70 COLUMBINE'S GLORY 



Maple-tree. They are beautiful wild shrubs, and 

 are called Arrow-woods because their twigs are 

 so straight, being without a bend, or curve. The 

 Indians used them to make their arrows. 



I had always thought that these Arrow-woods 

 grew solidly in a clump together; but after we had 

 slipped through, I saw they made only part of a 

 circle and inside — ^well, it was just Columbine's 

 glory. 



The Arrow-wood bushes had hidden these 

 Columbines so completely that perhaps for a long 

 time not a single one of their flowers had been 

 picked. Every year they had grown thicker to- 

 gether. Grandmother noticed at once that the 

 blossoms here were almost twice as large as those 

 near the top of Old Adam. 



" This is enchanting," she said. " Tommy, 

 you are right: Columbine's glory is here in this 

 hidden place." 



We all stood quite still, not venturing to move 

 lest we should tread on the flowers. Then came 

 a ruby-throated humming-bird, darting in and out 

 among them, and looking as though he would 

 whisper a word or two to each. 



Tommy said: "He steals their sweetness. 

 He sips the nectar that is in the flowers. See, he 

 can poise himself on his wings and sip and sip; 

 but that old bumble-bee must alight on the flowers. 

 before trying to taste their sweets. His weight 

 bears them down, and even then he cannot reach 



