A TINY SEED.
One May morning two green leaves
Peeping from the ground
Patty and her brother Will
In their garden found.
They a seed had planted there
Just ten days ago,
Only half believing that
It would ever grow.
"Oh, it's growed! it's growed!" they cried,
"And it soon will be,"
Will proclaimed, now full of faith,
"Like a little tree:
Then will lady-slippers come,
And they'll all be ours.
Oh, how good God is to turn
Brown seeds into flowers!"
JAPANESE WINE-FLOWERS.
BY WILLIAM ELLIOT GRIFFIS.
On both sides of the great wide street leading to Asakusa, in old Yedo, were shops full of toys of all kinds. At certain seasons of the year booths were hastily put up, and stocked with the curiosities of the season. For a few days before New-Year's one could buy ferns, lobsters, oranges, evergreens, and rice-straw festoons. In the second month appeared seeds, roots, bulbs, and gardeners' tools. Dolls and girls' toys came on in the third month, ready for the Feast of Dolls. Images of heroes, banners, toy horses, and boys' playthings, for the Feast of Flags, were out in the fifth month. Bamboo and streamers, in the seventh month, celebrated the meeting of the star-lovers. Chrysanthemums in autumn, and camellias in winter, could be bought, all having their special use and meaning. Thus throughout the different months Asakusa was gay with new things of all colors, and bustling with ten thousand people of all ages. Besides the shops and booths, a constant street fair was held by people whose counter was the pavement, and whose stock in trade, spread out on the street, must run the risk of dust, rain, and the accidents from passers-by.
Among these jolly peddlers was one Umé, a little rosy-cheeked maid of twelve years, who sold wine-flowers.