Small purple flower; grows by the wayside in the South.

In a land where summer lingers,
Far from Northern rains and snows,
Where, like loving, clasping fingers,
Twines the jasmine with the rose,

[Illustration: {A LITTLE GIRL WITH A BUNCH OF FLOWERS.}]

There I found a little maiden:
Oh! her eyes were black as night,
And her tiny hands were laden
Down with blossoms pearly white.

Sought she all along the wayside,
'Mong the ferns and waving palms,
Where the tiniest flower might hide
From her sweet protecting arms.

"What fresh treasure are you seeking?"
Asked I of the little one,
For a myriad blooms were peeping
Through the mosses to the sun.

"Have you never heard, dear lady,
Of the sweetest flower that blooms,--
It is neither proud nor stately,
Like the lily and the rose;

"But it brightens every pathway,
Springing 'neath your careless tread.
Till the sun, with quickening ray,
Kisses soft its drooping head.

"Then its petals quick unclosing,
Freshly sweet with morning dew,--
It is left for our supposing
That the story must be true,--

"How it shyly waits the coming
Of the glorious King of Day,
And that hence the pretty naming
Of a Sun-Kiss, so they say?"

ELIZABETH A. DAVIS.

[Illustration: {A DRAGONFLY AND LEAVES.}]

[Illustration: {TWO CALVES.}]

THE COUNTRY WEEK.

Mrs. Brown read a little article in the newspaper one evening, about
"Country week for poor children."

"Husband," said she, "I have an idea. We have such a good farm, and so
many nice things, suppose we take some boarders this summer, who can't
afford to pay anything."

When she told him what she meant, Mr. Brown thought it a very good
idea, indeed.

"The currants and raspberries are ripe. I'll see if Mrs. Anderson
knows of some nice children, who will have to stay in the hot streets
of the city all summer. We will ask them to come here."

Of course, Mrs. Anderson knew of some nice children. She belonged to a
mission-school, and knew dozens of them. So, the next Wednesday, when
Mr. Brown drove down to the station, there she was, and two little
ones with her, Lina and Carl Schmidt. Carl was almost a baby, and went
to sleep as soon as they were in the carriage; but Lina held her
breath with delight as she rode to the farm. She was