302 THE “FLORIST. 
view'to future exhibitions; for’ the! shining jolliness: of Grundy,; and for; 
the kindly gladness of our thoughtful: curates (And, haying this-trust; 
as: my encouragement, together “with some! welcome ‘words of jappro-; 
bation which have reached) me from friendly critics, | D go, on joyously, to 
chronicle our proceedings; and follow up! my: introduction withya: eordial; 
invite that you; my:reader, will join us, im imagination and sympathy,’ 
as /we® sit) m ols and will listen learn tp to our, ‘discursive 
colloquies. yse toss 
Be withous, therefore, im those long nighits of rare eels she. ssi 
north winds blow,” chair thyself comfortably: by our! hebdomadal-board: 
within: the, pleasant :influencesof: our \glowing’ fire, charge thy| ealumet, 
with ithe soothing ‘weed; and thy crystal with golden|wine:froni «the; 
bright.and laughing barley ;”: while:throrieéd on-the' tiny/clouds: above; 
us, that sweet little fairy;;Queen Faney! (sister of $f; Queen Mab, ’faney: 
Dabilia; and) of | Queen ofthe: Valley,” fancy,|Pelargonium);, ismilés, 
aaa our cheerful convocation); ‘and as sheowaves her magic sti 8 
** Again the garden glows,’ FOO OOK ¥ {i110 STIW YS! salt 
) And fills thediberab air 30:1»! fotwaidO of 
again our beds and ‘borders’ (hard frozen in reality ‘without ‘and: hidden 
by the snow) brighten i their summer’ sheen} “agam’ every’ ‘greenhouse 
stage bears its‘ precious freight of lovéliness') again’ we gee our Exhibix 
fion vais’ drawn up at:the garden gate; ‘and -bornd delicately, tis: though: 
We carried ‘some sleeping beatty whom we feared to wake, the specimen 
plants ' so Tong, so fondly tended; come’ forth’ to witch ‘the world; ‘again’ 
we await in anxious suspense, during two hours which seem a fortnight) 
the departure of the Censors, and'‘the opening’ of ‘the doors’ ;again we 
draw nigh’'to our favorites,’ pretending’ mdifferencé., and” trying" ‘to! 
saunter, but painfully eager in our fluttering hearts. to know what award? 
hag been’ wade 'to us; again those hearts sé, light and bright asa) 
soap-bubble in° the siiiishine: as’ we read’ the ‘welcome’ words’ Hirst 
Prize,” or sink; heavy as’ an’ underbéiled“barm-dumpling, to find that? 
we’ are: not placed’: again’ We hear, victorious, that happy Allright;2 
“from our gardener, “and like'a schoolboy, just'informed of @ hamper,® 
cfin' scarce forbear’ to’ cheer j’again, defeated, we entertain fora moment? 
ati absuvd éonviction ‘that the: judges are’ éither in league against uscor 
in a state of hopeless intoxication, soon recovering our better mind, and? 
finally feeling all the more likely to: bear fruit Bisa sal Tike! beaten 
Wain trees, or ‘any other’tree in fact, since edch’'/> o1 Tol eloojaa 
medi 
ie @) 4 ‘to 
“ Sucks kindlier nature from a soil pesca bei eat 
TR ATT: } al d fie 
By its own fallen leaves; and man is made 
In ‘heart and’ spirit from deciduous tod 1949 TY 0 at s19H 
And things that seem to perish."to) so191) Sool 9d | sila aort 
Such are our reflections and remembrances, and. very soon, after a few 
preliminary remarks upon the weather, the news of the’ great wor in 
general and our little world in particular, we'come shod : 
minovd ge 
“ Like doves about. a dovecot, sabeo| tata round — ae 
Our. central wish, until,we,settle there,” apes bit 
to open our, hearts, conderning them: And it’ is amusing to noté" the 
change that has come over us, now that our) tourney is over, and.the 
