News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-03-24

leSSly Ill UIle Sndue DeneaUn Une ma
pie tree, she saw the little neighbo
in her garden at work among hel
flowers. Rebe watched her for {
while, ashamed of her rudeness tn,
day before, half wishing the little
woman would come and speak again
half dreading lest she might. She
was thinking, too, of her cousins
words, " Better a beautiful spirit in
a crippled body than an ugly, selfish
soul in Il beautiful form" Before
her illness Rebe had often been told
that she was beautiful but surely she
had been ugly enough the day before
Ihe lltule woman rose at length
and came straight towards her, a
smile transfguring the sharp plain
face, her eyes glowing with a kindly
light, while her voice was beautifully
sweet and low as she said: Good
morning, my child, | want you to see
this four-leaved clover with the drop
OF dew, like a jewel, in it's heart.
Take it, and may it really bring you
good luck =
Rebe murmured her thanks and
added a shy request that she would
stay awhile, being anxious to atone
i0r her slight of the day before. The
little woman understood and smiled
- L must go back to my flowers" she
said, but first l will tell you the
Eastern legend of the "lovliest flower
of Paradise.
hen Adam and Eve were driven
out of the garden, Eve, blinded by
her tears, plucked one of the flowers
to carry with her into her exile.
Then curious to see what she had
gathered In her haste, she opened her
hand and paused as she saw the
lOvliest of all the flowers, the four-
Ieaved clover; which then had one
leaf of red, like copper, one of "a sill
very whiteness, one yellow as gold.
and the fourth glittering like a dia-
mOnd. But while she stood gazing
at it, the fiery sworl of the angel
touched her, and as she started for
ward the diamond leaf fell from her
hand-before she had passed the
gates d! And ever since that time
though the four-leaved clover is often
found, its leaves are always green, the
color of hope"
The ice was broken now, and every
day the little neighbor came and
talked with Rebe, or read to her, and
she was neverrppulsed again, though
often the young girls irritable moods
returned.
. My child" the little woman said
one day as Rebe lay looking through
IA mist of rebelious tears at the
bright little upturned faces of some
pansies in her lap, my child, you
are very young and you have not yet
learned what it means to live. Your
young life has been like "a happy
dream, and you look forward to
many years full of new and varied
lows. God grant they may all come
true. And you do not understand
that this illness, this period of res
whick God has placed like a Sabbath
between the past and coming years
has been given you for some wise pur
pose-perhaps, dear, to teach you tC
think"
q do nothing but think all the day
long, complained the girl.
"Of Others, dear, or yourself?"
Rebe looked up at the little woman
in surprise. "Do you mean-am
really-such very selfish creature p
MY dear, you are a week. lonely
homesick child, and my heart goes
out to you and longs to give you a
word of comfort. But there is nc
one, sick or well, young or old
beautiful or ugly. who is not happier
the more he thinks of others, the less
he thinks of self; believe me for
know. 1t is not much to give a
thought, a pleasant word a cheering
smile; but ON, the burden iU may
serve to lighten And every loving
thought you give another will be a
blessing on your head. Turn your
sweet face on Others as the pansies
do-the symbols offender thoughts. -
1t was as if a mirror had been
placed before the young girls eyes,
in which she saw the years that
stretched back into her childhood.
Buteverywhere along the way the fig
ures reflected there seemed like shad-
Ows; even her patient loving mother
burdened with many cares, was but a
shadowy outline in contrast to that
one young figure which stood out
with startling distinctness from all
the rest, and which Rebe now knew
everywhere as self, self, self"
The little neighbor had left her
alone with her thoughts, and they
were new and varied and brought her
at last into a very humble mood.
BY and by cousin Jane came out,
Joined her, and Rebe noticed for the
first time how tired and careworn
she seemed. She divided her pansies
eagerly. cousin Jane, did you eyer
know that pansies We're fragrant?
These have the sweetest, most deli
cate perfume, and see how lovely they
are, just like our little neighbor who
brought them to me. There are so
many, want you to have these"
1t was wonderful how the tired face
frightened in response to that one
little loving thought, and Rebe felt
happier than she had done in weeks.
1t was long before her strength en-
tirely returned, but it was not long
before every one began to say: "Rebe
is like n different creature since her
Illness" and when she went back to
her home, her mother felt that she
had never known before the happi-
ness and comfort that her daughter
could be to her, and she silently won
dered what had wrought the change.
"It's-clover leaves and papsies, "
Rebe once said, smiling, but that is
all she has ever said, for she keenly
feels that "new actions are the only
apologies and explanations of old
ones that the noble can bear to offer
or receive" But she is happier than
she has ever been before, and ber
daily life is full of sweet thoughts for
others, and graceful kindly deeds.
AS soon as Rebe was able to re-
sumo her painting lessons, she began
a pan of lovely purple and yellow
pansies, for the little neighbor, which
was sent to her at last with letter
brimming over with gratitude and
love.
The little woman's tender heart
was deeply touched, and tears rose
to her shining eyes as she read the
quotation which Rebe had twined in
quaint letters of gold, like a ribbon,
among the flowers:
Take all thesweetness OF a gift tunsought,
And the pansies, send me back thought "
N. Y. Observer.
Ex-POstmastcr-Ganera james has written
an article on The Ocean Postal Service" for
the April Century. Mr. james advocates a
letter-rnte of two cents an nnnce for Ocenn