The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-13
Little Mory's
 Butterfly Ride,
By GwYNNE GARDNER.

Little Mary was on her way to the spring
 to get pail of water for grandma, and, al
 though she had been playing very joyously
 until just minute before, she suddenly felt
 very tired. So she sat down by the roadside
 In the warm sunlight and began to watch
 the bees and butternes as they mtted from
 flower to flower.
 Now, am sorry to say, Little Mary, blue
 eyed and fiaxen haired though she was, with merry smile that won all hearts, very often , had these tired spells when on her way to
 the spring to get water for her grandma,
 who was very old and had to walk with
 cane. Mary did not like to stop her play or
 leave her playmates even for few miputes.
 It always made her horrid cross to go to the spring and she generally pouted all the way there and back, and spilled water on her shoes, and stirred up the mud in the spring with stick, and tried to hit the frog who winked his big black eyes at her; In fact, Mary did everything she could think of do-
 ing that she knew her grandma would tell her not to do were here grandma with her. On this bright day Mary had not been st. ting long in the grass with her pail lying idly beside her when along came the most wondrous butterfly Mary had ever seen. He was a fine, large fellow, all shining In vel low and black, and he lit on big Scotch thistle almost at Mary's feet. There he stood In the sunshine Tapping his great wings SC that Mary would admire him.
 Mary thought she had never seen nything ouite so beautiful, and she reached out her hand to catch him. To her great surprise the butterfly turned his head and said: DGood morning, Mary; isn't this beauti- | ful day for sailing through the airr' Mary was awfully surprised and little fr,ghtened but she would not show how she | felt to butterfly, so she said:
 "Oh. yes, Mir. Butterfly, It certainly Is | lovely day. but don't know much about fy- | ing through the air. l never get any time | have to make so many trips to the spring. sswell." said MT. Butterfly, that Is too had, Ton just get on my back and we will | go together for ride"
 Mary didn't know much about getting on | butterfy's back, and, besides, the thistle | stalk bent so dreadfully that the first two | times she tried to get on she fell right plumb | down on the ground. But the third time, with | a little advice from MT. Butterfly, she safely | seated herself between his wings. Then away they foated over the trees and | house tops, through meadows where the cows were grazing, and over babbling brooks | where Mary, looking down from MT. Butter l hy's back, saw a lot of little fishes swimming | in big pool
 l Mir. Butterfly then took Mary where all the | people that she saw were having good time. The children were playing tag on the | green grass, and some frisky little dogs were
 running around with them, barking and | payfully biting at their feet. There was
 fair going on and the grown up people were
 standing around talking and laughing.
 "Isn't this happy placer" said MT. But
 terfy to Mary.
 l "Oh, yes,' said Mary, "this is just what l like. would like to always play, forever | and eyer.'
 | Just then Mary caught sight of an old woman away of. The old woman was bent | with age and she walked with cane. She carried pail of water and its weight seemed | to tire her greatly, for she stopped every now and then to rest the pail upon the ground Then she would look all around for somebody whom she did not seem able to find, and would give a tired sigh and pick up the pail of water and trudge onward again, walking slowly with her cane. Mary's tender little heart was touched,
 for, although very thoughtless and selfish
 at times, she was really kindhearted.
 "Oh, Mir Butterfly" she cried, just see
 that poor old woman carrying that heavy
 pail of water while all those children over
 there are playing and paying no attention