Year: 1872


A bunch of pink clover opened her
eyes one morning at sunrise, and looked
about her. She grew near the gate of
little garden in the country, and was
one of large number of pink clovers.


On each side of the pathway leading
from the gate, were little hower-beds,
bordered with white shells, and filed
with gaily tinted flowers. There were
pansies with their purple vests, roses
with pink, blushing petals, fragrant
white lilies, and many other flowers.
They nodded to each other in the morn
ing air, and seemed very happy. Pink
Clover thought they were beautiful, and
looked at her own dress as well as she
could.


cam like you ?'' she said to large
clover that grew near her.
This clover had been in existence
three days, and her blossoms were be-
ginning to turn brown on top, but she
to the young clover, and said, "Just
like me, only as you have not lived as
long as have, you cannot have so much
sense"


"Is my head turning brown ?'' said
Pink Clover.


"No," answered the other, "you are
quite pink and fresh. We clovers pre-
serve our beauty long time.n And
she Strengthened herself, and shook a
drop of dew off one of her leaves.
Pink Clover thought it strange that
| the other did not know she was fading !;
bnt she said nothing, for fear of giving
| offense.


The door of the cottage was opened,
and little girl came out and ran down
the walk. Her eyes were as blue as vio-
| Lot how hoi 10 nd
her cheeks were as pink as the roses.
She wore a white frock, and long blue
sash. She ran to the flower beds, and
began to pick the flowers. Her mother
came and stood in the doorway. "Gather
| the most beautiful" she said.
| Pink Clover watched the child as she
| went from flower tohower. She thought
she would not like to be plucked from
her stem, and wither away. She leaned
forward and whispered to the rose that
grew near her, "Why do you not resist /?
Your thorns are long and sharp"
| ave do not bloom for ourselves" an
| swered the rose; "we are made to give
pleasure to man, and when we are gath
cred, though we droop and die, our mis-
| sion is fulfilled. I heard the mother
and child talking last night about us.
| We are to be taken to the great city,
where people have no flowers, and are
to be given to a sick servant of God.
When he sees US his heart will swell
with thankfulness, and we shall be the
cause of a loving prayer. Thus shall
even the flowers glorify their Maker
| Pink Clover was silent. She wished
the little girl would pluck her also, that
she might gladden. human heart but
the child passed her by and took the
beautiful rose.


t'No one thinks much of clover bios
soms,' said a tuft of grass, cor of the
grasses; but the same hand made us
all"


ave too have our work." said the old
clover who had spoken before. "Whole
countries would be desolate without us.
We make glad the waste places.''


The little girl had gone into the house,
but she soon came out again, bearing
her flowers. Her mother came with
her. They got into little wagon thai
ratified up to the gate. The child's
| iather stood by the wagon.


"We had better take some grass with
us for the horse to cal" said the mother
"cut that close to the gate"


The man brought a scythe and did as
she told him, He cut down Pink Clover
too. The back of the wagon was filled
with grass; the father took his seat, anC
Pink Clover found herself going to the
great city.


"But only for horse to eat," she
said to herself.


The wagon rolled on and reached the
city. 1t jolted over the stones of the
streets, and tossed Pink Clover quite
high in the air sometimes. Everything
! around looked SO dirty that she won