The Morning Walk.-Whitlow Grass.-Ivy-leafed Speedwell.-Nothing - Papa's Story of the Apple-pips.-Liebig.-The Primrose.-Reasons for - Arrival of Visitors.-The wet Day. - Miss Vaughan's Treasures.-Bark of Trees.-Manilla Hemp.-Irish Flax.-Feather-grass and its Dagger. -Dora's Indifference.-Effect of Novel Reading.-Important Advice. Curious Story of the Water-flannel.-Aquatic Vegetation.-Water Lily.- 29 50 The Age and Growth of Trees-Number of Oaks in a Man-of-war.- Monkey Bread-fruit Tree.-Trees for Dwellings.-Comical Adventure in a Sycamore.-Miniature Trees.-Linnæus and the Berry of the Arctic Botany; why so called.-How to begin its Study.-Organs of Plants.- Stems.-Paper made from Bark.-Leaves; their Functions. -Used for Another Lesson in the Woods.-Flowers.-Their Classification and Parts.- Seeds and Seed-vessels.-Classification of Plants.-Divisions.-Modes The Useful Book.-Practical Lessons.-The Children's Delight.-Search for Specimens. Variety in Nature.-What it may Teach.-Perfections of Awakened and increasing Interest of the Children.-Their Progress.- The English Catchfly and other Insect-catching Plants.-Moving and sleeping Plants.-Plants compared with Animals.-A Question pro- Approach of Winter.-Reading and Conversation.-The Pitcher-plant.- The Glands of Plants.-Manna.-The Cow Tree.-Tanghin Bean.-Its strange Use in Madagascar.-The Rain Tree.-A Provision for every Want.-Instruction from Flowers.-Why some Leaves are green in Winter. The Fall of Leaves.-The cause of Colour in Flowers.- Luminous Plants. - Air Plants. The Mistletoe. - Curious Parasite. Christmas. Regret and Joy.-Miss Vaughan's Departure.-Her Return. -Dora's Distress.-Sympathy and Advice.-Good Resolutions kept 141 * ERRATUM.—An error occurs in the numbering of the Chapters in the book- WORDS BY THE WAYSIDE; OR, THE CHILDREN AND THE FLOWERS. CHAPTER I. I WOULD not merely dream my life away Nor that a perfumed flower, a dew-gemmed spray, Should for its own sake, thought or song employ : To Thee who formed them all, and can destroy, Grant me to gaze and love, and thus thy works to read. THERE was an unusual excitement among the little family of Hamiltons on a certain fine evening in spring, for a new governess was expected to arrive. Numerous were the speculations as to what sort of person she would prove to be, how she would look, who she was like, etc.; and many were the questions with which poor mamma was assailed, the only one of the party who had ever seen the lady in question. Eight o'clock came (the appointed hour), and no Miss Vaughan yet. Little Fanny begged so earnestly to be allowed to sit up only half an hour longer, that the petition was granted; and when at last she was obliged to follow Nurse, she could hardly be comforted. Before her eyes were shut, however, the news was brought to her, that Miss Vaughan had really arrived; but Fanny must not expect to see her that night. Early in the morning, the little girl crept into her sisters' room, to inquire whether B they had seen her yet, and whether she was cross or kindlooking; but they had seen her only for a few minutes, and could hardly form an opinion; and Fanny was obliged to wait. Very soon, however, all impatience was satisfied; for Miss Vaughan joined them in the school-room to breakfast, and began in the kindest manner to make acquaintance with the little pupils. These consisted of three girls, whose ages were eight, twelve, and fourteen; they were amiable and affectionate children, but not very forward for their years in general knowledge. Their abilities seemed good, but their minds had not been carefully opened; they had indeed been taught a great number of things from books, but they had not been taught at the same time to reflect upon what they learned, and thus to gain ideas for themselves. In short, their memories had been crammed, while their observing and reasoning powers were suffered to lie asleep; and so it happened, that although they had learned an immense number of difficult lessons, and read through many volumes of long histories, they still knew very little indeed about the things daily passing before their eyes, and thereby lost a great deal of interest, and a great deal of real happiness. The cause of this was evident; they had passed the greater part of their lives in the immediate neighbourhood of a large town, their amusements depending chiefly on society, and on the morbid excitement of a juvenile circulating library. They were ignorant of the purer and higher pleasures which Nature has in store for such of her children as seek her in her works; and it must be said, the prim daily walks on the dusty high roads, had not been a likely means to create a relish for what they understood by the term "country life." It was, therefore, with feelings of small satisfaction that they left their gay friends in Manchester, and came to reside in a beautiful but very retired spot in the south of England. All this was quickly made manifest to Miss Vaughan in the course of the conversation which now took place with the little girls. The first glance had satisfied Fanny that the new Governess was certainly not cross; indeed, she felt almost sure that she never could be angry at all; her voice was so kind, and her smile so sweet and gentle: it was almost like their own Mamma's. They all felt sure that they should get on very happily with her; and were soon eagerly describing and talking over their course of daily occupations, lessons, rides, walks, etc. To the latter they seemed to give the least preference, although it was unfortunately made a great point of by their parents, that they should spend two or three hours of every day in taking exercise; but walking they said was so dull and monotonous when they had no friends to go and see, or shops to look into, and besides such a great waste of time. Miss Vaughan thought quite contrary; she liked nothing so well as rambling about a beautiful country, and she hoped to be able to make that part of the day's duty more agreeable, if not more useful and improving to them than any other. She felt much encouraged by the pleasing and intelligent looks of her little friends, and trusted to be able to remedy the apparent defect in their training, by leading them into the path of true wisdom; and by opening their ears to receive the speech which day and night uttereth, and whose voice is unto the ends of the world. |