Music of the Wild 



cool with scarce melted snows, pungent with cat- 

 kin pollen, tinged with the vague, subtle perfume 

 from unsheathing leaves, and the bloom of forest 

 trees, and answer to the call of nature. They 

 hasten to the woods as cattle dry-fed for months 

 race through pasture when first released, too crazed 

 with joy to begin grazing at once. If the truth 

 were told, I think this love of children for the 

 spring flowers is almost as much craving for the 

 intoxication of spring air and release from win- 

 ter's bondage as it is appreciation of the blooms. 



What a shout the child sends up who finds the 

 first flower! The one who secures a dogtooth vio- 

 let is envied as men covet each other's gold. What 

 matters it that the hot, close-grasping little hands 

 will wither the delicate frost blooms hopelessly be- 

 fore they can be presented so lovingly to mother 

 and teacher? The children have had the joy of 

 their outing, the fulfillment of their search, the 

 pleasure of giving the precious gift; and where 

 the earth lies blanketed with flowers until one must 

 look closely to see that it is not yet snow-covered, 

 what they take never will be missed, and the com- 

 ing spring will bring as profuse bloom as the past. 



Later in the season, when the cardinal flower, 

 foxfire, cowslip, bellflower, bluebell, and daisy 

 bloom flowers that are of rarer occurrence and 

 that would be exterminated by such vigorous at- 

 tacks the children have become accustomed to 

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