The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-09-04
Number 20.
The SnOwdrOpS.

"Oh thaat | could do more good in
the world y moaned little snowdrop.
1t was in the spot with a number of
other snowdrops, and when they heard
what this tiny one said, they all shook
their heads and said that they wished
| the same.
Did 1 say all? No, one snowdrop,
who was actually day older than the
rest, and consequently one day wiser,
smiled when she heard their wish, and
said "All in good time, my friends;
all in good time heard our mistress
say to-day that she would send us up to
the hall soon, to see if the lady would
buy us for her garden"
The little snowdrops' curiosity was
aroused, and they al. eagerly inquired
if the old snowdrop knew more, but
that was all she knew. So they put
their little white heads together in con-
sultation, and longed greatly for the
time to come when they would be taken
from Mrs Hudson's humble cottage up
to large mansion and come into the
possession of a gentleman's daughter
named Alice. She took care of them,
and was greatly pleased with the dear
little white blossoms, so pure and lovely.
Alice was a delicate child, and lately
the doctors had recommended foreign
! cIimes and warmer skies for the dear
little English flower So, soon after
she received the snowdrops, her parents
took her across the channel into the
south of sunny France. There Alice
revived for time, and made hope rise
again in the hearts Of her many friends,
for she was universal favorite. But
did the snowdrops remain behind ?
Oh. no, indeed they did not, for Alice
had taken such fancy to them that
she could not part with them.
Little Alice had French nurse, a
bright, kind, busy woman, named
Phillis.
One day Alice was sitting with her
in the nursery, when Phillis suddenly
exclaimed: 'How beautifully pure
and spotless are those little snowdrops !
They remind me of that prayer: Wash
me. and | shall be winter than snow"
Little Alice happened to hear this
last part of the sentence, and she i'm
mediately said: "Phillis,. what was
that you were saying just now; some-
thing about wKiter than snow2 Can
ANYBODY be whittier than snow? 1t is
not possible 7" '.l
"It is possible" returned PhiIlis;
'and I will tell you how" And then
came the,story of Christ Jesus love for
little children, and His willingness to
wash them in His precious blood and
make them clean.
Alice had heard the old, old story
many times before, but to-day it had a
charm and strange new interest for
her. The more she listened, the more
attentive she grew, and the more she
: felt how she loved her dear kind Savior.
, So it came to pass that one little lamb
was found and brought back to the
Good Shepherds fold.
When the 3snowdrops heard this,
: they reioiced and felt that now, indeed,
: they had done some COED. But their
time for blooming was now over.
What mattered this to them, for they
e would grow up again next spring
[ Little Alice mourned to see the snow
e drops droop and wither; but Phillls told
t her how the ugly brown bulbs reminded
' her of their life; and how their blooming
n arain in all their beauty made her think
. of what we shall all be like when we
Il live forever in heaven. And SO little
n Alice was cheered and comforted.
: Next year those snowdrops were the
n first of all snowdrops to come up; but
\ where Not in Mrs. Hudson's humble
: cottage, or in the large nursery at the
mansion. They came up in sunny
France, on little grave, on the tomb
), stone of which was written "Was
rne, and | shall be winter than snow.
Jesus had taken little Alice to bC
: with Him, and on her grave the pur'
white snowdrops came mp year atte
year, and to the weeping sorro wins
mother they seemed a type of tha
= blessed resurrection when her little los
= darling would be restored to her
English 1iagdzine.