Tussy-mussies 
297 
My favorite tussy-mussy, if made of flowers, 
would be of Wood Violet, Cabbage Rose, and Clove 
Pink. These are all beautiful flowers, but many 
of our most delightful fragrances do not come from 
flowers of gay dress ; even these three are not 
showy flowers ; flowers of bold color and growth 
are not apt to be sweet-scented ; and all flower per- 
fumes of great distinction, all that are unique, are 
from blossoms of modest color and bearing. The 
Calycanthus, called Virginia Allspice, Sweet Shrub, 
or Strawberry bush, has what I term a perfume of 
distinction, and its flowers are neither fine in shape, 
color, nor quality. 
I have often tried to define to myself the scent of 
the Calycanthus blooms ; they have an aromatic fra- 
grance somewhat like the ripest Pineapples of the 
tropics, but still richer ; how I love to carry them in 
my hand, crushed and warm, occasionally holding 
them tight over my mouth and nose to fill myself 
with their perfume. The leaves have a similar, but 
somewhat varied and sharper, scent, and the woody 
stems another; the latter I like to nibble. This 
flower has an element of mystery in it — that inde- 
scribable quality felt by children, and remembered 
by prosaic grown folk. Perhaps its curious dark red- 
dish brown tint may have added part of the queer- 
ness, since the “ Mourning Bride,” similar in color, 
has a like mysterious association. I cannot explain 
these qualities to any one not a garden-bred child; 
and as given in the chapter entitled The Mystery 
of Flowers, they will appear to many, fanciful and 
unreal — but I have a fraternity who will understand, 
