The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1836-06-15

embrace, and day after day, more fondly
than ever, the lovely flower looked forth to
receive him. She surrendered her very
soul to his keeping, and her pure white
leaves grew tinged with his golden ringlets,
while his kisses stained with yellow, the
otherwise delicate loneliness of her lips
But she needed not this, so long as the en-
brace was still fervent--lhe kiss still warm
the return of the butterfly still certain.
But when was love certain ?-not often
where the lover Is butterfly. There came
a change over the habits of the butterfly.
lie gradually fell off in his attentions. His
passion grew cool, and the ease of his con-
quest led him TO undervaluc its acquisition.
Each day he came later and later, and his
stay with the flower grew more and more
shortened on each return. Her feelings
perceived the arrangement long before her
reason had taught her to think upon, or
understand it.
AT length she murmured her reproaches !;
and the grievance must be great when love
will venture so far. Wherefore" she said
' Oh, wherefore hast thou fingered so long
Why dost thou not now as before, vie with
the sunlight in thy advances2 have look
ed for thee from the dawning, yet I have
looked for thee in vain. The yellow beetle
has beer all the morning buzzing abo ut nae
but frowned upon his approaches. The
green grasshopper had song under my
bush, and told me a dull story of the love
which he had for me in his bosom and,
more than once the glittering hum ming bird
has sought my embraces, but / shut my
tp Ia. Ia. Il
seek mc--thou whom have looked to see."
Gayly, then the butterfly replied to these
reProaches, nor as he spoke, needed the in
creasing paIene,s of the flower. "Over q
thousand forests I've been flying, each as
beautiful rs this--on n thousand flowers Pve
been tending, none less lovely to the sight
than thou. How could'st thou dream that
with golden ringIet, broad and free, and
beautiful, like mine, in Il single spot 1 still
should linger, Of the world unknowing
auglt! No, no, mine is an exclusive spirit
for thousand free affections made |
woudst thou have me, like groping spiders,
working still to gird!e in myself"
TWAS murmuring and sad reply of the
now isolated flower, and lived not long af-
ter it had made it, "Ah, now know mine
error-havlng no wings mysefto mate with |
the lover who had. Also that have loved |
so fondly and foolishIy; for while thou hast
gone over thousand forests, seeing thou
sand flowers, have only known, only look
ed, only lived, for single butterfly"
The false one was soon away, after this, !
to another forest for his ear loved no re-
proachcs, and he had sense, if not feeling
enough to see that they were uttered Justly. |
The flower noted its departure, and its last
sigh was an audible warning to the young
bud it left behind. The wood spirit heard |
the sigh and the warning--and when .he
bud began to expand in the pleasant sun.
shine, he persuaded the black browed spider
to spin his web, and frame his nest, in the |
thick bushes that hung around it; and many
were the wanton butterflies, after this, who |
coming to prey upon her innocent affection,
became cntangled, and justly perished in
he guardian network thus raised up to
protect it.