"
While thus speaking, Asenath moderated her walk, in order,
unconsciously to her companion, to restrain his steps.
"Oh, there are the dog's-tooth violets in blossom?" she exclaimed,
pointing to a shady spot beside the brook; "does thee know them?"
Richard immediately gathered and brought to her a handful of the
nodding yellow bells, trembling above their large, cool, spotted
leaves.
"How beautiful they are!" said he; "but I should never have taken
them for violets."
"They are misnamed," she answered. "The flower is an
Erythronium; but I am accustomed to the common name, and like it.
Did thee ever study botany?"
"Not at all. I can tell a geranium, when I see it, and I know a
heliotrope by the smell. I could never mistake a red cabbage for
a rose, and I can recognize a hollyhock or a sunflower at a
considerable distance. The wild flowers are all strangers to me;
I wish I knew something about them."
"If thee's fond of flowers, it would be very easy to learn. I
think a study of this kind would pleasantly occupy thy mind.
Pages:
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337