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Unto each his mother-beach, bloom and bird and land—

Masters of the Seven Seas, O, love and understand!

Rudyard Kipling (The Flowers).

Of the verses in this fine poem which speak for the various British Dominions I take only the one that represents my own country. At the time Kipling wrote, the inhabitants of our beloved mother-country did not seem to fully realize that we were their kindred—that our fern and clematis made English posies—but no doubt their feeling has altered since we have fought side by side in mutual defence. However, to us England was always “home,” and when Kipling wrote this poem he entered straight into our hearts.

FROM THE GREEK ANTHOLOGY

RUFINUS

Here lilies, here the rosebud, and here too

The windflower with her petals drenched in dew,

And daffodillies cool, and violets blue.

MELEAGER

It’s oh! to be a wild wind—when my lady’s in the sun—

She’d just unbind her neckerchief and take me breathing in,

It’s oh! to be a red rose—just a faintly blushing one—

So she’d pull me with her hand and to her snowy breast I’d win.