El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-22
DamOdil,


F1owery Turtles.
"Arbutus is found! Arbutus is
found! Hurrah! Hurrah!' These
were the first words 1 heard one beau
tifu1 May ma <eg, when 1 was visit
ing in my sisters country home.
Looking through the Stats of the
blind, saw my little nephew Rob and
his sister Ruth running about the lawn
in the greatest delight. Every once in
a while Rob would turn a somersault,
cheers.
1 was greatly puzzled. "Surely it
is too late for arbutus,'' I thought.
''The fragrant pink and white blossoms
are always faded by the first of May.
Besides, they didn't have eny in their
hands. What can they be talking
about?'
| AS soon as I could dress myself,
went down stairs and found Rob and
Ruth by the door.
| ooh, don't you want to come and
see our turtles?" they both asked.
We've been waiting for you to come
down for long time
| Turtles L exclaimed in surprise.
What kind of turtles?"
George calls them flowery turtles
| said Margaret, because they're all
| named after flowers; but they're just
common turtles"
Papa says they're really tortoises,"
explained Rob, but everybody here
calls them turtles, and they'd think we
were trying to be smart if we talked
| about tortoises."
III
pond, which was an expansion of a
little brook that flowed through the
yard. 1t was about as large as a good
sized room, and only a few inches
deep. 1t was shaded by hickory trees,
and was very pretty place. Some
birds were taking their morning bath
as We came up.
This is Pansy,' said Margaret, as
she held up squirming spotted tur-
tie. isn't he beauty?"
''Honeysuckle is prettier. Don't you
think so, Aunt Kate?' asked Rob, as
he handed me another speckled beau
ty.
''The spots seem little brighter"
I replied, trying not to show my re-
pugnance to the funny creatures.
ooh, but Arbutus is the very best
of ALL continued Rob, holding up
queer looking object that gave no sign
of life, but seemed to be all shell.
This doesn't look like the Others"
I said. Il don't see any head or feet.
What is the matter with it? Is it
dead?"
Both the children laughed. "Why,
it's box-turtle," explained Rob. "You
re no ic wi Of
hinge, so it can close all UP as tight as
a box. Pretty soon it'll open, and you
can see its head all right. But isn't
it fine one? It's been lost two days,
and only just came back this morn
ing"
WAS that what all the cheering was
about?' 1 asked. 81 heard it, but I
had no idea Arbutus could be a tur-
tle''
But don't you think it's good way
to name them?" asked Margaret, anx-
iously. You see we wanted to give
them the very best names we could,
and there's nothing prettier than flow
ers, but every body laughs at it, and I
think it's mean, don't your
You have certainly selected very
pretty Names" 1 replied, inwardly CIV
ing thanks that I had not even smiled
at the incongruity of seeing an awk-
ward, sprawling turtle called by the
name of our most beautiful spring
flower.
But here is our sweetest little dear
of ALL" said Margaret, holding up a |
little one not larger than a silver dol |
lar. He is "FOrget-me-not, because |
you know forget-me-nots are little bits |
Of flowers. And that big one over in |
the corner is Jewelweed, and the one |
jveT the other side is Hepatica, and |
that one swimming in the water is
White Violet. Haven't we got a fine |
lot of them?"
You certain have" I replied, be-
ginning 10 get interested. Where did
you ever get them all, and how do
YOU make them stay?"
Don't you see?' said Roo, bringing
one tc ME; and then I noticed that
Zach turtle was tied to a tree or stake
oy cord which went through lit
lie hole in its shell. 1T doesn't hurt
hem any, because they can't feel any
hing in the edge Of their shells. I
suppose it's just like having our nails
ut
And we caught them all in the same
brook, and we think they're related, or
It least friends" said Ruth, "and that's
he reason we got SO many, so they |,