Verbena

“ The unrivalled brilliancy of the colour of this beautiful species of Verbena, renders it a most ornamental plant for the front of the flower borders, and when grown in large patches it is almost impossible to give an idea of the dazzling splendour of its appearance; it is a plant of the easiest cultivation, and if allowed to grow according to its natural habit, which is prostrate, it will propagate itself by the radicles which are produced at the different joints, and by this means will attach itself to the ground ”

“ Verbena plants were named Sagmina of old, because [588] cut up by the Praetor in the Capitol. When borne by an Ambassador Verbena rendered his person inviolable. All herbs used in sacred rites were probably known as Verbena. They were reported as of singular force against the tertian and quartan agues; "but one must observe Mother Bombie's rules—to take just so many knots, or sprigs, and no more, lest it fallout that it do you no good, if you catch no harm by it." ”

“ It was believed to be the herba sacra of the ancients, until it was understood that the generic title Verbena was a word which was applied to branches of any description which were used in religious rites. It certainly seems, however, to have been applied to some especial plant in the time of Pliny, for he writes that no plant was more honored among the Romans than the sacred Verbena. In more modern times as well the vervain has been regarded as an “herb of grace,” and has been gathered with various ceremonies and with the invocation of a blessing, which began as follows ”

“ The plant is now but lightly esteemed, and its medicinal virtues are wholly discredited. The garden verbenas are derivatives from various South American species, such as V. teucrioides, a native of southern Brazil, and V. chamaedrifolia from Argentina and southern Brazil. The range of colours extends from pure white to rose-coloured, carmine, violet and purple. Striped forms also are cultivated. ”

“ Along highways and in the fields the wild verbena blooms in great profusion from spring until the plants are killed by a severe freeze. The flower stalks often grow quite long and are topped by a flat cluster of flowers around the new buds. The old calyx tubes surrounding the small nutlets remain on the stalk for many weeks. Children delight in pulling off the purple tubular corollas so that they can suck the abundant nectar from the tube and then string them together for a necklace, which they make by inserting the base of one tube into the throat of the adjoining corolla. ”

“ The flowers are small and scattered along the slender branches at the top of the stem. The upper leaves are narrow, those of the mid-stem divided; and the lower are broad and irregularly toothed.
Large-Flowered Vervain (Verbena plicata) shows some variation in color from white to lavender, the flowers commonly being a bluish-lavender. The flowers are about half an inch broad and grow in long showy spikes. The plants are perennial, and numerous stems form erect clumps 1-2 ft. high. It is especially handsome southwest of San Antonio and ranges into Mexico. It blooms from February to May. ”

“ London, 1804, p. 1319) are thought to bear some likeness to the hemorrhoids, and to heal them on the principle that the remedy should resemble the disease. 202. See above, vol. i. pp. 162, 163, 165. In England vervain (Verbena officinalis) grows not uncommonly by road sides, in dry sunny pastures, and in waste places about villages. It flowers in July. The flowers are small and sessile, the corolla of a very pale lilac hue, its tube enclosing the four short curved stamens. The root of the plant, worn by a string round the neck, is an old superstitious medicine for scrofulous disorders. ”

“ There was no help for it; the trouble must be headed off and white settlers protected in their lives and property.
Before the soldiers returned the event was successfully over, and Verbena quite beyond the chance of danger. Moreover, Mrs. Frankish, Verbena's mother, had come from Caesar Borgia well in advance. Mrs. Frankish thought highly of her son-in-law.
“It's an ideal union,” she said to Colonel and Mrs. Hipple on the great day that made her a grandmother. “He weighs eight pounds and a half. He's to be James Junior.” ”

“ He domesticated and developed the native wild flowers. He had one hill-side solidly clad with that low-growing purple verbena which mats over the hills of New Mexico. It was like a great violet velvet mantle thrown down in the sun; all the shades that the dyers and weavers of Italy and France strove for through centuries, the violet that is full of rose colour and is yet not lavender; the blue that becomes almost pink and then retreats again into sea-dark purple—the true Episcopal colour and countless variations of it. ”

“ The garden verbenas, although somewhat misprized for some years, have once more become popular as bedding plants, and also for pot culture. They are easily raised from seeds sown in heat in February or March, but choice varieties, like Miss Willmott and others, can only be kept true when raised from cuttings. ”

“ The verbenas saw the change that had fallen upon the tulip and dreading that a similar fate awaited them, crept closely to the ground, and, while tears gathered in their eyes, they felt a change pass through their sensitive frames, and instead of gentle verbenas they were blushing roses. ”

“ But among other varieties having terminal clusters of which the members are mutually thrust on one side by crowding, the flowers depart very considerably from the radial shape [171] towards the bilateral shape. A like result occurs under like conditions in Rhododendrons and Azaleas. The Verbena, too, furnishes an illustration of radial flowers rendered slightly two-sided by the slight two-sidedness of their relations to other flowers in the cluster. And among the Cruciferæ a kindred case occurs in the cultivated Candytuft. ”

“ V. venosa, a very strong-growing species, with purple flowers, and many other species, hybrids, and varieties. All the Verbenas require to be grown in sand and peat, or heath-mould, and to be kept moderately watered: they all strike readily from cuttings or layers; and, indeed, when pegged down without any slitting or twisting, most of the shrubby kinds will throw out roots at every joint. ”

“ Roses, geraniums, lilies, fuchsias, heliotrope, sweet violets—sheltered from too great heat by the larger plants—verbenas and mignonette may all grow in this odd companionship. Endeavor not to crowd them too closely and study the habits of each plant, that it may be kept from encroaching upon the rights of its neighbor, if aggressive, or be crowded out of existence if of a retiring and yielding nature. Give all equal care, and your love for each plant and its giver will also grow and blossom in a way most sweet and marvellous. ”

“ The lad has a clear head, and a winning grace that draws everyone to him. Veronica is serious and conscientious; she has a calm steady nature and can be depended upon for fidelity to duty, such as it is rare to find. The children will be your stay and comfort in your old age. May you keep them in the paths of virtue."
"With God's help;" said Gertrude, and she left the parsonage with tears of happiness in her eyes. As she passed the garden of her neighbor Judith, the latter called out over the low hedge,
"They have just gone by, all four of them. ”

“ The tendency to arrange itself in spikes is to be noted as a degradation of the veronic character; connecting it on one side with the snapdragons, on the other with the ophryds. In Veronica Ophrydea, (C. 2210,) this resemblance to the contorted tribe is carried so far that "the corolla of the veronica becomes irregular, the tube gibbous, the faux (throat) hairy, and three of the laciniæ (lobes of petals) variously twisted." The spire of blossom, violet-coloured, is then close set, and exactly resembles an ophryd, except in being sharper at the top. ”

“ Thomas was kneeling bolt upright now, and took off his very shabby cap, and began from habit to scratch his head with the blunt point of the old weed knife.
“Don’t you hear, Thomas?” cried Veronica, keeping a rose grub in suspense between her finger and thumb; and as she spoke the sounds came at regular intervals.
“Ay, miss: sounds like some ’un a choppin’ ’ard.”
“Ah!” ejaculated Veronica, as she caught sight of a couple of men through an opening in the shrubbery at the bottom of the lawn, and she ran to where her father was busily writing down a note, speaking aloud as he went on. ”

“ Happiness is not for me, and the little motto upon my rose may be true for others; it is not true for me. I cannot 'grasp' the only 'fortune' I care for."
Veronica spoke passionately; with a vehemence that Gertrude had never before heard from her. Her strong, self-controlled nature had never before given way and found expression in words. Now the flood-gates were opened, the stream broke through. Gertrude was distressed at her unwonted emotion. "Veronica," she said, sadly and lovingly, "this pains me. ”

“ She was a close-fitted, neat little Frenchwoman. I explained who I was, and the grievous offence that I had committed in the matter of the stamp-paper and the summer-house door. It was pardoned at once dismissed as if it had been nothing. Mademoiselle had doubtless remarked that the weather was for once attempting to equal the summer brilliance that was a commonplace in her delightful native land. She had. I had therefore hoped to take Veronica out with me. Veronica's gipsy eyes gleamed. Mademoiselle informed me that Veronica would be free at twelve. ”

“ Veronica told her to find an artificial one, and Elettra, after some searching, produced a very beautiful artificial gardenia, which Veronica pinned in her white bodice, with a smile. She glanced at herself once more, and saw that the colour was still in her cheeks, and she was satisfied with herself.
When she entered the drawing-room, the other three were already there, and she saw the faces of Matilde and Bosio change as they caught sight of the flower. Gregorio apparently knew nothing of the arrangement—another instance of Matilde's tact which pleased Veronica. ”

“ Veronica! Mr. Veronica! that sounds well," cried Dietrich, and he laughed aloud at the idea.
Veronica thought it no laughing matter, however. She pressed Gertrude's hand firmly and looked up with glowing eyes, as she said, "I can be one too, can't I mother; say?"
"You should not laugh, Dietrich," said his mother kindly. "Veronica can be exactly what you can be. If she works steadily, and does not grow tired and careless, but keeps on till her work is finished and well finished, she will be a lady as you will be a gentleman." ”

“ Veronica demanded. “You can feel my waistband if you don’t believe me.”
“You said just now you had had your lunch,” Dick argued.
“I know I did,” Veronica admitted. “One minute you are told that it is wicked to tell lies; the next—”
“Veronica!” Robina interrupted threateningly.
“It’s easy for you,” retorted Veronica. “You are not a growing child. You don’t feel it.”
“The least you can do,” said Robina, “is to keep silence.”
“What’s the good,” said Veronica—not without reason. “You’ll tell them when I’ve gone to bed, and can’t put in a word for myself. Everything is always my fault. ”

“ But Vreni abruptly rose and closed her mouth. Then she began to form a wreath of poppies and to place it on her head. The wreath was broad and long, and on the brow of the nut-brown maid it was an ornament so bewitching as to lend her an enchanting air. Sali held in his arms what rich people would have dearly paid for if merely they had had it painted on their walls.
But at last she sprang up. "Goodness, how hot it is here! Here we remain like ninnies and allow ourselves to be roasted alive. ”

“ The big fish stayed under water while the waves ran high, and did not make their appearance, not even those who were, as Venera said, fish-heads, but left the syndic with his nose in the air, counting his papers.
“Don’t you see that they treat you like a pup-pet?” screamed his daughter Betta, with her hands on her hips. “Now that they have got you into a scrape, they turn their backs on you, and leave you alone wallowing in the mud; that’s what it means to let one’s self be led by the hose by that meddling Don Silvéstro.” ”

“ Veronica was not there. Sahwah darted to the front door, expecting to see Veronica going down the walk to the street, but there was no sign of her. The street lay clear in the sunshine for its whole length down the hill; there was not a soul in it. Veronica could not have gone out the front way. Neither could she have gone out the back way, because the vegetable garden came up close to the kitchen door, and there Nyoda and the Winnebagos, including Agony and Oh-Pshaw, were working. Veronica must still be in the house. ”

“ Thus the young man in his exaltation. But Vreni's breath came quick and as if freed from an intolerable burden. Tears of sweetest joy came to her eyes, and she rose with spontaneous alacrity and, light as a bird, flew down towards the river side. Sali followed her, thinking for a moment she wanted to escape him, while she fancied he would wish to prevent her. Thus they both sprang down the steep path, and Vreni laughed happily like a child that will not allow her playmate to catch her. ”

“ It would be so good for Veronica. The higher education could wait; let the higher ideals have a chance. Veronica would make the beds, dust the rooms. In the evening Veronica, her little basket by her side, would sit and sew while I talked, telling them things, and Robina moved softly to and fro about her work, the household fairy. The Little Mother, whenever strong enough, would come to us. We would hover round her, tending her with loving hands. The English farmer must know something, in spite of all that is said. Dick could arrange for lessons in practical farming. ”