II 



On the Withering of Plants 



A FTER seeing any flower for a cer- 

 / \ tain length of time, we almost 

 I V necessarily tire of its beauty. 

 This is especially the case if it 

 belongs to an uncomfortable season of 

 the year. For instance, dearly as we 

 love the Snowdrop, it soon begins to 

 gather round it a train of recollections 

 of cold and gloomy weather, and as we 

 look upon it day after day, and its first 

 charm loses force, these disagreeable as- 

 sociations gain ascendency in a like pro- 

 portion. Besides, each flower at the time 

 of its first appearance is adapted to fill 

 some characteristic place in the land- 

 scape, but before it passes away the 

 features of the landscape have changed, 

 so as to harmonise more perfectly with 

 the newly entering generation of blos- 

 soms, which are bursting upon our sated 

 eyes with all the advantages of novelty. 



198 



