Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1893 — Faithful Study. [ARTICLE]

Faithful Study.

Balzac’s exquisite wild-flower story, “Le Lys dans la Vallee,” contains a so f.ewhat perplexing reference to a certain herb, the name and description of which do not agree. The explanation, however, does not lay the novelist open to the charge of carelessness, but, on the contrary, shows how painstaking ho was in seeking his‘'material.” His first desire, he says, was to learn the names of all the little herbs we tread upon in country places, along the road sides, in the meadows, everywhere. Ho began by asking his own gardener. “.Oh, monsieur.” said my gardener, “nothing easier to know than that!” “What is this, then, since it is so ea-y?” “Well, some is luzern; this is clover this is sainfoin.” '■>(), no, that isn’t what I mean! I want to kn w what y.>u call all thee little herbs under my seer. Here, I’lr gather-a tuft ~f ihem.” “oh, ilia', monsieur; that is grass.” “Yes, but the name of each kind, long, short, stra:.fit. curved, 'prickly ro-.gh. velvety, dry, damp, dark-greei »> i ate-greet' ” u e i, they are all called grass ” . he next day a friend, woo was i great traveler, i ame to see me, and .a . i) him u ro a botanist, and ha e ben . ~r he world. But do you kno . Hi a s of the little herbs we hat. u » a- f* el?” e s iuj he sa’d. “What herbs' "V vs j aid, and put some into hi. ■ a i « h<- .ae is,” lie returned; after . lautes' e anjina ion, “I don 1 I: 11iv any 1! ra Uu dt.i of Mai. * e •' in in o: r.o.v, ! oou . y> ii - . e of count.css lift . , a- ” i -yo. ..••* -l.st a.,- ;;;■ oia;it as . i - d..y Iwnt to the ardlu d< i , :i lies'ion d one of tl u i ...ne I p ofe-aors there. It ■ b -fir de , alrac,”'he sai ' . : in o ask lie! Here we at ■ y h ini »' -h tamarisk and oth .. til id’s. Life is too short t u im iii 'a (h. so l.ttle herns. YVhe i- i a ■ gto tut,ours pry?” liana n “Tory g aid; t on rke first pensan y o in- et in i o ira.no an tell you moi ii an ta - ost b a lied o, us her.-.” o n I went into Toaraihe: but the. 1 iru.id the ; easants „ust as ignorant tithe rest; and so it became impossibly for me to describe with perfect aceurae that carpet of verdure which it wouii have given me such happiness to p.c lure blade by blade.