The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-06-04
THE MAY-FLOWERs.

On a sunny hillside grew little col
ony of May-flowers. They had slept
quietly through the long winter, tucked
up, snug and warm in their covering of
snow; and now the bright sun looked
down on them, and the wind stirred
them, and the birds called to them and
they raised their strong, hardy leaves,
and lifted up their stems of small buds,
and rejoiced that spring was near. A
little girl came out among them. She
said to herself: g am going away to-
morrow ! can't stay to see the dear
May-fowers open, SO | will take some of
them with me, and keep them in water,
and they will remind me Of this beauti-
ful place, and perhaps they will bios
som"
''Oh," said the May-fowers, "please
don't take us y
But the wind blew so that Mary, the lii
tie girl did not hear them, and she pulled
stem after stem, till she had as many as
she could hold in her small hands. Then
she looked around at 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 hol-
lows; 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 soon /;
and the little May-flowers said goodbye
to it, too.
The next day Mary tied the May
flowers together, and wound piece of
wet paper around their stems, and they
started on their journey.
The cars were crowded and hot, and
Mary held the flowers very tight for
lear of losing them, and the tall people
rested their elbows on them, and the
stout ones pushed against them, and
they thought they would 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-howers dropped for a
time, and could not hold up their heads
Mary set them in the open window,
and a gay bird in a cage sang to them /;
but they mourned for their pleasant
home, and they did not like to stand
with their feet in water, and they said /:
Let US give up in despair"
Then the bird sang, "Cheer upl
chirrup! chirrup"
They did not listen TO him at fist,
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 around us How can we live
and be happy here, and with our feet in
the water, tooY'
But the bird said: " Cheer up! The
sun is shining on you, and | am singing
to you as well as | 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 wither and be
thrown away. DO you think like to
be here shut up in this cage, when
have wings to fly? Mol If this cage
door should be left open, you would see
me fly up TO that chimney in a second. y
Could your" said the little flowers.
&" Yes, indeed" said the flowers
Yes" said the bird, land then into
that tree, and then away to the woods
somewhere. But while | am here, /
may as well sing and be gay"
." Perhaps he Is right" thought the
flowers; 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
last the little buds began to grow and
make the best of it.
One bright morning, just two weeks
after they %ere gathered, the largest
bud opened its petals, and blossomed
into a full~grown May-flower
1t was white, with lovely tinge Of
pink, and oh, so fragrant Mary almost
cried with delight, and she kissed the
dear flower, and carried it to every one
in the house to be admired. The bird
stood on tip-toe on his highest perch
and tapped his wings, and sang his best
song.
sJWas 1 right ?" said he. g Did ]
give you good advice}"
i" Yes" said the flowers, "you We're
right, To blossom and be beautiful
and make some one happy, is better thar
to give up in despair and do nothing"