The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-07-04
The solitary Flower.
BY HENRY WARD DFEcHER.

found flower to-day growing in IA
lonely spot, where not II single other bright
thing grew The soil must have been
blown in on the rocks as dust and been
gradually washed down into crevices. But
how came the seed from which this fair
blossom sprung? Perhaps some bird
dropped it, or the wind may in some strong
puff have cast it up hither; or it may pos
sibly have fallen from some chance wan
derer, searching for now species among the
inhospitabe rocks, and bringing in his hand
seed-bearing specimens. Thus he sowed
who came not forth to sow but to gather.
But, however it came here, by man, bird
or angel, here it as unfolded. every joint,
every leaf, with none to show it, but of its
own nature forced from within into outward
form and nursed by the sweet influences of
the season. Alone, IN lonely corner, it
has been as well cared for as if it were in a
fenced garden. The sun has wrought for
it as if it were its only darling on all the
earth.
1t has had all the rain and all the atmos-
phere it could use standing thus alone, in
a gentle egotism, pardonable in n flower, it
wondered why this globe should exist only
for it. The sun rose for il, and there was
Ear more light and heat than il could use.
The blue sky overspread it with needless
compass-vastly more room than was
necessary for single flower The sum-
mer was arranged for it, Each month was
its servant; messenger il had none, for il
knew not that single other plant grew or
bloomed in the universe. 1t looked upon
the shattered rocks covered with stains, land
knew not that these very stains were vege-
table growths like ITSELF but far below it.
1t knew not that within mile, out of this
rocky prison, a thousand plants were grow
ing, in the same sun, the same air, in its
summer, and each one entitled to all the in
fluences of the sky which its nature could
hold or use, and that all around the globe,
changing ATTITUDES, still other kinds of
flowers, vines and trees, were multiplied in
infinite variety, all children of the sun, and
yet differing the one from the other, in IN
conceivable variations.
But, though alone and ignorant the slen-
der stem threw out its blossoms, passed
through every stage of development, and
let fall its seeds for the next year, and all
as perfectly as if it had grown on wide
prairie with myriads OF its kind and kim
dred.
Among the human kind, there are not a
few living alone, or with any outward COM
pdHlOnsllp, WIlle tue Ithi anu iuhei hic 10
absolutely solitary. Their days are days
OF toll, amid toilers for mere subsistence.
They discern dimly the ways of life afar off,
and wonderland dream of things that rise
in their fancies, bat which are never framed
to words or even definite ideas. Full they
are of unsprouted gems of poetry, of ro-
nance, Of heroism. But they grow among
rocks. Books are letters of introduction
from great souls to all the young and needy !;
but poverty cannot own books, and so there
be many that do not know that they belong
to the family of great souls. The only out
let for their hearts is heavenward. But
the sky is full of birds of prey, and they
dare not fly up into the clear air, lest owl
or hawk should seize them. The heavens
become forbidden ground. God is not to
them sun, in whose light they grow and
flourish, but master even more to be
dreaded and watched. With almost sinless
lives they pray necessarily for forgiveness.
They strive to love deifed unloveliness, and
failing, condemn their own hearts. To
every duty scrupulously faithful, they live
patiently, laborlously, with little joy, with
less hope, and die amidst doubts and fore