e at his mother's after tea." "You will not lose your dance,
Harry," said his mother, "if it should hail, and rain, and snow;
but, on the contrary, enjoy it all the more, for then you will riot
be fatigued by a long walk; and Lizzy can wear the wreath at any
rate." "I don't care for the fatigue, Mother; I want to be in the
woods and gather the flowers with my own hands, and smell them as I
gather them in the fresh air, and hear the birds sing; and to scream
as loud as I please, and kick up my heels, and not hear any one say,
'Don't make such a noise, Harry.' I guess Milton did not take as
much pleasure in writing poetry about the spring after he became
blind. But please read his May Song again, Mother." She read it
again.

"I think he must have felt as glad when he wrote it," said Harry,
"as I hope to feel tomorrow.--'Comes dancing from the east'--how
beautiful it is! What a pity he ever lost his sight!" "Milton," said
the mother, "made such a good use of his eyes while he could see,
that he laid up stores of beautiful images, which he remembered when
he could no longer use his bodily eyes. The poetry he wrote when he
was blind shows the most accurate observation of the outward
appearances of things, of shades of color, and of all those beauties
which only sight could have taught him. It is worth while, boys, for
you to imitate him in this, while you admire his poetry."

May morning came. It did not hail, or rain, or snow. The sun shone
brightly. The birds seemed to know as well as the children that it
was the first of May. The country village in which Mrs. Chilton
lived was as noisy as a martin box, at break of day, when doubtless,
though we poor wingless bipeds don't understand what the birds are
chattering about, they are planning their work and their amusements
for the day--and why not?

Soon after sunrise, all the children from far and near, dressed in
their holiday clothes, with little baskets of provisions, all
assembled on a little green before Mrs. Grey's house, and were ready
to set out for the woods, about two miles distant. Ned Brown had his
flageolet, and another boy had a drum. Lizzy Evans received the
wreath which made her queen of the May, and Frank, being the tallest
boy, was chosen king. And now off they all set, in high glee, happy
as only children can be.

Mrs. Chilton, and the teacher of the village school had promised the
children to join them at the dinner hour, which was twelve. Just
about