of the sun, but he
only smiles down upon my devotion and beauty!"

So the angel wandered among the flowers all the day long and talked
with them. And toward evening he came to a little grave which was
freshly made.

"Do not tread upon us," said the violets. "Let us cluster here over
this sacred mound and sing our lullabies."

"To whom do you sing, little flowers?" asked the angel.

"We sing to the child that lies sleeping beneath us," replied the
violets. "All through the seasons, even under the snows of winter, we
nestle close to this mound and sing to the sleeping child. None but he
hears us, and his soul is lulled by our gentle music."

"But do you not often long for other occupation, for loftier service?"
inquired the angel.

"Nay," said the violets, "we are content, for we love to sing to the
little, sleeping child."

The angel was touched by the sweet humility of these modest flowers.
He wept, and his tears fell upon the grave, and the flowers drank up
the angel tears and sang more sweetly than before, but so softly that
only the sleeping child heard them.

And when the angel flew back to heaven, he cherished a violet in his
bosom.

THE CHILD'S LETTER

Everybody was afraid of the old governor because he was so cross and
surly. And one morning he was crosser and surlier than ever, because
he had been troubled for several days with a matter which he had
already decided, but which many people wished to have reversed. A man,
found guilty of a crime, had been imprisoned, and there were those who,
convinced of his penitence and knowing that his family needed his
support, earnestly sought his pardon. To all these solicitations the
old governor replied "no," and, having made up his mind, the old
governor had no patience with those who persisted in their
intercessions. So the old governor was in high dudgeon one morning,
and when he came to his office he said to his secretary: "Admit no one
to see me; I am weary of these constant and senseless importunities."

Now, the secretary had a discreet regard for the old governor's
feelings, and it was seldom that his presence of mind so far deserted
him as to admit of his suffering the old governor's wishes to be
disregarded. He bolted the door and sat himself down at his modest
desk and simulated intense enthusiasm in his work. His simulation was
more intense than usual, for never before had the secretary seen the
old governor in such a harsh mood.