es with gold.

At last, when they had been for some time feasting their eyes with the
beauty of cloudland, something else struck Jack, and he said, "How
sweet everything smells after the rain!"

"Yes, it does, Jack. The very gravel paths and garden mould smell fresh;
and as to the flowers, they are sweeter than ever."

"I can smell mignonnette," said Mary.

"I can smell the stocks," said Jack.

"And I can smell the honeysuckle," said Annie.

"Do, grandmamma, let us walk round the garden, to smell the flowers,"
said all the children; "the gravel is almost dry."

"Very well, you may go; but don't go on the grass--keep to the path."

Jack was off at a bound, and his sisters were not much behind; and they
visited flower after flower, sniffing their sweet perfumes. The tall
white lilies gave out so strong a scent that, sweet as it was, they did
not care to bend them down to their faces; but the roses, after the
rain, were so delicious that they did not want to let them go. They
found, however, that it was not the large showy roses which had the
sweetest smell.

They went to the arch along which the honeysuckle was growing, and then
they smelled the rich carnations and the fragrant mignonnette.

Grandmamma called to them not to stay out too long; but they said, "May
we pick you a little nosegay first? the flowers are just lovely."

"Very well," grandmamma said; "but don't let it be too large."

It really was difficult to know what to leave out when all was so sweet;
but they thought mignonnette, a half-blown moss rose, some sweet-peas, a
piece of honeysuckle and of white jasmine, some pinks, and a little
stock, could not fail to be agreeable. They thought more of what would
smell sweet than of bright colour; and grandmamma was well pleased with
her nosegay.

"Grandmamma," said Jack, "there is a poor-looking flower like a small
stock in the garden; it smells so sweet."

"It is a stock--the night-flowering stock. The flower is dull-coloured
and insignificant; but it has a powerful odour. You must not suppose
that the sweet scent of flowers is for our pleasure alone. The perfumes
are of great use to the plants themselves, and to the insects that live
on honey."

"Of what use can they be to the plants?" asked Mary.

"The perfume is chiefly due to a kind of oil found in the blossoms of
plants, and sometimes in the leaves as well. Lavender, rosemary, thyme,
and herbs used in cooking, are examples of plants whose