Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-06-30

iaid ASIDE my pen as the far off chimes OF the
cathedral were tolng the midnight hour. and
sat dreamily gazing into the embers OF th, diving
fire. 'J'"B
Forget .me-not y
Was dreaming? Or did a voice really rro-
nounce the words close to my ear l looked
carefully around. No one could have entered
through the bolted door. ~he arranqelncnts az
the room were undistuibed. Clearly, 1 was
dreaming
settled myself again to think, when the odor
OF 'he forget-me-nots in the little vase attract
ed my attention. The flowers seemed Inoyod
oy some fresh instinct of life; the hue was deeper
tne perfume was stronger, and Could it be I
les, surely Even as sized, the flowers lifted
1el, heaus' ana from the midst ofthe tiny cluster
Oh oloom came again, in clear, ringing tones, the
sell same words which had helrd, "Forget-me-
not !"
ing. '' "0"ue'
Yes" said the flower, IN the same silvcry
accents. "Dost thou not know that lust at mid
night all plants OF my race are permitted, f5r
sue hour The gut OF speech Listen, and |
others. 90
"ln the Garden of Paradise, when the pute
Eve walked among the flowers, and gave each a
name, according to her liking, all flowers and
plants had a language of their own, and this II
was given to Eve to understand, aud during the
long hours she couversed often with them ans
they told her many things; but above ali she
| 'oNsu tue tlhy blossoms of little blue I. Her,
anu Kissed IL often, and twined 1t in ler sunny
tresses Aud the flowers ali loved her, but, best
OF all, the little blue flower. which she named
heaven blossom, because ITS hue WAS - Ike that
OF the skies.
But at length came The dark day when sin
entered into Paradise and the Lord comm lud
ed the pair to leave the Eden garden, and wan
der IN The bleak wilderness beyond the gates:
And az for the last time he weeping Eve passe J,
hand 10 hand with Adam, through the fragrant
lanes OF Eden, the flowers shrank trembling from
her and bowed their heads with shame, or gsz
ed scornfully upon ber; aud thi7, more thsn ali
else. rent the heart OF Eye-that those whom
| she had named and catessed and called her chill.
dren should shrink away from her in scoru and
shame. Aud her tears fell faster snd faster, SC
that when she reached the gates where stood the
| cherubim with that flaming, terrible sword she
scarcely saw at her feet the little tut Of HEAVIER
| blossom until ii murmured, in piticus accents
| "forget.me-notw
"E,e bent down and and plucked The tiny
| plant, which shrank not from her touch bu
nestled lovingly toward her and she pressed i
| to her lips and to her sorrowing heart. Their
| she turned, and, with one long sad look ipor
her lost kingdom, went slowly out, past tn,
Cherubim and the flaming swori, into the bleal
wilderness; and all that remsined 10 her Of tn,
glorious bloom of Paradise was the one littl,
sprig Of Heaven blossom which she held in he
hand "Be no longer named bloom of heaven
dear blossom licried The grateful Eve :. hence
forth shall call you BY dear name-ny For
getmenot.
$50 Eve kept the flowers near her through al
the dark days that followed and when Adam
| had made for them a home in the new place
she planted it, aud tended it carefully, and i
became to her an emblem Of that Old life Of pur
ity and happiness before the fall.
| "In time. this new land was also enrich
| ed with many flowers, some OF them ever
beautiful as those OF the lost Eden, but, bes
of all, Eve loved the tender Forget me
not, and later, when the little Cain anC
| A bel, played around the home, she told
them the story OF the faithful flower, anc
they, too, grew to love and cherish It, aud i
| told them many and many a story of ih,
glory OF that garden OF Paradise wherein th,
angels had walked with their parents O
i DID,"
Aud when Eve died the living fowe
covered her grave with thick clusters OF it
| blossoms. And | am sure that the firs
flower which met her sigat In thai new lii,
beyond the tomb, was her desr Forget me
MOI.
/ The children OF Adam ong'cherished the
little flower; but alter many years, when tn,
| world became moro and more wicked, and
the hearts OF men were turned away from
God, they lost the power 10 understand il
language.
When the waters swept away after th,
Deluge, the first plant that blossomed wa
the Forget -me-not, but i: no longer spoke t,
the children of men. 1t was voiceless fol
long, long years; until, one day, child up
on the hills OF Galllee bent down and kisset
its blossoms clustering in his path. II wa
the Chris:-child. Aud from that hour each
night at midnight, II one who loves flowers
listens, the blossoms of the Forget-me- moi
may tell this story.
Hark! the Cathedral chimes arc striking
the first hour after midnight. | have spo
ken. Adieu'
The Aower now dropped drowsily upoi
its slender stalk and was silent.-iiicc va
dams, IN 81 Nicholas for JltlD.