ving two sepals;
that the Pansy represents a family of husband, wife, and four
daughters, two of the latter being step-children of the wife.

The plain petals are the step-children, with only one chair; the two
small gay petals are the daughters, with a chair each; and the large
gay petal is the wife, with two chairs. To find the father, one must
strip away the petals until the stamens and pistils are bare. These
then bear a fanciful resemblance to an old man with a flannel
wrapper about his neck, having his shoulders upraised, and his feet
in a bath tub. The French also call the Pansy "The Step-mother."

The chemical principle, "violin," contained in the [592] flowering
Wild Pansy resembles emetin in action. If the dried plant is given
medicinally, from ten to sixty grains may be taken as a dose, in
infusion.

The Sweet Violet (_Viola odorata_) is well known for its delicious
fragrance of perfume when growing in our woods, pastures, and
hedge banks. The odour of its petals is lost in drying, but a pleasant
syrup is made from the flowers which is a suitable laxative for
children.

A conserve, called "violet sugar," prepared from the flowers, has
proved of excellent use in consumption. This conserve was made in
the time of Charles the Second, being named "Violet plate." Also,
the Sweet Violet is thought to possess admirable virtues as a
cosmetic. Lightfoot gives a translation from a Highland recipe in
Gaelic, for its use in this capacity, rendered thus: "Anoint thy face
with goat's milk in which violets have been infused, and there is not
a young prince upon earth who will not be charmed with thy
beauty."

There is a legend that Mahomet once compared the excellence of
Violet perfume above all other sweet odours to himself above all the
rest of creation: it refreshes in summer by its coolness, and revives
in winter by its warmth.

The Syrup of Sweet Violets should be made as follows: To one
pound of sweet violet flowers freshly picked, add two-and-a-half
pints of boiling water: infuse these for twenty-four hours in a glazed
china vessel, then pour off the liquid, and strain it gently through
muslin; afterwards add double its weight of the finest loaf sugar,
and make it into a syrup, but without letting it boil.

Violets are cultivated largely at Stratford-on-Avon for the purpose
of making the syrup, which when mixed with almond oil, is a
capital laxative for children, [593] and will help to soothe irritative
co