Evening journal., 1891-11-28
THR ROSE AND THE TOAD.


near each other.
The shrub on which the rose blossomed
| grew in a half round parterre before a
house yet occupied. though the large,
shady garden tn front Of it had been long
neglected Wesds lourshed In the plat
bands, and in the paths, which were no
| longer cleansed or sanded The green,
wooden railing with its carved ornaments,
was faded and broken. The boys had pulled
off some of the bars to play soldiers, and
the moujiks had carried some away to de
| fend themselves against the dogs But the
parterre continued luxuriant, and around
the remains Of the railing twined the wild
pea, the cuscute and other towering vines,
| from which hung white and purple clus-
ters Tall thistles also 81 rang up in the
moist, rich soil OF the garden, and the still
taller spires of the yellow mullen bristled
| with flowers. Nettles covered large cor
ner, and, however disagreeable in other re
i spects, the dark verdure formed an admi
rable background for the pale colors of the
rose.
| The flower commenced opening on a
| beautiful May morning The dew was fast
rising into vapor, but some tiny tears still
hung in their purity on the edges Of the
rose. The flower seemed to be weeping
| Around her all was so bright and sunny
when for the first time she beheld the blue
sky, and felt the play OF the fresh breeze
aud the rays Of the genial sun among her
thin, light tinted petals. all was SO calm
| and peaceful IN the parterre that she might
well have wept, not from sorrow, but from
pure Joy She could not speak, but, in
clinng her little head, she could shed
around her subtitle and refreshing per.
fume. Such were her words, her tears, her
prayers.
At her feet lay fat old toad which had
spent the night hunting worms and gnats,
and at dawn had selected a moist and
shady place for repose His eyes we're GOV
cred by membrane, his sides puffed out
dirty and Shiny One Of his paws wai
stretched before him, he was too lazy {,
draw il up to his body He took no de
light In the beauty OF the morning. III
was gorged and taking rest. When TIA
zephyr, growing more gentle, bore less o
the fragrance of the rose far away on it
| wings, the toad began to breathe it an
became disturbed and confused, but wa
too stupid to regard whence it came
y Since the previous autumn no one ha
come near the parterre where the ros
), grew and the toad was reposing The las
visitor was bright eyed little boy of seve
years. having a large head on slend'
body AS no one else claimed the garde
he called II his own, and it was his deligh
r His visits had ceased at the time when Il
toad was preparing TO make his home f
! the winter among the foundation stones
the house
When the weather was pleasant the II
tie fellow would sit and read on an o
D, bench standing against the house, at Il
side OF the only dry and sanded path, whi'
\. | was kept in good condition for going bal
and forth and closing the shutters. Il
sister, who took care Of him, would rema
- at the window reading or embroidering
keep him company. Frequently, when S
Is. asked, "Wassia, shall | throw out 20
ball 80 you can playin he would answ
"a No, Macha, like my book better"
When fatigued with the Adventures
Robinson and the stories Of wild cor
tries, he would leave his book open a
us, wander over the garden. Every bush a
shrub was an acquaintance. He wol
crouch before a velvety mullen plant tw
til as tall as he 70 see a colony Of ants n
B. ming up and down after the aphides, a
gathering with delicate tact the pure dr.
os let's OF honey dew exuding from the lii
rolls on the backs Of the aphides.
would follow the beetles dragging th
I
o. the spider when she had woven her iri
de- web in a sunny place and was lying
ell, wait for flies, and the lizard opening
mouth TO drink in the sunshine, and
ton fecting the rays from the scales Of
bright green corselet-
One evening, when we saw a hedge
for the first time, he could scarcely restI
his Joy and was about to clap his han
son From fear Of frightening the little priC
IAN, beast he held his breath. But he ope
wide his lustrous eyes and was deligl
j. TO see how the animal shifted with
and snout for worms among the roots Of
M. rosebush and in what a funny wa
drew them out with its plump, bear
paws.
'wassia, come in; it begins to be dan
a.ss' .us' called his sister.
o's' The hedgehog heard the voice and
frightened, and rolled itself into
tall, covering its head and hind paws with
eoo' spines The child touched the pS
lightly, and the animal curled up the
ut and began to pant like steam engine.
A. degrees Il became used to the child.
was so peaceful and gentle that il WI
Vest wonder the animal outgrew its fear
son. last, when the little beast tasted the
which he brought in a saucer, the j
- the youthful master Of the garden w
!. d its height.
= Wassia grew weaker and weaker,
when the spring returned with It's sun
lick and warmth he could not leave the
ston, TO amuse himself in the garden.
hing sister sat near his bedside, instead o
window. He could no longer hole
THE smallest volume. and his eyes were
reefs, fatigued His sister read whatever
sired, as he lay with his emaciated
THE ! resting on the pillow. -