Buttercup Gold | Page 7

next day with his mate, who showed her delight
at the new home by cozily settling down in it.
Every morning the birds gave a concert above my window, and one day
I heard some new notes, and, peeping out, saw that five little robins had
come to brighten the cozy nest. Such a busy time as the papa and
mamma Redbreasts had now! Such a digging for worms to drop into
the big mouths which seemed to be always asking for food! In a few
weeks the baby birds learned to fly, and left the nest to make new
homes and sing their own sweet songs.
The old birds stayed on the Avenue awhile longer, but when the leaves
put on their holiday dresses, and the flowers tied on their nightcaps and
went to sleep, the Redbreasts sang good-by to their friends and,
spreading their wings, flew away over the house tops toward the Sunny
South.
Easter Carol
The world is filled with gladness; The bells of Easter ring; Each pure
white lily's waking, To welcome infant spring.
Chorus.
Oh, dear little children, listen, And hear what the glad bells say! The
sweetest chime they ever rang-- "Our Lord is risen to-day!"
II.
Birds are flying across the sky; Their songs ring through the air; They
carol of the Father's love He shows us everywhere.
Chorus.
Oh, dear little children, listen, And hear what the birdlings say! The
sweetest song they ever sang-- "Our Lord is risen to-day!"

The Lily Sisters
Once upon a time there were three little sisters dressed in green, who
lived together in a beautiful palace which was owned by a Great King.
Such a beautiful palace as it was! The ceilings were made of turquoise
and opal, and soft, velvety green carpets covered the floors.
Many other children lived with these little sisters, and they had such a
kind nurse called Dame Nature, who taught them how to do their work
well; for everybody had some work to do for the Great King.

Surely no one could be unhappy in such a wonderful home, and yet, I,
am sorry to say, one of the little sisters was always discontented.
She knew, for Dame Nature had told her, that some day the Great King
would come to see who had done loving work for him, and would give
the good lilies beautiful white robes and golden crowns, but she was
not willing to wait until the King was ready and saw fit to do it.
When the Sunbeam children came to play, she would hang down her
head and sulk, and after a while they would leave her alone, and play
with her sisters.
When Professor Rain's school was out, and the jolly little raindrops
coaxed her to play with them, she would say crossly, "You am too
rough, let me alone!" and they would go and play with the happy little
sisters as the sunbeams had done; for everybody loved the two good
little lily sisters, who were sorry to see how naughty the other lily was.
But they tried to do their best to help her, and kept on growing.
One day the Great King, who had seen how well they tried to do,
thought they deserved their robes and crowns, so he sent the sunbeams
dancing away to awaken the inhabitants of the palace for the crowning.
Away they went, peeping through the curtains, and flying into the
windows of the palace and waking all the little children with kisses.
Then they took off the old green dresses of the sisters, and put pure
white robes on them and gave them crowns of pure gold. The other
little sister wished then that she had tried to do right, and drooped until
she faded away.
Madam Wind and the Bird family gave a grand concert in Maple Tree
Park. Everything was full of gladness, and the lily sisters held a
reception all day, and many people came to congratulate them upon
being crowned. Among their visitors was wee Ruth, who kissed them
and took them to a little sick friend. He smiled as she pressed them into
his hand, saying: "Take them, please, for Easter," and in her sweet child
language she told the story of Easter, and of the wonderful work the
Great King's Son did for the people of the beautiful palace.

Nature's Violet Children
Once on a sunny hill in the woods grew a little colony of violets. They
had slept quietly through the long winter, tucked up snug and warm in
the soft, white snowblankets that King Winter had sent Mother Nature

for her flower babies. Jack Frost had gone pouting over the hills
because the little sunbeams would not play with him, and spoiled his
fancy pictures. The