THE CROCUSES. 
The Crocus thanked Mary with a golden look, 
but did not speak till all her sisters were released 
from their cold prison. They were clad in robes of 
every color that crocuses wear—blue, purple, white 
and yellow. Mary hardly knew which to think 
most beautiful. Some of them were in full sum¬ 
mer dress, others were still enclosed in a delicate 
gauze-like spathe that binds together the flower- 
buds and the long slender linear leaves, until the 
warm kisses of the Sun win them to let fall their 
veils and return his brilliant smiles. 
