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EARTH AND SKY

NUMBER THREE

I. INTRODUCTION

IN Book Two of this series we tried to find out what there is in earth and sky for the need and comfort of one little resident, -a child. I hope you have read that book, though it is not necessary for the understanding of this one. The things no one could go without and live were air and sunshine, food and drink. There were other things that were very important, such as clothing and shelter, and there were a great many comforts to make life pleasant. This book is to begin with Earth's lowly children of the plant world.

How do plants live and what do they need? They are children of the sunshine, too, and they must have air to breathe and food to eat and drink.

They breathe the air through their leaves and take food from it; they draw earth juices from the ground, and the rains and dews help them.

Just as our food helps to make our bodies, theirs goes into leaves and stems and roots. How is it that the unseen worker Life can perform such wonders?

What a dead world this would be without its living garment of green! What would springtime be without the new life that comes every year and works wonders right under our eyes!

If Mother Earth has not given the plants power to move about, she has pro

Ivided well for

them where they

are. We think

she must love them, she holds

them so close. And we are glad we can always find them at home when we wish to go to see them.

We are glad, too, that we may gather and use them without giving them pain. We like better to think about harvesting a field of grain for our food than about taking the life of chickens, lambs, and cattle.

Let us love our little "sisters" the lilies and roses, and our big "brothers" the oaks and the elms!

II. A PANSY'S STORY

RIGHT here where I am living to-day I was born only three moons ago.

The first thing I remember is that some one came to look at me and my family, and was glad to see us. I was a little thing with a straight stem and two round leaves opposite each other on it. I know that I took

care to stand straight.

The stem and leaves were my body and my dressbody and dress are all the same to plants.

I lived with all my might and I had to have more stems for the leaves that

waited to grow. The plants next me on either side were taken away to give me room. They were set in other places.

For every new leaf I made I sent out more roots under the ground to feed them well. All our plant dresses were green. I do not know color through

eyes as you do, but I take something from the light and air that is green when we wear it.

When I had gotten used to making leaves and was a great strong plant, something new came to me. One of my shoots did not open as the others had. I could feel it hugging something closely, as if it loved it. I loved it, too, and gave all the strength

[graphic]

I had to it.

In a little while I understood; the outer leaves held something that was not to wear the green (with a hard

name)' but some other colors. I never worked so in my life as I did in feeding those new buds. I felt it down to my very roots.

The weather grew warmer, and one morning when I woke a beautiful blossom sat on the stem as if it had always been there. It had no green in it, but the green leaves had not let go; they held the five new ones as if they were a bouquet. Such fine texture, such a smooth satin gloss, and such rich colors I had never dreamed of.

The one who seemed to own the garden came, and I heard her say softly:

Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

1 Chlorophyll.

III. THE GREEN THINGS GROWING

OH, the green things growing - the green things growing! The fresh sweet smell of the green things growing;

I would like to live, whether I laugh or grieve,

To watch the happy life of the green things growing!

Oh, the fluttering and the pattering of the green things grow

ing!

Talking each to each when no man 's knowing,

In the wonderful white of the weird moonlight,

Or the gray dreamy dawn when the cocks are crowing.

I love, I love them so, the green things growing,
And I think that they love me, without false showing,
For by many a tender touch they comfort me so much,
With the mute, mute comfort of the green things growing.

And in the full wealth of their blossoms glowing,
Ten for one I take they're on me bestowing.

Ah, I should like to see, if God's will it might be,
Many and many a summer of my green things growing.

MISS MULOCK.

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