ARBOR DA Y MANUAL. \ 19 



SPRING FLOWERS. 



WHEN Spring came into the garden The sleeping daffodils heard her, 

 Her holiday-time to keep, And nodded low as she passed : 



She walked about in the dawning, Each blossom dropped like a pennon 

 And found the flowers asleep. Hung out from a tall green mast. 



At first she wakened the snow-drops Into the violet's eyes she looked. 



And washed their faces with rain, And spoke till she made them hear. 



And then she fed them with sunlight, " What are you dreaming now ? " she said. 



And gave them white frocks again. The}' answered, "That Spring is here. 



The crocuses next she summoned, And then the trees stretched their fingers 

 In purple stripes and yellow, And opened their curled-up leaves, 



And she made the south wind shake them And the birds who sat and watched them 

 Till each one kissed his fellow. Flew straight to their cool green eaves. 



One made her nest in the ivy, 



And one in the apple-tree ; 

 But the thrush showed hers in secret 



To the south wind and the bee. 



THE FIELDS IN MAY. 



'HAT can better please. 



When your mind is well at ease, 

 Than a walk among the green fields in May ? 

 To see the verdure new, 

 And to hear the loud cuckoo, 

 While sunshine makes the whole world gay : 



When the butterfly so brightly 



On his journey dances lightly, 

 And the bee goes by with business-like hum ; 



When the fragrant breeze and soft, 



Stirs the shining clouds aloft, 

 And the children's hair, as laughingly they come : 



When the grass is full of flowers, 



And the hedge is full of bowers, 

 And the finch and the linnet piping clear, 



Where the branches throw their shadows 



On a footway through the meadows, 

 With a book among the cresses winding clear. 



W. ALLIXGHAM. 



