The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-24

Are poisoning in beauty"
Come, come she cried, my comraaes
dear.
This life Of work is duh and drear,
Let US be free and merry,
Just like the birds and wildwood vines.
1 scent the fragrance of the pines;
Oh, come. why do you tarry?"
They left the conflict and the strife:
They dropped the busy cares Of life;
To follow winsome Lura
With happy heart and eager feet
Taey sought the wiIdwoods cool retreat
Away from care and worry.
To where the woodland fruit was lush.
To where the sparkling waters gush,
From rocks so old and messy.
To where the dainty star flowers grew
Close to the little violets blue
And myrtle vines. so glossy.
Lura led; twas she who knew
Just where the pink azalias grew,
And every wildwood flower
The trailing arbutus. and fern,
Caressed their feet al every turn,
The woods was ike = bower.
And there they wandered day Dy day,
And gathered flowers along the way
And ate the ripe1ing berry.
When weary, slept on messy beds
With leafy arches. DER their heads.
All, they were blythe and merry.
The fragrant woods were all afiame
In tints of gorgeous splender.
The zephyrs soft and tricksy breeze
Played among the painted leaves,
And sweet the songs. and tender.
OF warbIing birds, that always go
Before the falling of the snow,
Yet lovingly they Hnger
Around each little empty nest,
so late by tiny birdlings prest.
But fee before November.
Wiser than Lura her band
Gods little birds could understand
That Winter days were nearing.
And while His children were at play,
His little birds worked every day,
With songs their labor cheering.
They fingered still. when birds had fed
And all the woodland flowers were dead;
But on one frosty morning
Come" cried Lura, my comrades
dear.
We must return: the Winters near:
The frost has brought US warning"
III ANn
Wen reach our homes at close Of day"
And then their steps reTacing,
They followed Lura all day long
She lead the way with Jest and song.
At dusk her comrades facing,
She said. dear ones, I've lost the way
So in the forest we must stay
Until another dawning
Fear not, tomorrow, l will find
The path. we've left it just behind
So rest you till the morning"
But the morningight revealed not the
lost path to Lura and her compa7icns;
but for many days they were merry and
hopesul. believing each day, that the
morrow would reveal to them the path
they 50 eagerly sought; but as the weeks
slipped by. weary. fo0tsore. and discour-
aged. hope deserted all but Lura: ard
she. while continually reproaching her
self for their sunerings. tried in vain TO
inspire them anew, with hopefUlness.
oh. my dear ones. have patience she
would plead: lose not your courage;
Lura led you into the forest, and she
viii lead. YOU out again"
"Reproach not yourself sweet Lura,"
the kind ones would say. we gladly
followed you away from work and care;
and Oh. how beautiful were the long
happy. summer days in the nowery wood
land
Others reoroache5 her with words that
stung ike serpents. few were silent
and their silence wounded her more deep
~ than words could do and her heart
was filled with ineXpressiale sadness IS
she saw each day the number Of silent
ones increasing. Poor LUrs's form had
lost its roundness; the roses had faded
from her cheeks and her eyes were fun
Of a feverish brightness ss she eagerly
and untiringly sought for the lost path.
Mid Winter had come. Il was the night
before Christmas; and how dark and cold
and desolate was the old forest. Lp-a
companions were all silent now; and this
night they stood. gloomily. grouped to-
gether. under the naked trees and refused
% follow their guide; 50 alone. she wan
tered hither and thither. searching wild
~ for some trace Of the los path. But
a last hope forsook her and she stood
alone I'm the darkness ,acart from her
companions: her heart was faint with an
Euish- She raised her tearfU! eyes 20 the
silent heavens. and through the interIac-
ing branches OF the trees a great bril-
liant star seemed 10 be looking down
giJyiugly upon her.
oh, IL is the star Of Bethlehem" she
exclaimed, This IS Christmas eve. and
know It is the star o. Rethleheu. Oh
beautiful star that led the wise men n
the east 10 the spot where the child
Jesus lay, guide me TO the path have
lost. that 1 may lead my companions
ou- OF the forest. then they VIII forgive
poor Lura, even the silent ones. and
love her as OF yore"
The star shone on with a steady nls
~. but gave her no comfort Then she
fell upon her face and cried. "Oh. Jesus
thou tender compassionate onet forgive
Aoor. erring Lura. and lead her back into