Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-06-14
Our 1Iouno Soils.
The LhilIren'S Flowers.

At our school the children have taken
fancy to keep flower plants Some of
the eachers had a few, and when the girls
saw how nicely the leaves grew, and how
pretty the flowers were, they wanted some,
all for themselves. Not very far from the
school is florist, who is very kind, and has
many plants; so, on sunshiny afternoons,
groups Of girls would 20 off to the florist,
to buy new plants, or to ask something
about some they had bought the day be-
fore. One end Of the piazza was quite
gay with geraniums, and roses, and fusch-
las. Do you know what fuschias arc
/ Wei, perhaps you will know, when L tell
you, that they are often called Ladies'
Eardrops,' because they have such a pref
ty red color, and hang on the bush by a
slender stem.
The garnet was searched, high and low,
for boxes; and everybody was delighted
W hen it was found out that grape boxes
were Just the things for slips. 1t was
very pleasant to see in what a motherly
way the children watered their flower
babies, how they turned the pots round
that the sun might shine as long as possible
on the leaves and it was funny to hear
them each praise her own plant, Just as
mammas do their babies
was very glad to see all this, for the
more one learns about the things God has
made, the more one learns about God him
self If | were to send you book full
OF pictures, and they We're all funny pic
lures, you would say, What funny th ms
she thinks about T Now God has given
US a great. great many things which he
has made and we can know something Of
him BIZ finding out about them. Did you
ever think how kind COX IS, to take care
Of all the little leaves, through the winter,
50 that in the spring they may come out,
and make the fields and trees fresh and
green Did you ever think how good be
is to tell the birds just when to run away
TO the warm South, aud fy from the cold
Winds
But there are So many things that l am
afraid you would De tired out, and so
In hurry to tell you about the flowers
which some of the children brought for
me to take care Of.
One day | sat by my desk, in my room,
writing. The sun Shoue in at my window
very pleasantly. There are q number Of
plants in the window, aud they were eni oy-
ing themselves very much in the suu>hin ne.
Suddenly there was a loud knock at the
door and at once the door was flung wide
open | looked around. and there stood
Charlie and Mary in the doorway.
% children said /, don't you know
you must always wait outside until you
hear me say, Come in p
We'll, said Charlie, speaking as Est as
he could, Wen 20 right out and DO il over
again but, please, Miss Henry, will you
say Come in, as quick as you cam
[ promised. and out they went, closed
the door, knocked, but before l could say
Come in Charlie turned the door-hanlle,
so that as soon as the words were out Of
my mouth, they were both in the room.
you see, Mss Henry he said, 4 knew
you'd tell Us to come in, and | thought u
get the handle all ready, to come in quick
er. Was that wrong But before l
could answer, Mary cried out,
% Miss Henry, it is a hanging basket
Just like yours.
Only it's not quite as big, Mary, said
Charlie, looking up at mine swinging in
the window
No, but it Is just as good inst it?'
Just as good, answered /, but where
is your hanging basket
Why, don't you see it Here it Is, >
and May held up-what DO you think
Why little coffee strainer that they had
picked up, and filled with earth, in which
there was one poor little pink.
Isn't it splendid?
Very nice, indeed but do you think
the little pink will have earth enough to
grow in I?
Lots we pulled off ever so many of
the roots, that it shouldn't be too big.
But, my dcars, the plant can't grow
without roots any more than you can live
without a mouth, with which to cat the
food that helps you grow. The little
plant takes in its food at the end of the roots
and then sends it all over its body. and so
it grows.
oh dear? will the pink die, them
I'm afraid it will, but I'll do the best
can for it. You can hang it up wnere
you please and III try to save it. So
they hunted around, and at last found
place that suited them. There they hung
their basket, and then away they went
The next day, about the same time, they
came again. This time their hands were
lul4 oil ntitc pots
There, Miss Henry, these won't die,
FOR we got an the roots we could. VIII
you take care OF these, al.o.'
10 be sure will aud then, one by
one, the precious treasures were handed
over to me. First came pomatum dish
with little green sprig in it; next pot,
with pink then another pot, with anoth-
er plant which never blossoms, but is al
ways green last Of all came the bottom
Of bottle, with something which | had
never seen before. received them all,
and put them in the best places, and they
are all doing very well except the one in
the pomatum dish. Every afternoon
the children come to see them, and with
them comes little Alice. Little Alice is
the youngest girl at school Somebody
gave her geranium slip. Her mamma
put it in Il pot, and watered it carefully;
but no sun shone in at little Aicc's win
dow. So, one day, as L was looking at it,
and thinking that the poor little slip must
be chilly and unhappy-you see it was in
the fall-all at once | thought of my
pleasant window, full of sunshine, and off
| carried the little geranium. You should
see how much it likes the change 1t has
a big leaf standing straight up, and new
leaf, and a little baby leaf is coming up ; /
saw it to-day for the first