The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-05-16
miscellaneous.
The May-FIOwers.

On sunny hillside grew a little colony of
May Flowers. They had slept quietly through
the long winter, tucked up, snug and warm,
in their covering ofsnow; and now the bright
sun looked down on them, and the wind stir
red them, and the birds called to them, and
they raised their strong, hardy leaves, and
lifted up their stems of small buds, and rcioc-
ed that spring was near A little girl came
out among them. She said to herself II am
going away tomorrow. | can't stay to see
the dear May-fowcrs open, so will take some
of them with me- and keep them in water, and
they will remind me of this beautiful place,
and perhaps they will blossom
"Oh," said the May-ilowcrs, please don't
take lH !"
But the wind blew 50 that Mary, the little
girl, did not hear them, and she pulled stem
after stem, till she had rs many as she could
hold in her small hand. Then she looked
around her mt the blue sky, and the branches
of the trees against it, and the soft dead leaves
flying in the wind, and the patches of white
snow in the hollows; and away in the distance
the lighthouse and the blue water.
She said goodbye to it all, for she was
afraid she might not see it again and the
little May-ilowcrs said good bye TO it.,
too
The next day Mary tied the May-nowcrs
together, and wound Il piece of wet paper
around their stems, and they went on their
journey.
The cars were crowded and hot, and Mary
held the flowers very tightly for fear of losing
them, and the tall people rested their elbows
on them, and the stout ones pushed against
them, and they thought they would have to
die.
But soon the paper was taken off, and the
string was united, and they were put into a
vase of water.
The Little May-towcrs dropped for time,
and they could not hold up their heads.
Mary set them in the open window, and a
gay bird in cage sang TO them; but they
| mourned for their pleasant home, and they
did not like to stand with their feet in the
water, and they said; "Let us give up in de-
SPAR"
Then the bird sang, "cheer up! cheer up
chirrup! chirrup"
They did not listen to him at first but by
and by they said to him.
| why do you say that to us? Do you
| know that we have been taken from our home
and our friends on the hill side, where the sun
shone and the birds sang all aroung us p
How can we live and be happy here, and with
our feet in the water, too"
But the bird said: "Cheer up! The sun is
shining on you, and am singing to you as
well us can and how much better it will be
for you to blossom and be beautiful, and make
some one happy, than to do nothing but with,
cr and be thrown away. Do you think
| like to be here, shut up in this cage, when
have wings to fly? No! if this cage door
should be left open, you would see me fly up
to the chimney in second"
| Gould you?' said the little flowers.
Eyes, indeed" said the bird.
| "Would your" said the flowers
eyes" said the bird, and then into that
tree, and then away to the woods somewhere
But while am here, think may as well
sing and be gay"
"Perhaps he is right thought the flow.
ers; so they lifted their heads and looked
up.
Mary gave them fresh water every day, and
loved them dearly, and talked to them of the
beautiful hillside; and the cheerful bird sang
to them, and at lust the little buds began to
grow and make the best it.
One bright morning, just two weeks after
they were gathered, the largest bud opened
its petals, and blossomed into full grown
May-tower!
Ii was white, with lovely tinge of pink
and oh, so fragrant! Mary almost cried witt
delight, and she kissed the dear flower, anC
carried it to every one in the house to be adj
mircd The bird stood ON tip-toe ON his high
est perch and tapped his wings, and sang hi,
best song
"Was right ," said he. did give yo,
good adviceT
"Yes,' said the flowers, "you wcr,
right To blossom and be beautiful, and max,
some one happy, is better than to give up il
despair and do nothing.-Annie M00ye 81
NichoLts for Mag.