SPEEDWELL.

Veronica Officinalis,-Class 2, Order 1.

The flowers of this plant are very beautiful purple, blue, or white.-United States, Europe, and Asia.

FEMALE FIDELITY.

OH! let me only breathe the air,
The blessed air that's breath'd by thee,
And, whether on its wings it bear
Healing or death, 'tis sweet to me!
There, drink my tears, while yet they fall-
Would that my bosom's blood were balm,
And, well thou know'st, I'd shed it all
To give thy brow one minute's calm.
Nay, turn not from me that dear face-
Am I not thine-thy own lov'd bride-
The one, the chosen one, whose place
In life or death is by thy side,
Think'st thou that she, whose only light,
In this dim world, from thee hath shone,
Could bear the long, the cheerless night,
That must be hers when thou art gone?

Moore.

SAFFRON FLOWER.

Carthamus Tinctorus,-Class 19, Order

A medicinal plant, with deep orange colored flowers, introduced into gardens, from Egypt.

DEAL gentle thou, whose hand hath won,
The young bird from its nest away,
Where careless, 'neath a vernal sun,
She gaily caroll'd, day by day;

The haunt is lone, the heart must grieve,
From whence her timid wing doth soar,
They pensive list at hush of eve,

Yet hear her gushing song no more.

A mother yields her gem to thee,
On thy true breast to sparkle rare,
She places 'neath thy household tree,
The idol of her fondest care,

And by thy trust to be forgiven,

When judgment wakes in terror wild, By all thy treasured hopes of heaven, Deal gently with the widow's child. Mrs. Sigourney:

SWEET BRIAR.

Rosa Rubiginosa,-Class 12, Order 3.

A fragrant-leaved species of rose, naturalized, but first introduced from England

POETRY.

'Tis thine, sweet poesy! to lure the soul,
A willing slave from reason's sober ray;
And bid it wander, at thy soft control,
Through pleasure's paths and fancy's flowery

way.

'Tis thine to weave a wild and witching spell, That chains the mind in fetters of delight, And leads it far, in fairy worlds to dwell, 'Mid blissful dreams and scenes of beauty bright. [stream 'Tis thine to scatter o'er life's changeful The fragrant flowers, of Hope and Joy and Love;

To shed o'er cold reality a beam. [above. That lights and warms like summer sun And thine, oh, child of high and holy birth, To deck with Eden hues the lowly things of earth!

SNOW DROP.

Galanthus Niralis,-Class 6, Order 1.

The first harbinger of spring, appearing in the gardens even when the snow is still on the ground.-England.

CONSOLATION.

No gem of the dark and dirty mine,
No pearl of the deep blue sea,
No jewelled offering on vanity's shrine,
Is the gift that I send to thee;
I send as a token, lady fair,

An offering of richer worth

Than pearls of the sea, or the gifts of air,
On the precious stones of earth.

But the Book of the High and Holy One-
The record of life and truth;

To the aged pilgrim his noonday sun,
And a lamp to the feet of youth:

I send it-no token of lightsome love,
But of feelings as pure and true

As the angels know in their homes above-
As dwell in this heart for you.

Lewis J. Cist.

SNOW BALL.

Viburnum Opulus,-Class 5, Order 3.

A shrub, cultivated for its globular heads of snowy flowers.--Great Britain.

THOUGHTS OF HEAVEN.

'Tis gentle eve! and night draws near,
The golden orb of day is set;
And, one by one the stars appear,

Bright gems in Heaven's fair coronet;
And, sparkling in her silvery sheen,
Rides beauteously night's radiant queen!

Oh! ever on a night like this

Borne down beneath life's weary load,
I think me thus how pure the bliss,
To yield the spirit up to God;-

Its requiem, from yonder sky,

Those strains of Heaven's own minstrelsy!