Stray Leaves from a Border Garden 
Kirk with a rosebud that might fit a king for a buttonhole. 
There is a time when the lanes near here are fairy high- 
ways with the china pink buds of the “ Pimpernel Rose,” the 
briar, and homeward-wending bairnies from the school 
break recklessly bunches of fleeting beauty that would be 
paid for with silver in city streets. 
It used to be the custom, I believe, long ago in England, 
and I think in Germany and Denmark as well, for a White 
Rose to be hung up over any table where secrets were 
likely to be discussed; hence the saying that things meant 
to be kept secret were mentioned as being “ Under the 
Rose.” The Greeks consecrated the Rose to Harpocrates, 
God of Silence. I wonder if there was any connection 
between this and the Northern custom of “ Under the 
Rose ” ? Roses were sometimes used as a form of rent. I 
remember hearing of an old place in Yorkshire, where the 
owners were supposed to send a Red Rose to the Queen at 
Christmas. There is, I believe, still to be seen an old 
Charter granted by King David II. in favour of one John 
de Raynton (Renton), burgess of Berwick, of the lands, &c. 
of Bily, in the barony of Bonkyle, within the Sheriffdom of 
Berwick, in fee and heritage, therefor yearly a Rose at the 
Feast of St. James the Apostle, and to the Lord of Bonkyle 
8s. for the ward of the Castle. Dated at Edinburgh anno 
regni 17 mo. 1346-7. Billie has long passed from the 
heirs of John de Raynton, and happens to be in our pos- 
session. But we pay no tribute of Roses; I could not bear 
to part with even one, I think. Such a lovely variety of 
Roses ! — tiny palest pink Scotch Roses, yellow Ayrshire, 
bond fide Tea-roses, Allen Richardsons, Cabbage-roses 
sweetest of all, pink and white Moss-roses. What is the old 
saying : “ Red Roses for joy, White Roses for comfort ” ? 
And why ? There was a time, I believe, when to wear a 
breast-knot of White Roses meant you had Jacobite pro- 
clivities. In a pretty miniature of Flora Macdonald I saw 
once in an old curiosity-shop in Edinburgh she had a 
White Rose tucked in the folds of her plaidie. I after- 
wards heard that she is said to have sat for her picture 
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