June 11.
Blessings of Instruction.
Hast thou e’er seen a garden clad
In all the robes that Eden had;
Or vale o’erspread with streams and trees,
A paradise of mysteries;
Plains with green hills adorning them,
Like jewels in a diadem?
These gardens, vales, and plains, and hills,
Which beauty gilds and music fills,
Were once but deserts. Culture’s hand
Has scattered verdure o’er the land,
And smiles and fragrance rule serene,
Where barren wild usurped the scene.
And such is man—A soil which breeds
Or sweetest flowers, or vilest weeds;
Flowers lovely as the morning’s light,
Weeds deadly as an aconite;
Just as his heart is trained to bear
The poisonous weed, or flow’ret fair.
Bowring.
NATURALISTS’ CALENDAR.
Mean Temperature 58·75.