I have done so, and I remarked that the same sort of plant always produced the same kind of blossom, year after year, just as birds lay certain eggs of their own sort only. How is this? No one can answer that question, except by saying that God has established fixed laws, according to which everything acts in order. The planets turn round the sun, the sun appears every morning; plants and animals produce their like, and everything that God has made moves in its proper path. Except men and women, father. And yet I think if stars and flowers know and do their duty, we should be at least as good as they. Now for the flowers, Willie. What do you see in them? There are the pretty leaves, the common-looking green leaves outside of them, and a lot of things standing upright in the middle of the flower. Your pretty leaves are the _Corolla_ of the flower; the green ones form the _Calyx_; and the standards inside are _Stamens_ and _Pistils_. We will take one at a time, and begin with the Calyx, although that, and the Corolla too, may be wanting in a plant, as they are not really necessary. It seems as though the Corolla took care of the Stamens, and the Calyx protected the Corolla. You are not far from the mark, my boy. But can you tell me whether the Corolla of a flower is always in one piece or not? I should think not. I recollect some flowers with one pretty cup all round, while others are made up of a great many coloured leaves. You must call those leaves _Petals_. Some plants have four petals in the form of a cross. Did you ever notice a pea blossom? Yes, father, and thought it a funny one. Just gather one and examine it. How many petals are there, and how are they placed? There are five, but not all of the same size. There is a good upper one, two side ones, and two at the bottom, enclosing the rest of the flower. That upper one is the standard, and the two at the sides are the wings. Could you describe the orchis, the wild flower of our bush? I will try. There are six petals; three are bent backward, two are at the sides, and one opposite to the three is also bent backward. Is not honey found at the bottom of the corolla cup? It is, in a place called the _Nectary_. I shall afterwards explain the object of the sweets. But we must hasten on to the _Stamens_. These generally arise from near the base of the petals. Are they the ones with the yellow dust on the top? They are, my lad. If you look at one, you will find a long thread or _Filament_, bearing a loose top, called the _Anther_, which carries the _Pollen_ or yellow dust. But why is not the pollen always to be felt on the anther? Because it is shut up in cells at first. When the walls of these burst open, the pollen shows itself outside, and is also scattered about. As things alter so strangely under the microscope, father, how would our dust look there?