The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-23
WITH OLD POETS.
3 Journal by Emma Carleton.

written for the Journal by Emma Carleton.
In our beautiful language there is no more
beautiful word, both as to sound and signih-
canoe than our word, garden. The Welshman
may have his garth, the German his garten, the
Portuguese his jardim, the Frenchman his jardin,
the Italian his giardino and even our own Uncle
Remus his 'gyardin,' but no self-respecting,
English-speaking individual will ever concede to
any of these titles the soft and mellihuent tones
which charm the ear in our own word. AS the
word garden is beautiful, so also is the divine
invention for which it stands. AS the four most
delightful employments of industrious
man Cowper enumerates Friends
books, garden, and perhaps his pen;a
but friends come not always on the scene when
longed for; books ofttimes fail to fit ''the myriad
moods of man which to the mind come throng
ing and the faithful pen will sometimes cleave
to the paper in dumb idleness. The garden, how
ever, if man has such charming possession, is
ever with him, to match his moods with ex-
haustless magic all its own. OF all summer
MONTHS August is, par excellence, the month
for unalloyed enjoyment of the garden. In May
man has planted through June and July he has
weeded and watered and in August he first
finds full leisure to contemplate the increase.
Weeds then seem to be conscience-stricken and
relent in their persistent diabolism; heavy
night dews fall to relieve the sprinkling-can
or garden-hose; fruits are almost gone;
flowers are in their loveliest maturity and
prime; and the weary gardener, under his own
vine and fig tree in delicious physical repose,
may reap the spiritual rewards of his toll, if he
choose, in royal company What indissoluble
ties bind the poet to the garden, and also the
garden to the poetl Can you sit or walk among
your flowers without the poet at your ear or
elbow2 And can you turn the poets pages with
out a thousand brilliant hues and fragrant doors
springing forth to meet you2 Nay, for here are
'tpanses for thoughts and rosemary for remem-
brance'-''swe violets that strew the lap Of
the new-come spring" here bloom amaryllls
and narcissus, both beloved of poets all; and
here nestles the daisy, dear for Burnss and
Wordsworths sake; there the red rose cries,
she IS near, she is near, and the white rose weeps,
she is late" there trips the fairy bride from
Italy with smells of oleander in her hair" and
there blazes the scarlet 'pomegranate blossom;
heart Of fire." there the woodbine spices are
waited abroad, and there ''the orange flower
perfumes the bower but County Guy comes not
Truly the garden without the poets interpreta-
ton would be a banquet hall deserted, and the
poets page from which all flowers have faded
ran draw and charm us no longer
All poets love the garden. Even in Homer,
amid the rush of chariots and the clash of spear
and shield, we find 'Pallas, radiant veil with
flowers adorned and "on Mount Ida's sacred
top where Jupiter and Juno meet garden
springs to grace the scenes" 'unbidden herbs and
voluntary flowers, thick new born violets
carpet spread and clustering lotus Nay, more,
the kitchen garden throve in Homers day, for
at warriors banquet,
Sacred flower Of wheat
And wholesome garlic crowned the sayory treat. :"
Bread and onionsl Matchless feast! indorsed
Of gods and men Glorious gardens bloomed in
Vrgips time:
''The daughters of the flood have searched the mead
For violets pale, and eropp'd the poppy head;
The short narcissus and fair daffodil
Panses to please the sight and cassia sweet to SMELL
And set soft hyacinths with iron.blue
70 shade marsh marigolds of charming hue
The laurel and the myrtle sweets agree,
And both in nosegay shall be bound for thee"
Chaucer knew ''the create delite and the
pleasaunce they have to the foure. " He wrote of
.'yelouttes blew" and fresh wodebind,r with
other "godely houres, white and red and well
smelling They begged slips, too, in Chaucer's
day:
eGeve me plant Of Unlike blessed tree
An in my gardin planted shall it be-
Spenser too, tells of charming gardens:
mo dainty flower or herb that grows on ground,
And smelling sweet but it might there be found"
But all brightest garden-plots must pale and
fade away before the enchanting and matchless
flowers of Shakspeare's pages Here's flowers
for you'--'sa thousand fragrant pansiesp-''da
sizes pied and violets blue daffodils that come
before the swallow daresn-sviolets dim, but
sweeter than the lids of Junos eyes"-s'pale
primroses that die unmarried "-the inarigold
that goes to bed with the sun, and with him rises
weeping "bold oxlips and the crown Imperial
-''the freckled cowslip" and ''cuckoo buds of
yellow transformations and streaked gly-
lowers luscious WOO lbine and sweet musk
rosesn-the azured harebell and leaf of eelan- |
tine lilies of all kinds"-truly IAN odorous
chaplet of sweet summer buds good morrow |
sweet my William. and farewell; beshrew us
but we love you heartily.
Drayton, too is rich in garden-lore; true poet
ical floral catalogue, telling of 'sall wholesome
herbs and every pleasant hower;p 1.-THE oderifer-
GUS pink that sends forth such gale of sweetness
the button bachelor, sweet-william the mari
gold, cowslip, oxlip and columbine, ladysmock |
crow flower, clover flower and double daisy" ali
these, with other flowers to gardens that be-
long" scent his pages Herbs, too, to send the
old housewife daft with envy; balm and mint
the scentful camomile, strong tansey, fennel
COOL clear hyssop. sweet marioram, sweet BASIL
and the comfortable thyme (which every
where they strew with bounteous hand and
free"
With Milton pluck we
''Violets blue
And fresh blown roses wash d in dew,
the sweet-bier or, the vine,
Or the twisted eglantne."
1.-THE tufted crow-toe and pale iessamnen-
flowers of all hues and without thorn, the rosen
--'sfowery arbors"-''yonder alleys green.n
What wonder that with wandering step and slow
our lingering parents left this garden of beauty;
the boSky bournes, and buShy dellS and violet
embroidered Wales Of paradise.
Prior wrote of gardens so stately and arbors
so thickn where he plucked ''the dappled pink
and blushing rose" to deck his charming Chloes
hair and we may forgive much to woman
hating Pope for his loving touch on ''the howery
ground where
"a crystal fountain spread its streams around.
To this sweet place in summers sultry heat
He us'd from noise and business to retreat"
Thomson sang the joys of still retreats and
onli q inor 0ft1ra
genial hours he full enjoys, and not beauty
blows, and not an opening blossom breathes in
vain
In Shenstone,
snow nightingales MARBLE their loves
From thickets of roses that blow"