The Florence daily tribune., 1899-02-18
RAINBOW AND ROSE.

In the middle of June many centuries
ago the sun was at its height. On the
higher land all the trees and flowers were
scorched and dried up from the long
drought, and his burning rays pierced sber
way even 10 the cool and stately garden
which lay in the shelter OF the valley many
feet below, but they only touched lightly
the myriad OF beautiful flowers that RAISED
their heads go gladly to meet his soft,
caressing touch, which fell in slanting
shadows amid the thick green foliage
Everything seemed to thrive in this old
fashioned garden. from the proud white
lily 10 the humble blue fCrgctmenot grow
ing in punches in the soft, yielding moss,
but the most beautiful of all were the
masses Of roses, red, yellow and pink, and
the family tinted tea rose, and in their
midst, seeming TO stand alone and apart
from all the rest, a beautiful pink Is
France, her bright green leaves forming
halo around her The other roses in the
gardens looked up to her as their queen.
the birds would come and sing their beet
songs before her, and the proud peacocks
would carry their tails higher and strut
more vainly a. they passed before her.
When shower of rain came, the other
roses would sometimes droop and withcr,
or u petal oI TWO would fall softly from
would only shake her leaves gently, 20
that the sparkling drops would tall frlm
her leaving her more beautiful than he
fore
The flowers had it all their own way in
this beautiful, half forgotten acre of God.
No rough gardener came to cut away their
thorns snip OH thoir dead buds and gath
er them to put into vases, where they
would drOup and die in n few short hours
Only little child would come sometimes
and touch them softly, almost rcycrentiy.
with his thin white fingers, and whisper
childish things to thom, and the flowers
would answer back, and the boy seemed
10 understand them and know their Ian
guage, for his wistful eyes would brighten
and u smile play round his small mouth
But he would linHer longest by the pale
pink rose who would bend her stately
head close to the small golden one. and
the faint rose tints OF her leaves would he
reflected on the white, tired face of thr
child.
And he was always tired now, and in
the great heat OF tho day he could seldom
drag his weary little body as far as the
roses Only when the sun began to set
and the cool OF tho evening came; then, II
he We're well enough, he would come
But one day the shadows grew longer
and longer, the weary flowers raised their
dropping beads in vain, the tiny white
robed figure came no more, and over the
garden was great hush, and the petals
of the roses dropped silently 10 the ground
in their grief, the birds songs were
hushed, and the bright hued peacocks
swept their dropping feathers deiectedly
behind them
The stately queen of roses bowed her
nroud haad and black silanc.. ..rppf
closer and closer, for in the garden was
the shadow OF death.
And the roses mourned among them.
selves long and sorrowfully, but none
mourned So deeply as the stately queen
She missed the soft caressing fingers Of
the child; she missed the golden curls
which had rested so often and so lovingly
near her heart.
Must she always grow alone. without
anything TO love and call her own Why
could she not have little child to take
the place OF the one who was gomez
The days passed ON, and she held her
self more apart from the other flowers
and the mantle OF her sadness descended
over them and over all the garden The
birds ceased their songs, the sparkling
streams of water no longer rippled over the
smooth white pebbles, but were almost
Killing half heartedly along The roses weru
withered and dying, until one morning
there came u soft, refreshing shower Of
rain, and the flowers began TO revive
All day long the rain increased in vol
ume, then toward evening suddenly died
away, and ON the clear blue of the sky
above appeared the many oolored hues of
a rainbow, and as the roses looked toward
their queen they raised their dropping
heads in amazement.
For the rainbow had descended from
the sky above and enveloped her in his
clinging folds hiding her from the eyes
that would see and making her his own.
Summer once more in the garden that
lies in the shelter OF the valley. Summer,
but not the MONDAY heat.
Eventide, and the silver moon arraycd
in all her best
Birds are singing on every bough as II
their little throats would burst, so eager
are they to { homage TO the occasion
All the flowers are arrayed in their
brightest and braycst colors, and the
streams make merry music they bub-
BILE over the smooth white pebbles
And by the queen of roses nestles a
small pink rosebud So small, so tender
is he that Ter leaves almost enfold him
For the state,. La Frances wish has been
granted her, and tonight the garden is en-
fete for the christening of the offspring Of
the many hued rainbow and the proud
rose
The insects come one by one to bring
their offerings and lay them " the roses
feet, and each flower watts one of her
petals, which contains a wish for the sleep
ing child. The stars, too, drop from
heaven and rest lightly over him, and
-h.t oil 81.
moons silver rays center themselves on
the rose and her child, lighting them up
and leaving all the rest in gloom, and in
the silence and hush of that glorious sum
mer night the moon speaks;
Il give to this child n name that shall
live for ever and ever, that shall work
more good than evil that shall bring han