The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1901-07-25
Morning
Glory
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Morning Glory vine. Nobody knew
how it came there, for no one had
planted it, but it was a pretty little
thing. with green hearts for leaves and
cunning little pale green curls here and
there upon it's fuzzy stem.
She wanted to get up off the ground
where she had been all of her short
life, SO she crept slowly along to find
something to take hold of that she
might climb high up into the bright
sunlight. She put out her tender ten
drills and felt carefully along, for she
was blind, poor little thing, and could
not see where she was going.
AS she reached out she felt some
thing hard. "Ah. perhaps this is some
thing high" thought the Morning
Glory, so she crawled up the side quite
not much higher than the ground
for it was only a small stone that she
had found. So she sadly crept back
down the other side, and she lay there
quite discouraged.
There was an old man who used to
take care of Somebody's garden, and
he saw this plant growing there and
cropping about for support, so he fas-
tened string from a peg stuck into
the ground up to Somebody's window
sill, and then he quite forgot all
about it.
The next morning the Morning Glory
felt more cheerful, and she started
upon her search again. She had not
far to go this time, because the kind
old man had fastened the peg very
near to where she lay. So she reached
about with caution to avoid another
stone and took hold of the string.
The poor, sightless little thing did not
know that the old man had put it there
for her, but somehow she felt that it
would lead her to where she wished to
COUP toward the beautiful blue sky
and the great golden sun.
So she climbed along the string,
slowly at first, then faster each day as
she began to know the way, until, like
Jacks bean stalk, she had reached the
window sill.
Now, Somebody, the person who
owned the garden. was ill-so ill that
he had to stay always in his room with
an ugly black bandage over his eyes,
and the doctors feared that he might
never see again.
He was very unhappy, and was often,
oh, SO very cross. and the servants
quite feared him when he spoke to
them in harsh and authoritative
voice.
He had no relatives, and he lived
quite alone in his great house, with
many people to wait upon him and
with ever so much money to buy things
to make him happy. but the things that
one buys do not always make one
happy. and he was terribly wretched
in his big. fine house.
One morning he CROPPED his way to
the open window and put his hand out
upon the side of the frame. and he felt
little. sharp nail. Now. if he had
been gentle the nail would not have
hurt him, for it was a harmless little
thing, but he made rough, impatient
movement. and it caught his finger and
bruised it little.
This made Somebody very angry,
and he said some very unpleasant
things about the person who dared to
put a nail outside his window, and he
felt about, very cautiously this time,
to find the nail once more. that he
might tear it out.
So he moved his hand slowly along
upon the sill, and the Morning Glory
was reaching her little hand about
there at the same time. and their two
hands met.
One did not look at all like hand,
but it was one just the same, and the
little green hand grasped the great
white one, and they seemed to know
and understand each other at once, for
the little green hand said to the large
white one very tenderly: 'Oh, so you
are blind too! | am so sorryy'
The great hand did not try to find the
nail after that. 1t just touched the
Morning Glory with soft caress. and
two great drops fell upon the leaves.
They felt strange and not at all like
the cool raindrops which sometimes
watered the Morning Glory, and some
thing told her that these drops were
tears.
Now, after this these two-Somebody
and the Morning Glory-grew to love
each other very dearly, and each day
they would feel about for one another,
and the dainty Morning Glory would
nestle against his bearded cheek, and
Somebody would pet her and stroke
her leaves very gently.
And the cheerful hopefulness of the
little green plant helped Somebody to
be a little bit hopeful too. You see,
it was harder for him, for he had not
always been blind. while she had never
seen and was SO used to 1t that now
she hardly minded it at all.
One morning the Morning Glory
brought her friend surprise. She had
kept it a secret all the while, and now
she proudly put great, beautiful pink
blossom into his hand. He could not
see that it was pink, but he felt that
1t was lovely, and he kissed the pretty
flower and murmured, "You little
beauty" And that made the Morning
Glory very happy, for all mothers
dearly love to have their babies adj
mired, you know.
And the next morning Somebody had
a surprise for the Morning Glory. That
was secret too. No one knew it yet
but the doctor, and Somebody drew the
little Morning Glory close to his lips
and whispered it into her ear. Then
the little green hand twined about the
great white one, and this is what it
said: Il am so glad that you are not
going to be blind any more" And
Somebody understood it, and the Morn
ing Glory again felt two great, warm
drops, which she knew to be tears. But
they were not bitter tears, like the first
ones; they were very sweet, because
they were tears of joy.
After this Somebody went away and
was gone long time. The weeks
nassed. and he did not return. ana To-