26 LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
soon as the first star appears in the heavens, 
and, as the shades of night advance, and the stars 
thickly stud the sky, the buds continue gradually 
blowing until the whole tree presents the appear- 
ance of one immense flower — the flower of a 
world, compared with which our earth would be but 
a football. On the approach of morning when the 
brilliancy of the stars gradually fades in the light of 
day, the Sorrowful Tree closes its flowers ; and, 
when the first beam of the rising sun appears, not 
a single blossom is visible. A sheet of flower-dust, 
as white as snow, covers the ground around the 
foot of the tree, which seems blighted and withered 
during the day, while, however, it is invisibly and 
actively preparing for its next nocturnal festival. 
If this tree is cut down close to the roots, a new 
plant shoots up and attains maturity in an almost 
incredibly short space of time : like the truly 
great man, who, though he may be for a while 
bowed down by the storms of fate, will soon recover 
and flourish in his wonted glory. In the vicinity of 
this singular tree, there usually grows another, 
which is probably a degenerate scion of the same 
species. In appearance it exactly resembles the 
