THE PINKS
The pinks along my garden walks
Have all shot forth their summer stalks,
Thronging their buds 'mong tulips hot,
And blue forget-me-not.
Their dazzling snows forth-bursting soon
Will lade the idle breath of June:
And waken through the fragrant night
To steal the pale moonlight.
Robert Bridges.
THE FLOWER'S THANKS
Lyman Abbott
A little flower lay drooping on the ground under an August sun. For days there had been no rain. The earth was dry and hard. The little flower had held up its open mouth for rain, but no rain had come.
And now it was dying of thirst.
As it lay dying a shadow passed over the sun. The air became dark.
Heavy thunder rolled. Flashes of lightning chased each other across the sky.
The birds hushed their singing. The very leaves of the tree stood still.
At last two big drops fell at the root of the little flower.
A moment, and then the air was full of raindrops. They lifted the dying flower. They washed it, fed it and brought it back to life.
When the sun broke through the clouds, two great tears glistened on the little flower's cheek. They were tears of thankfulness.
Then the flower lifted up its voice and said:
"Thank you, raindrops,—good raindrops,—you have saved my life."
But the raindrops answered, "Thank not us; thank the clouds; they sent us."
Then the flower lifted up its voice and said:
"Thank you, clouds,—good clouds,—you have saved my life."
But the clouds answered, "Thank not us; thank the sun. It saw you dying and called us from the ocean. The winds heard you sighing, and brought us here to help you."
Then the little flower turned to the wind and the sun. The wind bent down to the earth, and stopped for a moment to hear its words.
The sun sent down its beams to receive the flower's message.
"Thank you, wind,—good wind," said the little flower.
"Thank you, sun,—good sun,—you have saved my life."
"Thank not us," said the sun and the wind; "thank the good God. He saw you dying; He heard you sighing, He took pity on you. We, sun and winds and clouds and falling raindrops are only the givers of His bounty."
And the flower breathed a prayer of thanks to the great and good God.