The Portland daily press., 1869-04-14
Miscellany.


The editor of the Providence Journal, hav-
ing been presented with a nosegay of these
lovely flowers, breaks forth in the following
poetic strain. 1t is not often that that dull
creature, an editor, is inspired to write in
such strain Of tender and delicate sentiment.
but then if anything could waken poetic feel
ing in his prosaic soul it might well be these
flowers, the earliest, sweetest children of the
spring:
A box OF these delicious May-fowers came
to US yesterday, from an attentive friend near
Frozen Point" We recognized the ineffable
sweetness OF the perfume before we united
ne string. Lying lightly ON a bed of soft
moss aud scarlet lichens, peeping out from
the hardy green leaves, the clustering bios
SONS lifted their pink and white chaIices, and
dainty buds fresh with dew from the depths
of their shadowy forest home. 1t was a
pleasure to arrange them ON their messy bed,
and carefully protected by glass, watch their
unfolding in the genial atmosphere to which
they had been transferred With the SIM
plicity and trusting innocence of their nature,
they imagined themselves somewhere on a
sunny bank" in the warm sunshine. The
delicate corollas unfolded their hues like the
pink sea-shell; the timid buds peeped out
from their starry points; and the green
leaves, moss, and scarlet lichens softened and
freshened in the moist atmosphere under the
n-glass.
Here is clustering bunch of twelve HOS
SONS and buds, blending in delicious colorino
the pursst pearly-white, with the daintiesi
rose-pink, combining the fully-expanded flow
er with the half-opened loneliness which is SO
attractive, and side by side with the starry
ana unopened bud; as for the perfume, words
cannot tell Its sweetness, and we think only
those VINO have recognized the presence OF
The flowers in the haunts where they love to
dwell, by their breath borne on the breeze,
can appreciate it. Here is another bunch
more abundant In floral wealth, for there are
nineteen pure white blossoms upon il in full
development, and even while we count them
two more corolas fall upon the table, their
short story told, their brief life ended. Here
is another trailing spray, with clustering
head OF eight pinky buds, and here are five
little hardy white points which are Just taking
the form OF buds; they are the most interest
ing OF all for we can nurse them into perfect
ed flowers. We only wish we had the tails
manic power to imprison the whole collection
and Keep them for picture all summer
But 1t is association that gives halt the
charm to these darlings OF the forest. We
cannot look upon them without stir in the
Long Ago, when the labor was light which
resulted in their possession, and when moth
ing contented us but the pleasure of finding
them for ourselves. How, as we look upon
them, the memories of the past return, when
we have pulled out from under the leaves,
trailing masses with their delicate blossoms
fashioned by the fairy fingers; when the hum
of the bee has guided us to cIump of them
on sunny bank, in color like the morning.
dawn when Inv hn eli Of rJ,;a
their pale blossoms have glistened like stars.
AS harbingers of the spring; as associated
with the joys of early days as Weakening the
music OF memories OF "days that are no
more Tor their sanity purity; for the wealth
OF fragrance hidden in their dewy petals: for
the sweet humility which makes them hide
their beauty under their twining tendrils;
and for the serene Inconsistencies which is
their greatest charm, as every year renews
the miracle OF their fragile life, so every year
renews the homage we delight TO render
them.