The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-07
ACURIOUS FANCY.

AOO H1OOS sFANO1.
THE LIFE OF DAIsY-LIFE IN A FLOW
ER.
The following curious fancy was written
by a young girl whose relatives are well
known in this city-the daughter of Oliver
Talbot and the granddaughter of James p.
Drake It is thus introduced in the Camel
ton Reporter:
A few weeks ago the death of Miss Annie Tor
bet, the young and beautiful daughter OF Mrs
Henry n. Wales, formerly OF this place but now
of Newburgh, was announced. She died at
Huntsville, Alabama, at the residence of her
grand father General James p. Drake where she
had gone in the vain hope Of recovering her
health. She was 50 loved by her school mates,
and all who We're acquainted with 1 her that the
Daisy" found among her school papers and one
Of the last of her school day tasks, will to them
tic of her heart and mind Viewed in the light
OF her then almost departed spirit, the tone of
modest fower. almost forces the conviction that
she was writing her own sad history:
THE LIFE OF A DAISY.
Late in the spring was sitting near a table on
/ which there was a boquet Oh flowers Overhang-
ing the edge of the glass was little daisy. faded
and on the way of death, where its little bright
is ONLY strik9ng illustration of his own mortal
/ ity, and another evidence OF the adage,
| {" Earth beauties must perish" had been in
| q reverie, and awoke from IL on hearing myself
saying aloud, d" How interesting the life of this
little Hover would be- If ii could tell its story"
The little leaves rustled, the place was breath
lessly still, and the daisy said:
THE first can remember. is of blooming in
the thick forest, I'm the nook of beautiful
| beech. How pleasant ii was there with my two
sisters, sleeping little way under the earth liz
winter; springing up when the merry spring
bras woke /; fearing nothing; when it
raiued, resting against the broad root of our tree,
/ we blOOmed year after year.
| If we woke in the winter night too early to
stand the cold winds, our good tree would warm
US by gentle murmers which would gradually
sing US to sleep: Then We would not 1 wake un-
warm sun and rain. L grew ambitious, and
wiShedjI could travel, and finally prevailed
upon my sister to accompany me though my
| older sister, wiser than We, did all in her power
to persuade us to be quiet and contented, and
daises who had been killed when they ventured
near paths frequented by man, and she herself
narrowly escaped, and would have been killed
if the tree had not sent leaf TO protect her.
But we would not profit by her experience.
Alas we have paid dearly for our rashness.
and our weeping sister good bye, we left our ma
tive woodland and started on our travels Our
leaflets had fallen off, and In our plain round
travelling habi,s were carried gently along
by the wind our journey for awhile lay
through the woods. and we SKINNED lightly
over the messy mounds, beds OF fall flowers and
beautiful varlegated leaves. Before this we
hardly ever saw the flashing maple dress, but
IL sometimes happens a neighboring oak IS Leaf
blew near that had often heard of children from
our sister. Though we had never seen them, we
had often enjoyed their laughter ringing
through the woods like silver chimes, which
now lent an indiscribable charm to beautiful
natural scenery, and enlivened our hearts which
were Inclined To be sad from leaving loved ones
we were never TO see again. Some children
gathered nuts; others howerS-al joyous and
happy, reminding us, as they huttered here and
there, of butterflies so bright and beautiful did
they seem. My later experience shows me even
more forcibly this likeness. / have seen these
pure, beautiful beings one moment teemine
with life. in another they are faded or vanished
When we saw them pulling the unsuspectine
IN n a second. fearing ~ al 3
same fate, we We're frightened but our fear soor
lspicous attire OF plain brown, which is called 8
flower seed by man. Once In passing a stream
the wind lulled, and my sister, whom L will
hereafter call Sister SNOW white, came very
near falling in and thus carried away from me
put happily we were able TO grasp the protru
arose, When we followed the stream through it:
windings. This was the most pleasant part Of
our journey. Before emerging from the forest
thicket, rocks and steep declivities interfered
with the course or the little brook, but Ii rushed
bravely over them and fell a great way below
into a natural stone basin at the foot of the
, reached the meadows. BY this time the season
little cool, sister snow-white and myssei
thought we had better sleep under the earth til
spring. We chose for our winter abode the rich
soil OF an old stump near the banks of the
stream. How often did we wish ourselves a
home during that long winter night.
the other flowers as each in succession bravec
the early hardships. We bloomed near a family
Oh blue anu ycuOW N1OicOs. lucy were ouCf
, kind and pleasant neighbors, always noddins
and bowling their sweet little heads to us, as 4
trying to impress upon us their " tasting friend
ship and faithfulness" to those they love on,
little white violet in the midst OF the Others
"modest and beautiful .ilently and cheerfully
performing its little act of kindness seemed
model OF modest virtue" But my sisteri m
pride and joy were at their hight, seeing he
grow so beautifully fair" As she gracefully
, bent over the bank to watch the fish in tn,
clear stream, or hold converse with the water
lilies, or turn the wind to send messages to tn
, flowers further of In the meadow, 7 saw the G n
sisiency Of making the language Of so beautifu
| a child as the unconscious beauty. But on,
day my dreams of happiness In this valley wer
beautiful those thoughtless children wou. ID no
have pulled her. But she was, and what CAV
me most pleasure was afterwards TIE cause O
. my sorrow. WAS left alone and sad. Nothin
now could give me pleasure, though my flower
ing friends did all they could TO cheer and con
sole me.
( Here the little daisy was so over come by pas
a remembrances thai she had to disconfinue he
: story for a minute so, 10 give vent TO he
1 teais. She soon recovered sufficiently to fnis
j her affecting narrative. ..la
g Unable TO stay where every thing reminded m
8 of my sister and flied me with grief for be
n fate, resolved 10 seek forgetfulness in travel
was blown, by the first sharp, cutting wind, { q
e severe as my first sorrow,) over valleys hill,
t cities and towns. no more loltered on the wa
:. to watch the children, listen to the murmuliSl
brooks, or talk with the flowers as l had don
on my former journey with my sister; but rush
3 ed sorrowingly and despairingly onion wit
n that element Of which we know not whenC
o it cometh or whittier 1t goeth." remember
~ passing precipice of o mountain was SUD
- denly thrust in the earth. Being tired and az