196 
LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
wealth, because gold, however abundant, cannot of 
itself render a person truly rich. It is related that 
Pythes, a rich Lydian, the owner of several gold- 
mines, neglected the cultivation of his lands, which 
naturally became so unproductive as not to afford the 
necessaries of life. His wife, who proved herself 
possessed of as much good sense as wit, at a supper 
which Pythes had ordered her to prepare, caused all 
the dishes to be filled with representations of the 
different viands in gold. On the removal of the 
covers, she said to the guests : " I set before you 
such fare as we have ; for we cannot reap what we 
do not sow." This lesson made a due impression 
on the mind of Pythes, who acknowledged that Pro- 
vidence distributes its gifts like an affectionate mo- 
ther, who has a love for all her offspring, however 
numerous. 
The French call this flower Tournesol as well as 
Soleil, from a vulgar error that the blossoms turn to 
the sun. The fact is, that the flowers branch out on 
all sides of the plant, and those which face the east 
at the opening of day never turn to the west at the 
close of it. Many of our poets, however, have 
adopted the popular notion that this flower regularly 
turns to the sun : 
