The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-19
Vegetable People and
Flower Folk
ny wiNIFREp BLACK

He brought me bunch Of violets--
| The English boy who 10 visiting us
great purple, fragant violets. heavy
with the dew and as sweet as the
memory OF one we loved La carly
youth.
violets, sweet. sweet vtolets, and
the whole street was full of pots-
toes and cabbages and beets and tur-
, nips and things that he might have
! bought. I'm glad he didn't DO IL.
violets! Sometimes / am in dan
ger of forgetting that there are such
things, look at onions and carrots
and potatoes and think what's for
dinner till I don't even remember that
j the flowers are asleep. waiting for
spring to call them from their deep
beds. / hate that, don't you? ] don't
believe that 1t pays.
! know many peopie--vegetabie
, people--that never think OF anything
that isn't useful--something to eat or
drink or wear. Poor things, poor
things; what a LOT they miss, don't
, they?
Il never read novels said cross
old woman to me the other day. Il
haven't time TO waltz" and she
pursed up her disagreeable mouth
and looked virtuously at me out OF
the corners OF her self-righteous eyes
as ~ she were proud of what she had
just said.
Never read novels'-what life
what a lifei Shut up in the little,
] Aar ,NF hay y
perience when all those beautiful
doors are open wide TO her II she'd
| only turn the handle of them by open
| ing the bookcase at the right time
| Are you tired7 Come, let's wander
| far aficld witty Burroughs and git UNI
der a shady maple on the edge of the
green woods and wonder with him II
/ IL Is going to rain.
| Are YOU bored? There's Mark Tap
! ley. right there at the tirst turning to
/ the right, down by the book Of red
! fairy talea He'll cheer you up.
Is life wearisome round of
"musts" and ought come,
! let's go into Wonder Land with Alice {:
! the White Rabbit is such entertain
( ing company.
( Ike to spend an afternoon with
/ the Princess and her maids once In
| awhile don't you? What Princess
! Oh. any Of them--so long as she has
/ fair hair and rosy cheeks. and lace
I frock shot with silver. and crown
! Of sparkling gems. and a poor swine
herd for a sweetheart.
/ What food she eats, the Princess IN
/ the red book -ambrosia and honey;
/ How all the fountains where abe sits
| with her maidens fair sparkle and
! sleam! what enchanting roses bloom
7 uvh eH uhfFHI the
! birds in the rose-tree sing on. but a
/ Princess ia lovely company
( dull day!
Poor woman, so you never read nov
/ elsq I suppose you'd think me crazy
! II vou Jaw mo porting over Aladdin
! and his wonderful lamp and wishing
/ had a lamp Just like that one in the
story. wouldn't you?
! piolets, not for you, what good are
| they. pray tell? Just imprisoned sun
| shine, living dew and air and fra
/ GRANGE, Just the smile OF the Great
| Giver OF all Good.
A letter from an old friend OF mine
will gladden. my heart for hours l
suppose my practical friend, who
! never reads novels" wouldn't even
! stop 10 open the envelope, unlegs she
I thought that there was something in
IL about money and how 10 get II.
! a smile from g rosy baby. Why.
! IT'S worth walking blocks to get on
dun. cloudy morning There's no
! money in 1t, though, so 1t doesn't
| amount to much in some eyes.
Hxrkl What is that? It sounds
| like bells. silver bells Ginning in the
| moonlight under tho jasmine fiow'
| eTs. Pop, Was that yellow prim-
| rose opening by the light Of the
! stars? All the little four-o' clocks are
| fast asleep. but YOU can tell where
| they sit along the edge OF the path
! by the perfume Of them.
| An, there are the tiger lilies. tall
| and angry. close 10 the dowery fox,
| What pretty pink row that Is You
can tell 1t even by starlight Ring
| ting | wish that i was a primrose,
a pretty yellow primrose, ALLOWING
| In the sun
| What a sweet chime that was How
| 1t makes the stupid city streets over
| into a dear, oldfashioned garden
| Tong ting ting-ting. Why it's moth
| ing but little boy striking two bits
OF glass together. See how he laughs
| To hear the ring,
Chime. chime. ttrgte, tfrgte, ring,
ting, ting. Now ne shuts HIS laughing