Year: 1865

Summer, the Queen, had abdi Gated her
throne, and Autumn, in her many hued
robe and crown Of brightly tinted forest
leaves, had just taken her royal sisters
place. All the Flower Spirits who waited
on laughing Spring and queenly Summer,
had gone back into Fairy land but there
remained yet bright and joyous band, and
they appointed now farewell festival where
they might say their good byes to each
other before 1.-THE Frost King should come TO
drive them roughly away.


Deep in the heart of the Alleghan les was
a wild glen where yet the foot Of man never
rod, and upon one side there opened int,
the heart of the mountains vast cavern
Its mouth was draped by the heavy foliage
ofa clambcring vine, and far within, stretch.
ing away into the darkness, was a mighty
hall, built not by human hands. High
arose pillar and coiamn of the purest ala
bAetsy Mpd the arched snof was. of the same
Isuvwy Due, frettsI and carved iiise sane an
cient Gothic Cathedral Busy hands had
been at work here, and on this calm autumn
night it presented scene of royal magnif
cence. Round the white columns, from
roof to floor, hung garlands of flowers, gor.
geous in hue, and exhaling the sweetest
fragrance, while in every corner stood i'm
mense vases loaded with Flora's rasest Of
ferings. A food of light illumed the scene
from countless lamps that hung amid the
flowers, and in the recesses of the cave
burned fragrant woods. giving their rich
perfume to the air. Without, the sun had
sunk to his rest. though a few crimson
clouds still hoated in the West and star or
two looked out from beside the crescent
moon, that hing IN The blue sky like sill.
yer sickle. But within the glen the dark
shadows had fitted ont from among the oh
forest trees, where they bad lain hidden all
the day, and around the portals of the ca We
oil was darkness.


Aud now came the genii Of the flowers,
trooping to their place of meeting from for
est and field, from crowded cities and coun
try hamlets, till the ball was filed with the
busy hum Of happy voices, and airy, grace
full forms foated through its lofty apart
ments, till the eye was dazzled with so
much Of beauty.


1t would be impossible to enumerate al of
the gay throng, but some shone peerless in
loveliness where all were lovely. The spirit
OF the Dahlias bore herself with right royal
mien. though her naughty expression mar
red her beauty somewhat. Her purple vel


vet robe hung in ample folds, and on her


brow she wore golden coronet. The AS


tiers were represented by trio Of sisters,


robed respectively in red, white. and blue !;
and with them came the spirit of the Phlox-
es, in silken dress that varied as the light


fell upon it, from purest white to the deep


est crimson. Two merry little maidens
danced through the crowd, bringing smiles


to every lip as their gay laughter rang out


upon the perfumed air,-the one in float
ing robe of blue, with wreath of the flower


we mortals call Venus Looking Glass bound


around her sunny curls,--the other decked


in the dropping clusters Of the Scarlet Tas-


sci Flower. In noisy conversation in one
corner was q more plebian group, though no


less happy than their more aristocratic COM
nenions. There was fat Miss Marigold,
in an orange dress, with broad smile on


her honest face; an awkward, goodnatured
Petunia, all in white; with her more reti-
ring sister, clad in violet, a tall, thin, blue
eyed maiden lady, the Genius Of the Lark.
spurs; and Chrysanthemum in lemon
colored gown Of decidedly countryfed cut.
The "Native Americans were there in no
mean array,-wiId Asters in white and blue,
Golden Rods in cleaning gold. and queen
ly form of radient beauty, who might have
been a princess Of Indian blood, with
wreath of the brilliant scarlet flowers Of the
Cardinal Lobelia wound around her raven
hair, an1 very many others whom time does
not permit to be named.


Of course such gathering would have
been dull affair without mixture Of the
masculine portion of the floral community.
and the committee on Invitations had per-
formed their duty to the satisfaction of all
concerned. There were present according.
ly, the guardians Of the cereals and the va.