The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-08-05
WHICH WAS THE HAPPIEST?
Translated From the German of Andersen by
Gertrude A. Mahorney, Irvington, Ind.

Gertrude A. Mahorney, Irvington, Ind.
'sWhat beauti al roses'" said the sunshine.
0And each bud will unfold itself and become
just as beautiful. They my children.
Ny kisses have given them life
''They are my children" said the dew; al
have nurished them with my tears
81 should think that ! am their neither
said the rose bush; you Others are only
godparents, who, according to your ability
and good will, give a godparent's gift"
''My lovely rose children said all three,
snd wished each flower the highest happi-
ness; but only one could be the happiest, one
must be the least happy-but which one OF
them?
81 can easily find that out said the wind;
run around everywhere. press myself in
the narrowest crack, and &c everything, out
and in
Each blooming rose heard what was said,
each swelling bud understood it.
There came into the garden sorrowfUl,
loving mother, clothed in mourning gar
ments; she plucked one of the roses. which
was half blown fresh and full, and which
seemed to her the most beautiful OF all. She
carried the flower into the calm. silent room,
where few de 5 ago had moved her young
daughter. full OF life, who now like a sleep
ing marble image, lay in the black coffin
The mother kissed the dead, then kissed the
half blown TO: and laid it on the breast of
the young maiden, as if through its fresh
ness and the kiss of her mother could make
her heart beat again.
The rose seemed to swell; each petal
throbbed in joyful thanks. ''What way OF
love is granted to me! become like hui
man child, / receive mothers kiss | receive
n blessing. and 1 go into the unknown king
dom, dreaming on the breast OF the dead
Certainly, am the happiest of all my sis
tersI'
Into the garden, in which the rose bush
stood, an old woman went also, who weeded
the garden.
She also noticed the beauty of the rose
bush, and her eyes were fixed on the largest
full blown rose. A drop of dew and a warm
day, and the petals would fall. The old wo-
men saw that, and thought that the rose,
which had reached the end of its beauty,
should also be useful. Accordingly, she
plucked it, and laid it between the leaves of
newspaper, TO take it to the house, where
she had other pressed roses, of which to make
potpourri, in company with the little blue
fellows, called lavender, and TO embalm
them. Embalming, that happens only to roses
and kings
81 am the most highly honored,'' said the
rose, as the old woman plueked her. 81 am
the most fortunate, shall be embalmed."
Two young men. come into the garden, one
OF whom was painter, the other a poet
Each plucked rose beautiful to look at
And the painter gave on the canvas pic
the blooming
seemed to see herself in a mirror.
''NOw," said the painter, "she Will live
many generations, while millions and mill
ions of roses wither and die"
Il am the most highly favored" said the
rose; Il have obtained the greatest happi-
nessi"
The poet examined his rose, and wrote a
poem about her, all that he read in every
single petal of the rose: ''The Wonder Book
OF Love" it was an undying poem.
SIN that 1 shall live forever" said the rose,
81 am the most fortunate"
Among all the grandeur OF the roses, there
was one which sat almost hidden by the 9TH
ers- Accidentally-for luck perhaps she
had an imperfection; she sat crooked on the
stem and the petals on one side did not
there even grew out from the middle of the
flower little crippled green petal. That
happens sometimes in roses.
''Poor child said the wind and kissed
her cheeks The rose thought that was a
greeting, love greeting; She had q con-
seriousness that she was different from the
other roses, and that green petal grew from
her midst, and she considered that q dis
tinctiol. A butterfly flew on her petals and
kissed her, that was a wooing; she let him
fly away. Then came great grasshopper;
he sat himself on another rose and enamour-
ed rubbed his shin bone, THAT is a sign OF
love in the grasshopper); the rose, on which
he sat, did not understand it, but the rose
with the distinguishing green leaf under
stood il, for the grasshopper looked at her
with his eyes. which said: II could eat you
for lover' And f-rther than that love can
not go; one is absorbed in the otherl But
the rose did not wish TO be absorbed in a
jumping jack.
lac nightingale sang in the clear starlight
night
''She Sings for me aloner' said the rose
with the imperfection or distinction. "Why
am more honored Ian all my sisters, why
have l received this distinction, which makes
me the happiestT'
One rose, yet half bud, the most beautiful
perhaps on the whole BUSH received the
place of honor in the gardeners artistically
bound bouquet, which was gathered for the
young master OF the house and rode with
him in the carriage. She sat as the most
beautiful flower among other flowers and
beaut ful green, she came 10 a brilliant en-
tertainment; there sat men and women,
brilliantly lighted by thousands of lamps,
the music sounded il VS. IN the theater,
and as in the midst of a storm OF applause
the celebrated young LADY singer stepped out
on the stage bouquet after bouquet flew like
flower rain down TO her feet There fell
that bouquet i'm which the beautiful rose
like diamond sat. she fully perceived her
unspeakable JOY, the honor, the brightness
IN which she moved, and she touched the