ENCHANTER'S NIGHTSHADE. In all the blooming waste it left behind, The poor girl's pathway, by the poor man's door. And humble as the bud, so humble be the song." ENCHANTER'S NIGHTSHADE (Circea lutetiana).— SORCERY. WITCHCRAFT. IN damp and humid places, where the superstitious mind may imagine every kind of hideous reptile, and birds of evil omen, to congregate; and plants and weeds of noxious properties to thrive; and where the wizened wizard and the shrivelled hag, of face repulsive, might most fitly perform their incantations; there does this plant delight to grow, as "amid the mouldering bones and decayed coffins in the ruinous vaults of Sleaford church, in Lincolnshire," and like localities. Of its favourite habitat, Darwin, in his "Loves of the Poets," thus writes,— "Thrice round the grave Circæa prints her tread, And chants the numbers which disturb the dead." Moore, in the "Feast of Roses," introduces an enchantress, who professes to have the power of charming back the strayed love of Selim to Nourmahal, by means of flowers,— "Tis the hour That scatters spells on herb and flower, ENCHANTER'S NIGHTSHADE. And garlands might be gathered now, of Nourmahal, of course; and further, "Now, too, a chaplet might be wreathed Of buds o'er which the moon has breathed, Might bring some Peri from the skies, And who might tell—” how that love is to be restored; and so "For me, for me,' Cried Nourmahal, impatiently, 'Oh! twine that wreath for me to-night."" The enchantress does her bidding, and the result is that the royal lover's affections are again fixed upon the Sultana Nourmahal, the Light of the Harem. If the enchanter's art always restored happiness to mortals, we might regret the loss of the race, which is now seemingly represented by professors of spirit-rapping. Since, however, the supposed power of the enchanter was used to stir up the author of all mischief, for some evil purpose, we cannot be sorry that the darkest days of superstition are ended. It was in those days that the enchanter's Nightshade was thought to have very wonderful properties. It is not of any value for good or ill. THE EVENING PRIMROSE. THE EVENING PRIMROSE (Enothera biennis).- THIS ornamental flower is a native of North America. It is called the Evening Primrose because it opens its sulphurcoloured petals from six to seven p.m. Their mode of opening is remarkable. The petals are held together by hooks at the end of the flower-cup, whose segments separate first at the lower part, where the corolla may be seen for some time before its expansive force is strong enough to unhook the flower-cup at the top. When unhooked, the corolla opens out instantaneously as it were; it then halts, taking time to spread out flat. The space of time occupied from the first disclosure of the corolla at the bottom, to its full expansion, is about half an hour. The corolla becomes flaccid during the next day, more or less quickly, as the atmosphere is hot and dry, or cold and moist. Bernard Barton has set this flower in poetry,— "Fair flower, that shunn'st the glare of day, Yet lov'st to open, meekly bold, To evening hues of sober grey, Thy cup of paly gold; Be thine the offering, owing long, To thee, and to this pensive hour, Of the brief tributary song, Though transient as thy flower." The quickly blooming and speedy fading of this flower makes it a good emblem of Inconstancy. A FEATHERY REED. A FEATHERY REED.-INDISCRETION. WE are told that Pan and Apollo once contended with the flute and the lyre for pre-eminence in music, and made choice of Midas, King of Phrygia, to award the palm. He preferred the music of Pan to that of Apollo, whereupon the god of the silver-bow made the king's ears as an ass's ears. Midas hid them under his Phrygian cap, so that no one but his hair-dresser knew of the change. The man, harassed by the discovery, feeling that he could not keep it secret, and dreading the consequences to himself should he reveal it, dug a hole in the ground, and whispered into it the words, "Midas has ass's ears," as if he would bury it there. He then filled up the grave of the secret, on which a Feathery Reed grew up, and, as it waved about in the breeze, it seemed to betray continually the buried secret, waving forth the words, "Midas has the ears of an ass!" FENNEL (Anethum fœniculum).—STRENGTH. THE gladiators in training for exhibition used to mix Fennel with their food, for the purpose of stimulating their energies. Successful gladiators were crowned with a garland of Fennel, after the sports were concluded. It is now used by us for culinary purposes, giving a pleasant flavour to sauces served with salmon and mackerel. It forms a pretty garnish to these fish. The seeds are a strong carminative, and great quantities are annually imported from France for use in medicine. FERN. FERN. SINCERITY. "The Foxgloves and the Fern, how gracefully they grow, Of leaves, that rustling wave in the whispering summer air, WHEN the forest glades are bordered with Ferns in the beauteous days of summer, these graceful forms of vegetable life make a useful carpet. Open to the lovely sky, mottled over with clouds, amid which the glowing sun passes on his glorious way, yet screened by a leafy canopy, such spaces afford most pleasing resorts for the pic-nic party. There may ministering maidens and waiting gentlemen spread the cloth ; set forth the savoury viands, the generous and sparkling wines, and the various fruits of the season; and then, seated or reclining upon the obliging Fern, partake of the refreshing collation. How pleasantly passes the time on such occasions, and how swiftly! and then the freedom of such a reunion, the desire to please, the lovely weather, the generous and delicate refection, unlock the closed heart of those usually most reserved. Then hidden feelings show themselves; thoughts, at other times concealed, escape through the ivory inclosure and ruby lips; for the most part, they who are present are then sincere, though in their sincerity sentiments may become known which dispel some fond yet vain illusion, which must |