Year: 1871

There were five peas in one shell they


were green, and the pod was green, and so


they thought all the world was green and


that was Just as it should be The shell


grew, and the peas grew they accommodated


themselves to circumstances, sitting all in a


row. The sun shone without, and warmed the


husk and the rain made it clear and transpar-
eut; it was mild and agreeable in the bright
day and in the dark night, just as it should


be, and the peas as they sat there became
bigger, and more and more thoughtful for
something they must do.


Are we to sit here eyerlastingly !" asked
one. " I'm afraid we shall become hard by


long sitting. 1t seems to me there must be
something outside | have a kind of inkling
of it,"


And weeks went by. The peas became
yellow, and the pod also.


"All the worlds turning yellow" said
they and they had right to say it,


Suddenly they felt tug at the she'll The
shell was torn off, passed through human
hands, and glided down into the pocket of
jacket in company with other full pods


Now we shall soon be opened !" they said
and that is just what they were waiting for


should like to know who of US will get
farthest :" said the smallest of the Eve.
Yes, now it will soon show itself"


What is to be will be- said the biggest.


Crack !" the pod burst, and all the five
peas rolled out into the bright sunshine.
There they lay in a childs hand. A little
boy was clutching them, and said they were
fine peas for his pea-shooter and he put one
in directly and shot it out.


" Now I'm flying out into the wide world
catch me if you can ~ and he was gone.


a. - said the second, " shall fly straight
into the sun. That's a she'll worth looking
at, and one that exactly suits me-" And
away he went


Wen 90 to sleep wherever we arrive"
said the two next, but we shall roll on all
the same And they certainly rolled and
tumbled down on the ground before they got
into the pea-shooter; but they were put in
for all that. We shall 60 farthest,H they
said


What is to happen will happen" said the
last, as he was shot forth out Of the pea.
shooter and he flew up against the old board
under the garret window, just into a crack
which was filed up with moss and soft mould
and the moss closed around him; there he
lay prisoner indeed but not forgotten by
provident Nature.


What is to happen will happen" said he.


Within, in the little garret, lived a poor
woman who went out in the day to clean
stoves, chop small wood, and to do other
hard work of the same kind, for she was
strong and industrious too. But she ALWAYS
remained poor; and at home in tho garret
lay her halfgrown only daughter, who was
very delicate and weak for a whole year she |
kept her bed, and it seemed as if she could
neither live nor die


d" She is going to her little sister, the wo.
man said. 81 had only the two children.
and it was not an easy thing to provide for
both, but the good God provided for one of
them by taking her home to Himself; now |
should be glad to keep the other that was left
me but suppose they are not to remain
separated, and my sick girl will 90 to her sis
ter in heaven"


But the sick girl remained where she was.
She lay quiet and patient all day long while
her mother went to earn money out-of.doors.
1t was spring, and early in the morning, lust
as the mother was about to 90 to work. the
sun shone mildly and pleasantly through the
little window and threw its rays across the
floor; and the sick girl fixed her eyes on the
lowest pane in the window.


What may that green thing be that looks
in at the window 1t is moving in the
wind


And the mother stepped to the window and
half opened it. "Oh" said she, on nv
word, that is little pea which has taken root
here, and is putting out its little leaves How
can it have got here into the crack That is
A little garden with which you can amuse
YOURSELF


And the sick girls bed was moved nearer
10 the window, so that she could always see
The growing pea and the mother went forth
10 her work.


Mother, | think | shall get WELL" said
The sick child in the evening. "The sun
ihone in upon me to-day delightfully."- warm.
The little pea is prospering famousiy, and |
shall prosper too, and get up, and 60 out into
he warm sunshine"


" God grant it !" said the mother, but she
lid not believe il would be so but she took
ARE to prop with little stick the green plant
which had given her daughter the pleasant
thoughts OF life, so that it might not be broken |
" the wind she tied piece of string to the [
sindowsill and to the upper part of the frame, !
% that the pea might have something round !
which it could twine, when it shot up and /
did shoot up indeed--one could see how it !
rev every day. I


" Really, here is flower coming % said a
he woman one day and now she began to i
herish the hope that her sick daughter would /
ecoyer. She remembered that lately the {
hid had spoken much more cheerfully than n
eiore, that in the last few days she had risen
p in bed of her own accord, and had sat =
pright, looking with delighted eyes at the v
title garden in which only one plant grew Il
week atterward the invalid for the first q
me sat up for whole hour. Quite happy, I
10 sat there in the warm sunshine the /,
lindow was opened, and outside before il d
lood pink pea blossom, fully blown. The
ck girl bent down and gently kissed the de. 3,
cate leaves. This day was like festival. a,
Z" The Heavenly Father Himself has planted II
nat pea, and caused it to prosper to be joy b
} you, and to me also, my blessed child y m
lid the glad mother; and she smiled at the W
over, as if it had been good angel Ii
But about the Other peasf Why, the one h,
no flew out into the wide world and said, W
Catch me, if you cpn," fell into the gutter NJ