By and by, buds began to appear and tiny bits of color to show, and then how happy the little girls were!
All but Enid. She was pleased, but also a little disappointed.
Now, it so happened, that Ruth's "Surprise Collection" turned out to be pansies, asters, phlox and ragged sailors—all posies of bright pink, purple and crimson in various shades. Amy's garden plot was gay with marigolds, four-o'clocks, larkspurs, and bachelor's-buttons—all orange and yellow, blue and purple.
But Enid's flowers were nearly all white, and it was truly a surprise, though not a very agreeable one. She had white verbenas, sweet alyssum, candytuft, daisies and gillyflowers.
Consequently, her flower bed did not attract as much attention from the passers-by as did the gay ones of her sisters.
"Anyhow, almost all my posies are sweet-smelling," the little girl said, trying her best to be contented. For, after all, to own flowers, every one of which was fragrant, was a comfort.
Then, there came another comfort—a real "surprise" comfort. Late one evening, after the family had been away all day, attending the Sunday-school picnic, and drove home in the moonlight, what do you suppose they saw as they turned in at the gateway? Why, there on the lawn, was a great circle of white, gleaming like frosted silver.
"Wonder if a sheet has blown off the clothesline," said grandma.
"Oh, it isn't a sheet—it's my flower bed! It's my dear, darling white posies!"