Connecticut western news., 1898-07-28
BALTA (THE LAKE.

Everywhere around reigned calm and silencel
 They floated white and shimmering on the smooth surface of the lake, whose waters were unrippled by sim gle breeze.
 Even the solitary dragon fly, which had flown across little while ago, had disappeared. and the frog would not be- gin its croaking till eventide. Thus noth- ing but rest, still and dreamy, lay on the surface of the tranquil water.
 Many secret lay hidden in the deep- est depths of the beautiful lake and all sorts of fanciful stories were reoounted of its fathomless mysteries.
 There grew the beautiful Water Lily, with her delicate lineaments, and her fragile, spreading roots seemed to be al- ways searching in vain for frmer hold, and whose winsome society was eagerly sought for by all her neighbors The tall flags lowered around her and were continually whispering and mak- ing salutations to her.
 Often had she petulantly closed her beautiful leaves. whereupon they would promise to leave her in tranquility, but when she again unfolded her petals or made even the smallest movement it was a pretext for renewed whispers.
 All these foolish adorers had never yet asked of the Water Lily why she passed all her time gazing upward to- ward the sky, although they might we'll have observed that the Lady Moon shone there in all her splendor. When the foolish ones slept, the Moons rays grew brighter and brighter, glinted full across the lake and embraced the flower, which was transformed by love into Will-o' -the-wisp, which danced and flirted constantly with its beloved.
 The Tulip was the first to be aroused by this Will l-o' -the-wisp, for as he had lived at court he was used to watching and slumbered lightly. He drew him. self up with great austerity, for he saw that the Water Lily was a person of doubtful reputation, who allowed her self to be embraced in most unbecom- ing manner by the Moon, danced about like a siren, threw aside all modesty and provoked and leased her neighbors, who nevertheless revered her and look ed upon her as quite saint.
 So the Tulip lost no time in relating his discovery to his nearest neighbors in the flower world.
 The Forgetmenot opened its blue eyes so wide, so wide in their inno- cenoe, that they actually remained lar ger than when they first saw the light.
 The Lily of the Valley, who tenderly loved the Water Lily, wept bitter tears, whereupon tho Tulip grew bright red with anger and continued to repeat his story to the surrounding plants, who drew together in groups and chattered and recounted it to the South Wind, who was just then passing over them. The Wind repeated it to the Flags, to the Water. to the Clouds, who drowned in anger and immediately covered the Moon with veil.
 The tall blue Gentian, perched like cavalier on the slope of the mountain, had heard tell of the beautiful Water Lily. He imagined that there lay at the bottom of his heart a spirit of fire equal to that of the Will-o'- -the-wisp.
 He had for some time been enamored of the Edelweiss and would gladly have fondled her velvety leaves. He was all the more in love because the two cas- ties, under the walls of which they dwelt, were separated by deep ohasm. For all time cavaliers have given proof of their easy consciences and have de- manded moral perfection from their own wives only. The cavalier brandish- ed his lance in the sight of the Edel- weiss. to make believe he was going a-fighting, and the Alpine Roses ad- mired him as he passed and blushed and regretted that the cavalier Gentian had set out in search of adventure in- stead of oontenting himsef with their charms. .....
 But tho Edelweiss was of too proud and ancient a lineage to show the least regret at his departure and remained frigid and cool in her velvet robe near the terrace of her castle and barely bow ed her head as the cavalier oouohed his lance on passing before her
 Some time afterward falcon. wheel ing overhead. perceived that this indif- ference was but assumed, and spoke to the Edelweiss of the water in the valley below and of the beautiful white Lily which reigned over it. He told her how the cavalier Gentian had fought with and been vanquished by Prince Mar cissus, whose perfumed darts had caused him to fall senseless to the earth. The Edelweiss did not allow her emotion to appear, but she felt 8 cold shiver run throughout her frail body and would willingly have listened to further de- tails, but the falcon had already flown away. and her dignity did not permit her to recall him.
 Prince Narcissus thus became hero, and was nightly .astonished to find himself such. Hitherto his chief oocu- patton had been to contemplate his own reflection in the waters of the lake, to perfume himself, and to languish in the wake of the Water Lily, and so render himself moro interesting in the sight of the neighboring flowers. He looked with disdsfn on the evergreen Ivy, whom be regarded as mere poet and would not even deign to glance at the worthless Reed. but stopped up his ears with a weary, scornful air when the Reed thought good to rustic.
 Prince Narcissus did not care to harm the Laburnum. He felt pity for 1t, though he could have annihilated it with one wait of his pungent perfume.
 The Poppy and the Dandelion were, for him, personages of too low born ex- traction, and for trif1e he would have adopted rude manner toward them.
 But with Cavalier Gentian 1t was quite different affair. He had come