PREFACE. 
" In eastern lands they talk in flowers. 
And tell in a garland their loves and cares.” 
The love of flowers is inherent in the human 
soul. The infant stretches forth its tiny hand 
to clasp them, and the man of crime is softened 
by the lessons which tney teach. They are 
mute but impressive preachers to the human 
heart, and the silent influence of their fragrant 
breath mingles with and etherialize3 the roughest 
natures. 
“Flowers are God’s thoughts,” saith the poet, and 
the pure soul reads best these thoughts, and dis¬ 
covers their holy meaning. They are the di¬ 
viners of all good, and from the mystic Abyssi¬ 
nian tree, whose fragrant blossoms bend lov- 
