LOVE AND THE FLOWERS 
277 
'i‘H£ STORY OF LOVE AND THE FLOWERS. 
It was in that age when the golden mornings of the early 
world were unclouded by the smoke of cities, when the 
odours from thousands of untrodden flowers mingled with 
the aroma of old forests, and the gentlest wind that ever 
tried its wings flapped its way through vast realms of 
sleeping fragrance — that Love first set out to discover the 
long-lost language of the Flowers. 
There had long been rumours in the olden world that 
before the angels left their watch beside the star-beaconed 
battlements of heaven, and gave up all their glory for 
the love of woman, the Buds and Blossoms had held 
sweet converse together, and that many a time when the 
nightingale ushered in the twilight with her song, voices 
from the flowers had made low response amongst the 
glades and rose-girded pastures of the Garden of Para- 
dise. 
Even on Olympus Love had heard that an immortal 
language never could die ; that, although silent, it still 
slept somewhere amongst the flowers. And many a time, 
whilst resting on some fragrant bed, he had been awak- 
ened by low whisperings, and disturbed by the heavy 
beating of his heart, which ever seemed urging him on- 
ward to commence his holy mission, and discover that 
language, which had been lost ever since the day when 
Eve went weeping from beneath the angel-guarded gates 
of Eden. 
Love arose, and shook the rounded dew in loosened 
pearls from the feathery silver of his wings, and soared 
far away over many a hill and valley; alighting when 
weary, and kneeling lowly, with attentive ear and bowed 
head, beside the blossoms. For a long time he only 
iea.rnt what the bees said wLen they hung murmuring over 
the honeyed bells, and what words the butterflies whis- 
pered as they alighted upon the flowers with subsiding 
wings. Onward wandered Love for many a day. Al- 
though he caught the faint breathing of the blossoms, 
yet the meaning of their lowest words was still to him a 
mystery. 
At last, weary and sad at heart, he sat dowia and wept 
