THE DAISY OF THE DALE. 
107 
greensward, and, playing idly with one of his arrows, 
he thoughtlessly cut down the blue Harebells and tall 
white Daisies which grew around him, with the point 
of his weapon, until startled from his musing and 
listless mood by the sound of the bugle-horn, and the 
baying of dogs in the distance, he sprang up hurriedly 
from his velvet couch, gathered together his bow and 
arrows, and a handful of flowers at random, and flew 
off into another solitude, far away from the clamorous 
din of the hunters. It was then that his eye first 
alighted upon the group of flowers which he had in 
his hand. On the broad, green, background of the 
Fern rested the sky-dyed Harebells ; before these, like 
a cluster of stars, spread the white Daisies, while over 
all drooped the scarlet cups of the Fuchsia, in elegant 
festoons ; and he smiled as he looked at the graceful 
finish which the drooping Fuchsia gave to the wild 
flowers that represented Innocence and Retirement, 
and the broad Fern that grew up of its own accord, a 
true image of Old Sincerity. 
Through the dew of many a spring morning, ere 
the sun had climbed above the summit of the distant 
hill, while only the skylark beat the blue and vaulted 
dome of heaven, and with her song wakened the 
