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but I love you best, for she used to tear us up by 
handfuls and carry us into the house where we 
could not see the sun or drink the dew, but stood 
in glass vases many days, and there died for want 
of food. 
“ Pure cold water is not good for plants to drink, 
nor can we live long when separated from our roots. 
They suck up a great deal of nourishment from the 
ground, and we starve to death if we are plucked. 
I have lost many sisters in that way, but I hope 
you will not separate any of us. 
“ It is dreadful to be an exile. Perhaps you do 
not know what that means. I will tell you, for I 
hope your heart never will. It means to be far, 
far away from home, with the great ocean rolling 
between one and one’s native country. 
“ I belong to the Lily family, and after I have 
told you something about lilies, I will tell you who 
