Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-04-02
An E0daf|0WH which F|eN AWQV.
By Annie olson
OF the Spicer Village School.

Five little children were sitting on
the fence waiting for their Sister Grace,
who had been gone all day, getting
their winter things in the city.
They used to watch there for their
mother, but they would never see her
coming around the turn by the big
elm again, for in September the busy,
loving mother had died.
There had been a few anxious days
when everybody walked softly because
mother was sick, and then they had all
marched in sad procession down
through the old orchard to quite lit
tie lot OF pine trees, where grandfather
and grandmother were buried. Here
they had left their mother, and gone
sadly back to the lonely house.
Then it was that Sister Grace began
to be mother to them all, comforting
them one by one-Helen, Jack, Polly
and Paul, the twins, and little Eliza
beth just six, whom she rocked to sleep
in her arms.
AS they sat and waited, the children
at last saw the carriage come up the
dusty road and stop. Each received
an armful of bundles.
Elizabeth's load was a pasteboard
box, and Grace opened this and gave
her bag of candy.
"Here's an Easter lily for you Hell
len, " she said, "and daffodil for
Jack and hyacinths for the twins. I
thought you would like to take care of
them, and at Easter we can put them
on mothers grave"
Elizabeth laid down her candy and
began to cry.
"What is the matter Beth?" said
Grace.
81 wanted to do something for moth
er but you did not bring me any,
thing" she said
"Why I thought you were too lit
tle,' Grace said.
Jack wanted to give her his flower
but Elizabeth would not take it, she
wanted one of her very own. Then
Grace said, "I'll send for one for
you.'
But suddenly Elizabeth sat up and
dried her tears, and said she mustn't
send for one, she would get one of her
own.
The children planted their bulbs and
put them away in the cellar, When
the children had gone to school the
next morning, Elizabeth came in with
something in her hand.
81 found it." she said, ''now I will
| have a flower for mamma.''
| Grace looked at it, it was a very
large brown chrysalis, and it did look
like bulb. She was going to tell
Elizabeth her mistake but she changed
her mind. She found little pot, and
some soft, light earth, and putting the
chrysalis in it sprinkled some earth
around it and set it away. They kept
it for a secret and did not tell any
one When spring approached the
pots were taken from the cellar and
put in the sunny window. All had
tiny green points pushing up except
Elizabeth s.
But Grace told her to wait and it
will come up too. Elizabeth watched
it every day and sprinkled it. The
other plants grew and budded and she
began to get discouraged. Grace no.
ticed that the earth began to crack and
told her that hers might bloom for
Easter.
The day came but no sign of life in
the little pot, then they all went to the
grave with their flowers and Grace
made wreath of the flowers that Eliz-
abeth picked on the way, that she had
something to put on the mound also.
When Grace came back she saw some
thing in Elizabeth's pot that was push
ing the earth away and was coming
out. She called Beth over the window.
Elizabeth came up to the window,
and the others stepped up behind and
| "eDoNAOA 1S oOAACou1uS "ulUc duu SfCcu
and yellow came in sight. It was
butterfly that came out.
Elizabeth had never seen such a
queer butterfly, it had such a large
body and such little wings, and they
grew larger, and smoother and bright
er until it was larger than any butter
fly Elizabeth had seen. It balanced
lightly on the edge of the pot.
"Grace,' said Elizabeth, s'please
open the window. It wants to fly up to
heaven like mamma
She bent down and kissed it and told
the butterfly to take the kiss to man.
ma, and in obedience in few away.
This was Elizabeth's Easter flower
and Elizabeth and all the others thought
that this was the most beautiful one of
all.
Just as Agnes Ducharme awakened to the
| newly risen love of her life she was glad to