The Forget-me-not

I laid aside my pen as the far-off chimes ofthe cathedral were tolling the niiduight hour, and sat drearuily gazing into tbe embers of the dyiug fire. " Forget-me-not !" Was 1 dreaming i ür did a voice really pronounoe the words close to my ear 'í 1 looked caref'illy around. No one could have entered through the bolted door. The arrangements of the room were undistuibed. Clearly, I was drearuing ! I settled niyself again to think, when the odor oí' the Foiget-me-nots in the little vase attraoted my attention. The flowers seeined moved by soine fresh instinct of lile ; the hue was deeper, the perfume was stronger, and . Could it be 'i Yes, surely ! Even as I gazed, the flowers htted their heads, and íroin the midst of the tiuy cluster of bloom carne again, in clear, ringiug tones, the selísame words which I had heard, "Forgetme-not!' "Was it thou, Blümchen?" I askod, wondering. " Yes," said the flower, in the same büvery accents. " Dost thon not know that just at midnight all planta of my race are permitted, tor one hour, the gift of speech 'i Listen, and I will teil thee why vfe are 80 gifted above all others. " In the liarden of Paradise, when the pure Eve walked among the flowers, and gave each a name, according to her liking, all flowers and plants had a language of their own, and this it was given to Eve to understand ; and during the long hours she conversed often with them, and they told her many things ; but, above all, she loved the tiny blossoms of a little blue flower, and kissed it often, and twined it in her sunuy tresses. And the flowers all loved her, but, best of all, the little blue flower, which she named Heaven-blossom, because its hue was so like that of the skies. " But at length camethe dark day when sin entered into Paradise, and the Lord commanded the pair to leave their Edengarden, and wander in the bleak wilderness. beyond the gatee. And as, lor the last time, the weeping Eve passed, hand in hand with Adam, througb the fragrant lanes of Eden, the floweis shrank trembling from her, and bowed their heads with shame, or gazed scornf ully upon her ; and this, more than all else, reut the heart of Eve, - that those wboai she had uauieii and caressed and called her children, should shriuk away trom her in scorn and shame. Aud her tears feil faster and taster, so that, when she reached the gates where stood the Cherubim with that flaming, terrible swurd, she scarcely Baw at her feet the little tuft of Heaven-blossom, uutil it uiurniured, in piteous accents, ' Forget-me-not ! ' " Eve bent down and plucked the tiny plant, which shrank not fronu her touch, but nestled lovingly toward her, and she pressed it to her lips and to her sorrowïng heart. Theu she turued, and, with one long sad look upon her lost kingdom, went slowly out, past the Cherubim and the ilaimng sword, iuto the bleak wildorness ; aad all that remained to her of the glorious bluom of Paradise was the one iutle sprig of Heaven-blossom which she held in her hand. ' Be no longer uamed bloom of' heaven, dear blossom ! ' cried the grateful Eve; ' henceforthl shall cali you by a dearer name - iny Porget-uiennt. uut. " So Eve kept the flower near her thro' all thedark days that followed ; and when Adam had made tor them a home iu the uew place, she plauted it, and tended it carefully, aud it became to her au emblem of that oíd lite of puiity aud happiness before the fall. " In time, this new land alao was euriched with mauy flowers, some of them eveu as beautitul as those ot the lust Eden, but, best of all, Eve loved the tender Forget-uie-not ; and later, wheu the littlu Citin and Abel played around the home, she told them the story of the faithful fljwer, and they, too, grew to love aud cherish it, and it told them many aud luany a story ot' the glories of that Garden of Paradise, wberein the angels uad walked and talked with their parents of old. " And when Eve died, the loving flower covered her grave with thick clusters uf its blossoius. And I am sure that the b'rst flower that met her sight in thit new life beyoud the tomb was her dear Forget-me-not. " The children of Adam long cherished the little blue flower; but, after uiauy yeurs, when the world became more aud more wioked, and the hearts of men were turued away trom God, they lost the power to understand its language " Wheu the waters swept away after the Deluge, the fitst plant that blussomud was the Forget-me-not, but it no longer spoke to the children of men. It was voiceless for long, long years ; uutil, one day, a child upon the bilis of Galilee bent down and kissed its btossoms clustering in his path. It was the Christ-child ! And trom that hour, each night at ïniduight, if one who loves flowers listens, the blossotus of the Foiget-iue-oot may teil this history. ' Hark ! the Cathedral chimes are striking the fitst hour after ïnidnight. I have spokeu. Adieu !" The flower now drooped drowsily upon