Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-08-05
kinu Frost.

t.asing.-Forest and Stream.
81
King Frost.
1t was very warm down in the EARTH
and the little violets were longing to
push their way up to where they could
see the blue sky and the sun shining
But the older violets babe them wait,
and spoke to them of the bitterly cold
nights, when cruel King Frost held his
revels abroad, and how when he passed
his icy breath made the flowers shrink
in fear, few feeling his touch without
paying the penalty of death; and they
drew such pictures of the. cruel king
that the baby violets huddled up to-
gether and crept closer into the shelter
of their Mother Root.
But one violet scoffed at their fears,
and every day she put out all her
strength in her efforts to grow big and
strong enough to face the world, till
at last one day she pushed her way up.
She was very tired with the exertion,
the strong light hurting her little yel-
low eye after the darkness underground
and she was very glad to creep under
the largest leaf she could see,
"You are very early" said the leaf.
81 am afraid you are in too great a
hurry, for it is bitterly cold when the
White King goes past"
Always that silly tale about the
king" thought the violet pettishly.
The first few days were warm and
bright and the violet grew beautiful
deep blue, the sun smiled upon her and
the wind famed her gently when the
suns rays grew too warm, and in the
mornings the dew brought her offerings
of lovely sparkling diamonds. She was
very happy, and thought how silly the
other violets were to have been fright
ened by a foolisl story; so she called
down to them, but could not make them
hear, for they were so warm and coZy
they had all fallen fast asleep.
One evening the leaves whispered to
her that King Frost would be abroad
that night, and she must keep we'll ogt
Isfsst 81 giEs sss aiss sifssr ths96r he
would kill her. But she tossed her head
and said she didn't believe in that king.
She had watched for him before, and
he never came. And she refused to bend
her stem as the leaves wished, and at
last they left her alone and settled
themselves to sleep.
1t was very lonely, and the air grew
colder and colder, and there was
great stiffness, only broken by the rus
tie of the sleeping leaves and the
whispering of the trees overhead. And
presently the moon rose slowly, and
the violet saw the ground was all
sprinkled with powdered diamonds.
And she was frightened and very cold
and tried to shrink back under the
leaves, but found she could not, for the
kings slaves had come in the dark and
coated her stem with fine diamond pow
der, and she could not bend it. And a
tear rose in her little golden eye, and
as 1t rolled down it was frozen into a
hard stone, which cut her tender petals
and hurt her. And then there was
great hush, and the trees and plants
bowed their heads, for the king was IN
sight. And he came in great state, for
it was his last visit this season. First
came his soldiers and executioners, in
uniforms of gray-blue, an Icy shade
that made one shiver and think OF the
CLEAN of steel. And then came the
courtiers in green-silver, like moon
beams on the shining ice; and the
kings bodyguard wore deepest blue.
and in the midst came the king himself,
all roEed in white, with trimmings OF
hoar frost lace, such as he sometimes
leaves on our windows to show us he
has passed, and he wore a crown OF
| icicles that sparkled with many colors
as he walked. And children scattered
diamond dust before him, which fell in
| loveliness and hid the cruel work OF
the executioners.
The poor little violet shivered, and
hoped the king would not notice her
for no one else had seen her, but as
he passed he looked and frowned In
anger at her presumption, and the vio-
let thought her last hour had come,
and prayed for mercy, and looked SO
pleading with the glittering tear in her
eve that the king was touched. But he
looked stern, and told her the penalty
| for her presumption in watching him,
and not bowling down as the other
plants was death; but as she was Sc
Young and fair he would spare her, and
would deprive her Of her lovely color
instead. And he bade her look in his
eyes, and, as she looked his eyes grew
kind and soft, instead and he whispered
to her that she had saved him from q
life he hated. For he was doomed tc
make others suffer till he found flow
er brave enough to watch for his COM
ing and now he would be able to &C
back to Fairyland and another king
would reign in his stead. And then he
kissed her softly and left her.
Next morning, when the leaves
awoke. they found a white violet, SC
lovely ar6 pure they thought it must
be fairy spirit, and each day the vio-
let grew less willful and more thought,
full for the other plants, till they came
to bless her as real fairy spirit. But
she could never forget the passing oi
the great White King, for he had taken
her heart as we'll as her color, and that
is the reason of the wistful look that
may be seen in white violets to this
day.-Chicago Record-Herald.
In Doubt.
1 Irrz ,oaroe tn ho very pOOd bnc,