 

 be crushed or dried, but once dry there is no limit 

 to the time they remain sweet. Withered leaves 

 were put with linen and between the pages of 

 books, where the star-shaped whorls lie perfectly 

 flat and as thin as paper ; fresh green leaves, 

 bruised, would be laid against cuts and wounds. 

 Wine and cool drinks w^ere made of Woodruff*, 

 and many songs have been sung about it, which 



