Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-07-15

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of the cathedral were tolling the midnight
hour, and sat dreamily gazing into the
embers of the dying fire.
Forget-me- mott"
Was 1 dreaming? Or did voice really
pronounce the words close to my ear? |
looked carefully around. No one could
have entered through the bOlted door.
The arrangements of the room were I'M
disturbed. Clearly, was dreaming!
l settled myself again to think, when
the odor of the Forget-me in the little
vase attracted my attention. The flowers
seemed moved by some fresh instinct of
life; the hue was deeper, the perfume was
stronger, and Could it be? Yes
surely! Even as gazed, the flowers lifted
their heads, and from the midst of the
tiny cluster of bloom came again, in clear,
ringing tones, the self-same words which
had heard, g Forget-me-not!"
WAS it thou, Blumchen?" | asked Won
dering
Yes" said the flower, in the same sill
very accents. "Dost thou not know that
Just at midnight all plants of my race are
permitted, for one hour, the gift ofspeech?
Listen, and | will tell thee why we are so
gifted above all others.
In the Garden of Paradise, when the
pure Eve walked among the flowers, and
gave each n name, according to her liking,
all flowers and plants had n language OF
their own, and this it was given to Eve to
understand; and during the long hours
she conversed often with them, and they
told her many things; but, above all. she
loved the tiny blossoms of little blue
flower, and kissed it often, and twined it
in her sunny tresses. And the flowers all
loved her, but, best of all, the little blue
flower, which she named Heaven-blosSom,
because its hue was so like that of the
skies
% But at length came the dark day when
sin entered into Paradise, and the Lord
commanded the pair to leave their Eden
garden, and wander in the bleak wilder
ness, beyond the gates. And rs, for the
last time, the weaping Eve passed. hand
in hand with Adam, through the fragrant
lanes of Eden, the flowers shrank trem-
bling from her, and bowed their heads with
shame, or gazed scornfully upon her; and
this, more than all else, rent the heart OF
Eve-that those whom she had named and
carassed and called her children, should
shrink away from her in scorn and shame.
And her tears fell faster and faster, so that
NiltD Sic itsltLlttl tliC EsiiVS w liCIC SlpOu
the Cherubim with that flaming, terrible
sword, she scarcely saw at her feet the
little turf of Heaven-blossom, until it
murmured, in piteOus accents, 'FOrget-me-
not.
Eve bent down and plucked the tiny
plant. which shrank not from her touch
but nestled lovingly toward her, and she
pressed it to her lips and to her Borrowing
heart Then she turned. and with one
long sad look upon her lost kingdom went
slowly out, past the Cherubim and the
flaming sword, into the bleak wilderness
and all that remained to her of the glorious
bloom of Paradise was the one little sprie
of Heaven blossom which she held in her
hand. BE no longer named bloom OF
heaven. dear blossom cried the grateful
Eve; henceforth | shall call You by 4
dearer name-my Forget-me-nOt.'
so Eve kept the flower near her
through all the dark days that followed
and when Adam had made for them a
home in the new place, she planted it, and
tended it carefully, and it became to her
an emblem of that old life of purity and
happiness before the fall.
I'm time this new land also was enrich
ed with many flowers, some of them even
us beautiful as those of lost Eden. but,
best of all, Eve loved the tender Forget
me-not; and later, when the little Cain
and Abel played around the home, she told
them the story of the faithful flower, and
they, too. grew to love and cherish it, and
it told them many and many a story of the
glories of that Garden of Paradise, where
in the angels had walked and talked with
their parents of old
And when Eve died, the loving flower
covered her grave with thick clusters of
blossoms. And | am sure that the first
flower which met her sight in that new
life beyond the tomb, was her dear Forget
me-not.
1.-The children of Adam long cherished
the little blue flower; but, after many
years, when the world became more and
more wicked, and the hearts of men were
turned away from God, they lost the power
to understand the language.
when the waters swept away after the
Deluge, the first plant that blossomed was
the Forget-me- not, but it no longer spoke
to the children of men, 1t was voiceless
for long, long years; until, one day, Il
child upon the hills of Galilee bent down
and kissed its blossoms clustering in his
path. 1t was the Christ-child! And from
that hour, each night, ut midnight, if one
who loves flowers listens, the blossoms of
the Forget-me- may tell this history.
"Hark! the Cathedral chimes are strik-
ing the first hour after midnight. have
spoken. Adieu,"
The flower now dropped drowsily upon
its slender stalk. and was silent.-1iice
H'iRidnls in 81. Nicholas for JltlV.