TEE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 27 
joy our books, that we should also enjoy the 
privilege of air and light, drinking in health 
and vigour, to enable us to make the best and 
most profitable use of our sedentary hours. 
In direct opposition then to books, or rather 
in secret combination with them, we would 
place flowers — the out-of-door books Nature has 
bo liberally provided for us, in so rich a va- 
riety of types and bindings, as to leave us no 
excuse for not gratifying our individual tastes. 
The lover of flowers has this advantage over 
the lover of books, that he can never be at a 
loss for variety ; but we suspect the classifi- 
cation is somewhat arbitrary, and that there 
is hardly any one who loves the one, who does 
not also love the other. The best way to en- 
joy either is to enjoy both ; to take them al- 
ternately, so that they may relieve and show 
oH each other to the best advantage. A walk 
in an open field, and one hour spent in gather- 
ing wild flowers, to be afterwards grouped 
into a vase upon the library table, is by no 
means the least suggestive preparation for a 
morning’s reading.” — Yes, and then, as we in- 
hale their balmy freshness, and look upon 
their beautiful hues, we shall think of the 
