The Newtown bee., 1879-07-02
Autobiography of Florida Orange


 When first opened my eyes and saw the light of this world, l heard lady speaking to her husband, saying, My dear, here is the first blossom; it is the bud of our coming fortune." So say ing, she drew me from my place of con- cealment, behind two leaves, and showed me to her husband, who stopped and put his nose right into my face, which l considered a great insult. Tie next day a little girl came with her mother, who stopped and put her nos right into my face, and then lifted up the little one, who did the same thing; l was very much affronted and could hardly contain myself. What a lovely fragrance" said the lady. Mamma, what does fragrance mean?" said the lit tie girl. Fragrance, my dear, said her mother, means sweetness of smell; when you smell anything sweet, it is fragrant" I then understood their actions, which l had thought so queer, and was much obliged to her for her explanation.
 The sick lady, who was the first to discover me, used to come every day and sit where she could see me, for the physi- clan told her she must sit in the sun as much as possible. Every now and then she would look up and say: My sweet little blossom, how much I think of you !; you are so beautiful that do not wonder you are the chosen flower of the bride. :"
 One day my beautiful leaves fell of, and oh, how sorry l felt, for l did not grow as beautiful as I was before. De- spite all my striving and hard work, l was only a small, green thing, a little larger than the head of a pin, and l began complaining: Is this all I have come to, afer all my striving and hard workp My little orange must not complain; some day, if you do not, I promise that you shall be the fairest of the fair, and crowds of people shall come to admire you" I looked up and saw a little man about three inches high, dressed so dazzlingly bright that it hurt my eyes to look at him. What is your name?" l asked, with fear. ''I am an angel of the sun, and am usually called Sunbeam"
 So saying he left me. I began to feel better, and decided to take a new starl and grow as fast as 1 could. One day 1 noticed that the lady did not come as usual, and missed her very much; for two weeks she did not appear, and the day after I saw coffin borne by four men, and followed by her weeping hus- band, pass along by the side of the grove and go up the road. l felt certain it was the lady who came and sat by me every pleasant day, ana tear rolled down my cheek as 1 thought how kind she had been, and how much she thought of me A few days after this Sunbeam came to me and said: '' Y ou are now large enough to be painted; will begin this morn ing; and as you have been uncomplaining and patient, will not paint you brown like the complaining ones, but a bright golden yellow.n So saying he began to paint me. He came every morning, and at last was ready to be picked. was wrapped in soft paper and put in box all by myself, and sent away. The next thing I knew my wrappings were being taken off, and I was placed on 9 stand with one ofmy common-sized neighbors this was to show my unusual size. Every day crowds of people stop to look at me and the prophecy of Sunbeam is fulfilled --EUamgeliSt.