Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-06-21
NO. l47.
LITTLE STRAWBERRY BLOSSOM.

In damp green spot in the midst of :,
WOOD, hidden away from the sunlight bya a
wilderness of lady-forms, there grew
little straw berry-blossom. Its broad leaves
spread out luxuriantly enough, the solitary
white flower was stunted and insignificant
The tall ferns and the fox gloves growing
round, rarely noticed the poor little pale
things.
at seemed hardly worth while," the
Foxglove would say, ito have so many
leaves for such very small flower, and it
takes up great deal of room = and the
lady-ferns quite agreed with her.
When remarks of this kind reached the
little Strawberry blossoms ear she felt
wounded and sad, for she could not help
her own existence
Pardon me beautiful Foxgloye," she
would say, II did not plant myself; dare
say shall soon shrivel up and be out of
your way. wonder why grew at all,
she thought; 1T is very dark and lonely,
and nobody wants me.''
One day a child came and gathered an
arndul OF fresh green lady ferns, and then
at last a bright Sunbeam found its way in
through the break in the fern forest, and
lighted on the head OF the tiny flower.
making it glsten like dcw-trop or !.
pearl.
Il love YOU, little Strawberry-blossom,
| love yoa,' whispered the Sunbeam hut
the poor little flower had lived so long un.
sought and unloved that she could moi be
! lieve it.
Not INC, kind Sunbeam she said,
mot me; surely it is the Foxgloye--the
queen of the woods-that you love, with
her splendid crimson bells, or the lovely
wild rose climbing close byi"
mo, little Straw berry blossom an
sWered the Sunbeam; .'it is you that
love, you are SO gentle and retiring, |
had hard work to find you out but now
shall come every day and stay with you
all day long,
Listen to the Sunbeam making love to
little Strawberry blossom :" said the Fox
glove to lady-fern, isn't it ridiculous
Her poor little head will be turned;'' and
even the sweet grasses and moss growing
close round her laughed mockingly
But she was too happy to heed them.
All the long, hot summer day the Sunbeam
stayed with her; and when he said good
night, he promised to return next morn
ing. In the night a glowworm passing
by stopped to speak to her.
''Oh. Glowworm." said she, Il am so
happy 4 Sunbeam has come-and he
says he loves me, though am such tiny
flower. And he's coming again to-mor-
row! -
''llum, said the Glow-worm, who had
seer II good deal of life Don make
to sure OF that. The Sunbeam is great
traveller, and travellers are not always to
be depended upon; they go here and
there, and forget all aoout the last place
they visited"
But he said he would come = said the
little Strawberry blossom, land he is so
great and good | think he will keep his
word"
well, said the Glow-worm, IL don't
know much of him; am intimate with
his cousins. the Moonbeams. | only
wished to speak Il word of friendly warn
ing. My advice to You is to 60 to sleep
and forget all about him. ;
And the little Strawberry blossom wen,
to sleep and dreamed bright and happy
dream. But behold, next morning She
woke, it was even duller than usual no
Sunbeam was there. In truth it was rain
ing heavily, and the drops pattered
through the tern fronds all round her head
But she did not know it was rain.
"kind leaves;' she said, are YOU weep
!
mo, no, little Strawberrv-bloss0m.
they said, ''we don't waste our tears on
on such II poor little silly thing as YOU,
Did you really think your fine visitor would
come back ~
Little Strawberry-blossom was heart
, broken. She could not see beyond the
green canopy and did not know that the
sun was even then struggling hard with
the clouds. At last he burst forth in all
his glory and splendor; the raindrops
caught the rays rs they passed, and there
rose over the wood Il wonderous arch of
colorcd light. Little berry-blossom could
not see the rainbow, but she felt a
glow OF warmth and happiness steal over
her, tor there was her own Sunbeam creep
ing IN through the drippin. ferns.
"Ah. little one" he said, did You
think had forgotten You ~ and she hung
her head with shame ut having doubted
him.
"You should have more faith. little
Straw berry BLOSSOM" he whispered II
was only bidng my timer
, And through the bright summer days
Sunbeam came again and again, and in the
/ atmosphere of love and warmth little
Strawberry blossom expanded and devel-
oped till she was no longer pale, puny
, flower, but Il beautiful crimson berry shin
ing like ruby in setting OF emeralds:
l Even the ferns and the Foxgloye, could
not help admiring her. ssaying among
themselves. What can have happened to
little Strawberry blossoms? She is quite
changed -
And | will tell You what sent me to
YOU" whispered the Sunbeam. 1T was
the glorious sun himself He is always
there, high up in the sky, watching over
all-evcn the finest bud. and he sends us
into gloomy, cheerless dwellings with mes
sages of love for lonely hearts. Good
Words for Children.