Page:The Romance of Nature; or, The Flower-Seasons Illustrated.djvu/313

195 LOVE AND THE THISTLE.

was flying about one day,

With the flowers and zephyrs in wanton play,

He 'spied in the air,

Floating here and there,

A winged seed of the Thistle-flower,

And merrily chased it from bower to bower.

And young Love cried to his playmates, "See,

I've found the true emblem-flower for me,

For I am as light

In my wavering flight

As this feathery star of soft Thistle-down,

Which by each of you zephyrs about is blown.

See, how from a Rose's soft warm blush

It flies, to be caught in a bramble bush;—

And as oft do I,

In my wand'rings, hie

From beauty to those who have none, I trow;

Reckless as Thistle-down, on I go."

So the sly little God still flits away

Mid earth's loveliest flow'ret's, day by day;