TIME AND THE FLOWERS. 
161 
and shutting of the blossoms. Morning and even¬ 
ing the village maiden marked the hour of milking 
time, by the waking and sleeping of the Daisy. The 
mower, as he strode forth, with his scythe over his 
shoulder, to cut down the summer flowers, hastened 
his step if he saw that the cup of the Convolvulus 
had expanded ; and when his arm was weary, 
turned to the hedge, over which it trailed in many 
a fantastic line, for the close of his day’s labour 
was announced by the shutting of the Bindweed. 
The rustic beauty, before she went forth to Wake or 
Feast, or donned her holiday attire, went out and 
peeped at the scarlet Pimpernel ; and if its starry 
petals were closed, she knew that the showers 
would soon descend, and, sighing, laid aside her 
Sunday garments, until she could see the purple 
spot at the bottom of the scarlet flower. 
They knew that Winter was awakening from his 
long sleep when the Snowdrop and the Crocus 
appeared; they dated the coming of Spring from 
the yellow dawning of Primroses upon the banks, 
and the deep flush of Violets which lay like a 
purple cloud upon the grass ; and when the Roses 
and Honeysuckles were in full bloom, they knew 
that Summer had come in the beauty of her broad 
bloom of flowers; but, when only a blossom was 
seen here and there upon the Bramble, and the 
blue of the nodding Harebell looked wan and pale, 
M 
