Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE ANEMONES. EFORE the sun had climbed the wooded hill that bounded the valley, Mary was brushing the dew from the grass in the meadow. The wind had already waked some of the Anemones; others still hung their beautiful heads, for fear the dew- drops should steal into their, bosoms and chill the life that warmed them. Every leaf and blade of grass was weighed down by the beneficent moisture. These were grateful for the refreshment, and wondered how the flowers could turn away from it. Suddenly a flood of light poured over the valley; every dew-drop became a diamond; the windings of the river twinkled from between the trees on its banks, and a chorus of birds burst forth in a joyous welcome to the brightest of all earth's beauties. At this moment a light wind swegt over the landscape, and every pink and white Anemone expanded to welcome it. So joyously did they wave in the gay breeze, that Mary clapped her hands and joined in the dance. It seemed as if a thousand rose-flakes were suddenly scattered over the grass. At first they did not see her, for their first look, like their last, is always at their father, the Sun. All flowers love the Sun; but some of his daughters so love the radiance of his countenance, that they never turn their gaze away from it. They follow his course through the heavens, as if they wished to behold no object of lesser glory. If a dark cloud veils his face from them, they sorrowfully droop their heads, as if the light he had left upon other objects were not worth looking at. But now Mary intercepted these bright rays, which the Sun was pouring upon the Anemones. Perhaps they would have drooped their heads in sorrow, if her sweet face, sparkling with joy, had not shone upon them like a little sun. And soon a tiny voice came upon the br...