y of the various flowers which adorned their garden, in the
charming variety of their shapes, in the perfection of their
proportions, in the glory of their colours, and in the sweetness of
their perfumes, he taught Mary to see and admire the power and wisdom
and goodness of God. It was his custom to begin each day with God by
spending the first hours of the morning in prayer; and, in order to
accomplish this without neglecting his work, it was his habit to rise
early. In the beautiful days of spring and summer, James would lead
Mary to an arbour in the garden, and, while the birds sang their joyous
songs, and the dew sparkled on the grass and flowers, he delighted to
talk with his daughter of God, whose bounty sent the sun and the dew,
and brought forth the beauty and life of the world. It was here that he
first instilled into Mary's mind the idea of God as the tender Father
of mankind, whose love was manifested not only in all the beautiful
works of nature, which were round them, but above all in the gift of
Jesus Christ. It was in this arbour that James had the happiness of
seeing Mary's heart gradually unfold to the reception of the truth.

Once in the early part of March, when with shining eyes and bounding
feet she brought him the first violet, he said, "Let this beautiful
flower serve to you as an emblem of humility and sweetness, by its
modest colour, its disposition to flourish in hidden places, and the
delicate perfume which it sends forth. May you, my dear child, be like
the violet, modest in your demeanour, careless of gaudy clothing, and
seeking to do good without making any fuss about it."

At the time when the lilies and roses were in full bloom and when the
garden was resplendent with beautiful flowers, the old man, seeing his
daughter filled with joy, pointed to a lily unfolding in the rays of
the morning sun. "See, in this lily, my daughter, the symbol of
innocence. Its leaves are finer than richest satin, and its whiteness
equals that of the driven snow. Happy is the daughter whose heart also
is pure, for remember the words, 'The pure in heart shall see God.' The
more pure the colour, the more difficult to preserve its purity. The
slightest spot can spoil the flower of the lily, and so one word can
rob the mind of its purity. Let the rose," said he, pointing to that
flower, "be the image of modesty. The blush of a modest girl is more
beautiful than that of the rose."

Mary's father then made a bouque