The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-05-05
WILD FLOWERS.


summer dresses, ''some very red, and
some glad. light green" as Chaucel
describes them. Here there is CLEAN
of yellow, where the spice-wood is IN full
bloom; there dash of scarlet, where {
red maple displays its last late blossoms
At no other season are the woods
so full of beauty. But to see Nature
in all all the fresh, young loneliness O
spring one must leave the fashionable
drive and climb the banks that rise from
the stream, until he is in the shade anc
solitude of the old woods. High in thu
tree tops the birds are calling to escf
other or fitting to and fro to put the fin
ishing touches to their nests, or singing
proudly to the quiet little mates thai
have already begun the patient task o
setting. The squirrels are wide awake by
this time, running nlnbly from tree t
tree, chittering to each other Of thei
winter dreams and their plans for sum
mer enj yment. Below them on thu
ground the wild spring flowers arr
out, and for the last three weeks thu
trailing arbutus had been blooming
on the sheltered hillsides and filling
the air with its sweet perfume. liz glory
is past, but even yet few blossoms arr
to be found, larger and sweeter than those
that are gone. We have always pecu
liarly tender feeling toward the brave
little plant, the earliest almo ST of our wilc
flowers, coming to US, as 1t does, during
the bleak days of spring, an earnest o
brighter things TO come. All through
the long dreary winter the bright pol
ished leaves have sheltered the tiny greer
buds, waiting ready to burst forth int
bloom on the coming of the warm sun
shine, and often we may find the delicate
pink and white flowers peep,ng out iron
the snow, doing their little best t.
drive away the lazy winter. Why have
our poets written so little about ar
butus? 1t is full of real seEtiment-no
sickly lackadaisical sentimentality, but
brave, hopeful and CHEEKY. 1t is mod
est little plant, too, far more SO than the
violet, so fa nous for that virtue; it hides
ITS clusters under the dead leaves SO com
pletely that only close observer can
discover 1t, and the largest flowers anc
finest clusters generally grow on very
short stems, close to the ground. In New
England and New York it is called May
flower, as it rarely blossoms there before
the first of May. But with us it is in its
prime about the middle of April, though
it is sometimes found in the after part o
March and as late as the middle OF May
As the arbutus fades the other wood
flowers begin to appear-sanguinaria, an
emones and their near relations, hepati
cas-, blooming together under the still al
most bare trees Very fitting is the name
anemone-. wild hower-so frail are thu
pale pink and white blossoms and light
feathery leaves that bend to the slight
est breeze; but the black, hair-like stems
are SO tough that often the whole plan
is uprooted in ones efforts to gather TIT
flower. And the old homely names, liv
erwort and b!oodroot, seem the most suit
able for the dear little flowers that mus
bring tothe mind Of almost every ont
some spring day long past, when rs chilt
he gathered these fair flowers in the greer
wood. Do you remember how, in TIT
spring.time, all through the forest thu
dead leaves are pierced or pushed asid
by the fresh unspringing life? From TIT
dark underground are rising velvety
gray coils, which, gradually unfolding
will expand into tall, graceful ferns
bright green punches on slender blacl
stems will develop into festhery maiden
hair; compact grayish-green cones viii
soon be stately Solomon's seals, who's,
waxy bells will tinkle, says the legend
when the fairies light upon their stem
The scarlet partridge-berries, which
have been bright all winter under tn
snow, are drying up now on their ever
green vines to give place TO the sweet
scented white blossoms. cousins to the ear
lier arbutus. Along the little springs an'
water courses the grass is dazzling emer
aid, and in the marshy spots the symplo
csrpu., iamilisrly known as skunk CAB
bage, spreads its broad, green leaves, ant
pale spring beauties bi the grount
with pink covering. Near them ar
the wood-lilies, the aristocrscy Of thu
forest. There are none of our sprins
flowers more refined and exquisite, botf
in form and coloring, than these short
lived plants, with their richly-mottiet
leaves of green and brown, and pendan
bells Of delicate straw color. They ar
noble ladies, appearing for but few
DAYS among their commoner AM
longer-lived neighbors, grazing for
brief season the lush, green spot
where they grow, pining and whitening
away if taken from their woodland home
Children call them adam and Eve,
from the fact that the plant has at tn
root two bulbs known by the names o
our first parents. II they are separated
and thrown into water, Adam will float
but Eve, having the greater sin, vii
sink. The popular name for them I
dog's-tooth violet, Inappropriate enough
however, as they have none of the char
acteristics Of the violet family. The tru
vio',t. or at least one species, the com
mon large blue violet is bloom
ing in the warm, sunny hooks
and out in tie sunshine along tn
borders o. the wood are patches Of gentl
little Quaker Ladies'" the English eye
bright Very neat and prim they lool
in their pale lavender, even the green o
their tiny leaves being Of sober, Qua
kerish hue. But let light zephyr com
fitting by, whispering to the upturne'
faces, and all the little heads will trem
BILE and bow for Joy, and the whole com
psny will dance and nod gaily to eacl
other long after tho rowing zephyr ha
gone away to seek the brighte
garden flowers. Beyond the wood
the fields are gay with blue-oot
ties and dandelions; daisies, but
tercups and day-wakers will soon be ou
and the early yellow butterflies have nc
long to wait for the first heads OF clover
Even on the gray rocks tender grass