TKe Stolen Moccasins 45 



boding that all its beauty had been plundered took 

 possession of me, for I knew that children are instinc- 

 tively selfish about flowers, and pluck every blossom 

 they see, even though they may throw them away 

 afterward. 



I picked my way carefully through the deeper 

 swamp, around in the opposite direction, avoiding thus 

 the children whom I heard approaching by way of the 

 path, their arms laden, no doubt, with the blossoms I 

 sought a sight of. Later my worst surmise was con- 

 firmed. Not one Moccasin hung on its stem to tell the 

 tale of the invasion. Here and there were strewn 

 bruised leaves and stemless blossoms, prostrate on the 

 hillside. I was sorely disappointed, and I exclaimed 

 aloud to the echoing wood that it was a sin, — this steal- 

 ing all the flowers and leaving none to mature and 

 develop their seed pods for the continuance of the 

 species to be enjoyed by future generations. " And if 

 I ever get hold of these youngsters," I cried, "I '11 

 tell them why!" 



The ''youngsters" happened to be cousins of mine 

 who had caught the orchid mania from me, and what 

 to them had always appeared ordinary Indian Moc- 

 casins, or Lady's Slippers, had now an added value 

 and charm, since they were understood to belong to the 

 Orchid Family. The very hint that I valued them 

 caused strife among these children, eager to show me 

 how many they also could gather in a day. As such 

 treasures, they gathered them, hurrying homeward to 

 tell me how many rare and beautiful orchids they had 



