THE SNOWDROP IN THE SPRING-TIME GARDEN "

Oh-ooo!"

It was a most delighted little cry. In fact, Phyllis was a most delighted little girl. Right here in her own garden was the first spring blossom. Phyllis's bright brown eyes shone eagerly, and her brown gold curls blew wildly as she rushed to the door to tell the family.

"It was my secret!" cried the little girl, dancing first on one foot and then on the other. "I've known for whole days that it was coming!"

"What is it?" cried Jack. "When did it arrive? Who brought it? What is it?"

"I think the sunshine brought it," said Phyllis. "I think that warm rain yesterday helped bring it. It is a little snowdrop. Come and see how lovely it is! How it hangs its pretty nodding head and how it lets the wind rock it!"

After the family had admired the little messenger of spring and gone back into the house, Phyllis still lingered.

"You are very lovely," said Phyllis, stooping lower over the little cluster of blossoms.

"I am so glad you have come. You see, when I put those dry-looking bulbs in the ground last fall, it seemed hard to believe that anything so dainty and delicate and sweet as you could come from them."

The snowdrop nodded sweetly at Phyllis's words of praise.

"I always come with the earliest spring sunshine," said the snowdrop.

"I wish I knew all about you," said the little girl, wistfully. "The birds and the bees have told me their stories. I should so love to know about the blossoms which come every summer to make me happy."

"I am a very simple flower," said the snowdrop, "but I have lived in the world for countless summers. If you like, I will tell you what I can of myself."

Phyllis drew closer to the little plant and softly touched it with her finger-tips.

"Do tell me," she said.

"I am one of the blossoms of spring," said the snowdrop. "I come to tell you that the long winter is over; that the summer will soon be here.

"I usually bear my blossoms in an umbel, though there is sometimes but a single blossom on a stalk."

"What is an umbel?" Phyllis wondered.

"An umbel, Phyllis, is a number of blossoms starting from a common centre on a single stalk."

"Your petals are not all the same size," said Phyllis. "I notice that though you really have six petals, the three outer ones are large and lap over the smaller inner petals. The outer petals are notched. How snowy white they are, and what a tender green are your grasslike leaves."

But the snowdrop only nodded its bowed head, and said not another word.

THE SEED

A wonderful thing is a seed;

    The one thing deathless for ever;

For ever old and for ever new;

Utterly faithful and utterly true–

    Fickle and faithless never.

Plant lilies, and lilies will bloom;

    Plant roses, and roses will grow;

Plant hate, and hate to life will spring;

Plant love, and love to you will bring

    The fruit of the seed you sow.

HOW THE SNOWDROP CAME

The whole earth was bare and desolate. The trees were bare, and the grasses were broken and brown. The snow fell fitfully.

Adam and Eve sat outside the Garden of Eden and remembered the beautiful green of the leaves and grasses, and the gorgeous colours of the flowers.

Then Eve shivered and sobbed softly to herself, for the earth seemed big and empty. All had once been lovely.

Then an angel in heaven looked down and saw Eve weeping. And the angel came down to comfort her.

As the angel spake to Eve a snowflake fell on her hair. The angel took it in his hand. "Look, Eve," said the angel, "This little flake of snow shall change into a flower for you. It shall bud and bring forth blossoms for you!"

As he spoke, the angel placed the snowflake on the ground at the feet of Eve. As it touched the earth it sprang up a beautiful flower of purest white.

And Eve, looking down, saw the blossom, and dried her tears and smiled in joy.

"Take heart, dear Eve," said the angel. "Be hopeful and despair not. Let this little snowdrop be a sign to you that the summer and the sunshine will come again."

And about the feet of Eve there sprang up through the snow numberless little white-cupped blossoms. Thus, the legend tells us, the snowdrop came to earth.

CALLING THEM UP

      "Shall I go and call them up,–

      Snowdrop, daisy, buttercup?"

Lisped the rain. "They've had a pleasant winter's nap."

      Lightly to their doors it crept,

      Listened, while they soundly slept;

Gently woke them with its rap-a-tap-a-tap!

Quickly woke them with its rap-a-tap-a-tap!

      Soon their windows opened wide,–

      Everything astir inside;

Shining heads came peeping out, in frill and cap;

      "It was kind of you, dear rain,"

      Laughed they all, "to come again.

We were waiting for your rap-a-tap-a-tap!

Only waiting for your rap-a-tap-a-tap!"

TO THE SNOWDROP

Pretty firstling of the year!

  Herald of the host of flowers!

Hast thou left thy cavern drear,

  In the hope of summer hours?

  Back unto thy earthen bowers!

Back to thy warm world below,

  Till the strength of sun and showers

Quell the now relentless snow!

Art still here? Alive? And blithe?

  Though the stormy Night hath fled,

And the Frost hath passed his scythe

  O'er thy small, unsheltered head?

  Ah!–some lie amidst the dead,

(Many a giant, stubborn tree,–

  Many a plant, its spirit shed),

That were better nursed than thee!

What hath saved thee? Thou wast not

  'Gainst the arrowy winter furred,–

Armed in scale,–but all forgot

  When the frozen winds were stirred.

  Nature, who doth clothe the bird,

Should have hid thee in the earth,

  Till the cuckoo's song was heard,

And the Spring let loose her mirth.

Nature,–deep and mystic word!

  Mighty mother, still unknown!

Thou didst sure the snowdrop gird

  With an armour all thine own!

  Thou, who sent'st it forth alone

To the cold and sullen season,

  (Like a though at random thrown),

Sent it thus for some grave reason!

If 'twere but to pierce the mind

  With a single, gentle thought,

Who shall deem thee harsh or blind,

  Who that thou hast vainly wrought?

  Hoard the gentle virtue caught

From the snowdrop,–reader wise!

  Good is good, wherever taught,

On the ground or in the skies!

–Barry Cornwall.

ALL ABOUT THE SNOWDROP

SUGGESTIONS FOR FIELD LESSONS

Belongs to amaryllis family.

Blossoms in early spring.

Common in gardens–grows from bulb.

Flowers generally on an umbrel–at other times single–in colour they are pure white, with drooping nodding heads. No cups for flower–three of the petals are longer than the other three. These are notched and lap over the shorter ones. Three cells to pod.

Leaves long, slender, grass-like.