■JJVJ 
cnsvtUic fftnwIE 
ilTiinOSa JJUlHCCt. Natural Order: Leguminoscz — Pulse Family. 
\ SENSITIVE soul shrinks when wounded or stung by the 
rudeness or sarcasm of a thoughtless tongue, and in this plant 
a curious analogy to this feeling is found. I he Mimosa has 
the peculiar property of retraction, when touched by the hand 
,-f^ or other substance. There are four plants which have the 
same peculiar power, the names of which are: Dwarf 
Cassia, called also Sensitive Pea, an elegant plant with yellow flowers; 
the Wild Sensitive plant, whose leaves close by night and when 
touched; the Sensitive Brier, and the above, which is about a foot 
Jpg*’ high, with a shrubby stem. The flowers of the Mimosa pudica are 
small, and bloom in heads, and are of little beauty. It is a native ol 
s.v-v Brazil, and is often cultivated as a curiosity, as its leaves droop it 
Prop 7 
touched, or if the stalk of the shrub is shaken all the stems sink 
down as if they felt a thrill of horror pass over them, and only recover filter sev¬ 
eral hours. 
r F'HE sensitive plant was the earliest 
Upgather’d into the bosom of rest; 
A sweet child weary of its delight, 
The feeblest and yet the favorite, 
Cradled within the embrace of night. 
¥ 
QO bright the tear in beauty’s eye, 
Love half regrets to kiss it dry; 
So sweet the blush of bashfulness, 
E’en pity scarce can wish it less. 
TITITHAL she laughed, and she blushed withal, 
* * That blushing to her laughter gave more grace, 
And laughter to her blushing. — Spenser. 
HP HE sweet eves that his eyes were set upon 
1 Were hid by shamefast lids as he did speak, 
And redder color burned on her fresh cheek, 
And her lips smiled, as, with a half-sad sigh, 
He ’gan to tell his lovesome history. 
_ 5 ) le iiy — Willia m Morris. 
j V maids be shy, he cures who can; 
^ But if a man be shy — a man — 
Why, then the worse for him! —Jean Bigelow. 
CRIMSON blush her beauteous face o’erspread, 
Varying her cheeks, by turn, with white and red; 
The driving colors, never at a stay, 
Run here and there, and flush and fade away. 
/V 
— Byron. 
-Parnell. 
2 73 
m 
