The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-04-25


clash, though sometimes we try to
make ourselves believe that they do.
There is always way to do the one,
and not leave the other undone."
II expect Mrs. Smith would miss
her flowers very much. She says
that she always watches the clock till
it is time for me to come. Now, Polly
May, aren't you ashamed of yourself7
You know you're afraid that some
one else may find that ring before
you come home. You just will go to
Mrs. Smiths; and you will not take
her flowers out of the garden, either,
but the water plant flowers, as you
promised yesterday. And, if the ring
has not been found, why, then, you
can hunt all you want to after you
come home; and, if it is, why you
just ought to be as glad as you can
be for Uncle Harry"
And so Polly resisted her tempta-
ton to neglect her kind little minis
try, and went off to the woods as soon
as breakfast was over for her flowers,
though with sigh of regret at be
ing obliged to put off her search.
'There were some lovely flowers in
aisle pool" she thought, as she ran
through the meadow, which lay be-
tween the garden and the woods.
"I'll get them there, though it isn't
the nearest place" And before many
minutes she had passed quickly
down the long, open space, and was
kneeling beside the pool, gathering
the flowers, which she placed care
fully in her hat, that they might not
be crushed.
But as she kneeled above the brink,
a ray of sunshine, shooting down be-
tween the branches of the trees,
flashed upon something lying at the
bottom of the shallow poo, some
thing yellow and shining, which
caught Pollys eyes instantly.
II wonder what it can be-" she
thought. And, rolling up her sleeve,
she plunged her arm down into the
limpid water, and, grasping the OBJ
ject, drew it to the surface, then gave
little cry, which was half gasp,
as her eyes fell upon the lost ring!
She understood it all in moment
then. 1t must have slipped from her
uncle's hand while he was taking up
some of the plants; and, now that
she came to think of it, Polly remem-
bered quite we'll his taking some from
that very pool. So he had not taken
it off his hand, after all. Waiting only
long enough to finish gathering her
flowers, she ran up the long "aisle,"
and across the meadow; and, just as
her uncle was getting into the CARR
age to drive to the station, she came
flying across the lawn, her long hair
streaming out behind her, crying
"Uncle Harry, Uncle Harry, wait
Here is your ringl"
They could hardly believe it when
Polly told her story. II thought
that it might have slipped from my
finger into the marsh," her uncle
said; "but / knew that it would te
quite useless to hunt for it there.
And to think of this child finding it
in one of those little pools! sup
pose that took plants from half a
dozen Of them. How did you ever
happen to go there this morning,
little womani" he asked, as he
slipped the ring to its old place on
his finger. "By night it would have
been trodden deep down into the
mud; for that "aisle pool as you call
it, is favorite drinking place for the
COWS at noon" But he could not
understand the very serious face with
which Polly met his question, and
had no time to ask her to explain it,
as there was hardly time for him to
catch his train. "No need to tell you
how l thank you Polly DEAR" was all
he said; but then he took her in his
arms, and kissed her three or four
times, whispering, 81 will bring you
something from the city to remember
this day by"
But Polly thought, as she stood
watching him drive away, thought,
with little heart full of thanks
giving, that she needed nothing to
help her remember the day.-Annie
L. Hannah, IN the Chwchman.
PENSI0NING TEACHERS.