82 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



And she thought, as she hovered kindly o'er them : 

 ''Of thorns and thistles they have their share ; 



There are days of trouble and toil before them. 

 And they well have need of a treasure fair. 



"Their fields shall be rich with the golden splendor — 

 The gift that Ceres, my sister, sends, 



And their woods be bright with the blossoms tender, 

 The jewels that rose-crowned Flora lends. 



"And I will give — not the polished glinting 

 Of diamonds, rubies and pearls of price, 



But gems as rich in their perfect tinting, 



With fragrance sweeter than myrrh and spice ; 



"The rounded peach, with its velvet blushes — 

 (What costly fabric were half so fair?) 



And, tawny-skinned, with its deep, warm flushes, 

 The golden globe of the luscious pear ; 



"And plums as red as a fiery ember, 



And plums as blue as an August mist 



Or the smoky banners of mid -September ; 

 And grapes of the bloomiest amethyst; 



"And goodly apples, rich colors holding, 



(What rarer blessing could mortal claim ?) 



Flavor of sunshine and breeze enfolding, 

 With scent of nectar and cheek of flame; 



"And the soft, dark crimson of clustered cherries/ 

 Garnet-glowing all through and through, 



And glossy ebon and scarlet berries. 



Drenched with the light and dashed with the dew; 



"And currant-sprays with their jewels spangled, 

 Pearl and amber and rose and dusk ; 



And melons in meshes of green entangled, 

 With heart of honey and breath of musk." 



So thus, Pomona, in kindly fashion, 



In her airy hammock by soft winds fanned, 



Smiled o'er earth's children in sweet compassion, 

 And beautiful things for their pleasure planned. 



And this is the legend, the mythical story, 

 Of how it chanced in the days of old, 



The orchards flamed to a wealth of glory, 

 Richer and fairer than silver and gold. 



But we know 'twas no goddess' will that brought it. 



The wonder that came when the world was new, 

 But only the hand of the Lord that wrought it, 



His hand-maids, the sun and the rain and the dew. 



