Plant Names 287 
certainly had the respect and love of these two old 
ladies, who were truly Lovers of Flowers. 
I recall an objection made to Sweet-williams, by 
some one years ago, that they were of no use or value 
save in the garden ; that they could never be com- 
bined in bouquets, nor did they arrange well in vases. 
It is a place of honor, some of us believe, to be a 
garden flower as well as a vase flower. This garden 
was the only one I knew when a child which con- 
tained plants of Love-lies-bleeding — it had even 
then been deemed old-fashioned and out of date. 
And it also held a few Sunflowers, which had not then 
had a revival of attention, and seemed as obsolete 
as the Love-lies-bleeding. The last-named flower 
I always disliked, a shapeless, gawky creature, de- 
scribed in florists' catalogues and like publications as 
“ an effective plant easily attaining to a splendid form 
bearing many plume-tufts of rich lustrous crimson." 
It is the cc immortal amarant " chosen by Milton to 
crown the celestial beings in Paradise Lost. Poor 
angels ! they have had many trying vagaries of 
attire assigned to them. 
I can contribute to plant lore one fantastic notion 
in regard to Love-lies-bleeding — though I can find 
no one who can confirm this memory of my child- 
hood. I recall distinctly expressions of surprise 
and regret that these two old people in Worcester 
should retain the Love-lies-bleeding in their garden, 
because “ the house would surely be struck with 
lightning." Perhaps this fancy contributed to the 
exile of the flower from gardens. 
There be those who write, and I suppose they 
