"Flowers, according to these beautiful verses, are only useful as objects
to delight our senses. They are only beautiful forms in nature--their
highest use, their beauty and fragrance."
"I think that is what Mrs Howitt means," replied Grace. "So I have always
understood her. And I cannot see any other use that flowers have. Do you
know of any other use, cousin?"
"Oh, yes. Flowers have a more important use than merely giving delight to
the senses. Without them, plants could not produce fruit and seed. You
notice that the flower always comes before the fruit?"
"Oh, yes. But why is a flower needed? Why does not the fruit push itself
directly out from the stem of a plant?" asked Agnes.
"Flowers are the most exquisitely delicate in their texture of all forms in
the vegetable kingdom. Look at the petals of this one. Could any thing be
softer or finer? The leaf, the bark, and the wood of the plant are all
coarse, in comparison to the flower. Now, as nothing is made in vain, there
must be some reason for this. The leaves and bark, as well as wood, of
plants, all have vessels through which sap flows, and this sap nourishes,
sustains, and builds up the plant, as our blood does our bodies. But the
whole effort of the plant is to reproduce itself; and to this end it forms
seed, which, when cast into the ground, takes root, springs up, and makes a
new plant. To form this seed, requires the purest juices of the plant, and
these are obtained by means of the flowers, through the exquisitely fine
vessels of which these juices are filtered, or strained, and thus separated
from all that is gross and impure."
"I never thought of that before," said Agnes. "Flowers, then, are useful,
as well as beautiful."
"Nothing is made for mere beauty. All things in nature regard use as an
end. To flowers are assigned a high and important use, and exquisite beauty
of form and color is at the same time given to them; and with these our
senses are delighted. They are, in more respects than one, good gifts from
our heavenly Father."
"Oh! how I do love the flowers," said Agnes; "and now, when I look upon
them, and think of their use as well as their beauty, I will love them
still more. Are they so very beautiful because their use is such an
important one, cousin Mary?"
"Yes, dear; I believe this is so. In the seeds of plants there is an image
of the infinity of our great Creator; for in seeds resides a power, or an
effort, to reproduce the plants, that lie concealed as gems within them, to
infinity. We might naturally enough suppose that flowers, whose use it is
to refine and prepare the juices of plants, so as to free them from all
grosser matters, and make them fit for the important office of developing
and maturing seeds, would be exceedingly delicate in their structure, and,
as a natural consequence, beautiful to look upon. And we will believe,
therefore, that their peculiar beauty depends upon their peculiar use."