FIVE 
 
 Little Flower Songs. 
 
 By M. S. F. 
 
 /. The Merry Sunflower. 
 
 II. The Mayflower's Hiding-Place. 
 
 III. The Golden-Rod axd Purple Aster. 
 
 IV. Our L.v THE Old-fashloned Garden. 
 
 V. Ragged Robin. 
 
 '/ NOV 26 1882 
 
 \v O, 
 
 No. 
 
 i'^y< 
 
 
 BOSTON : V^^^At ^^rv 
 A. WILLIAMS AND COMPANY. 
 
^^ 
 
 
 Copyright, 1S82, 
 By a. WILLIAMS & CO. 
 
 JTranftlin Press : 
 
 RAND, AVERY, AND COftlPANV, 
 BOSTON. 
 
To one of the many dear zvee folk. 
 My Little Nephew, 
 
 A. G. F., 
 
 I lovingly dedieate these little flower 
 stories in rhyme. 
 
 M. S. F. 
 
 ByopHiiit; Afiiss., 
 
 Oclobi-r, iSSa. 
 
THE MERRY SUNFLOWER. 
 
 A SiNFLOWER lived in a humble yard, 
 And a cheery fellow was he ! 
 
 Contented and happy, he beamed on all 
 In a way 'twas good to see. 
 
 The little children loved his fiice, 
 
 So merrv, and round, and bris-ht ! 
 
 And they watched to see him greet the sun, 
 And laughed at the happy sight. 
 
And O, what sensible talks he had 
 
 "With those good, plain garden friends, — 
 
 The cnrrants, the hop-vines, the beans on poles, 
 And the gooseberry bush that bends, 
 
 And the crook-necked squashes, yellow and green, 
 Their cousins, the pumpkins, too . 
 
 Such a merry set ! and such merry times ! 
 AYhy ! one couldn't, you know, be blue. 
 
 The happy days came, and the happy days went. 
 
 "Why couldn't they always stay ? 
 And why did those very aesthetic folk 
 
 Come passing along that way 1 
 
They said he was meaiit for a higher lot, 
 
 Tliat he was of flowers the king ; 
 Aud mated must be with the Lily fah', 
 
 Aud wedded to her with a ring. 
 
 So they bore him away from his lowly home, 
 
 To live in a loftier sphere ; 
 And, wherever the rich and the cultured were found, 
 
 You might look for the Sunflower near. 
 
 There was endless talk iu the garden-yard 
 'Twixt the hops, the beans, and the rest ; 
 
 But the pungent mustard said, his ideas 
 Could never, iu words, be expressed ! 
 
And how does it fare with oi\r honest friend, 
 Our Sunflower, rich and athnired] 
 
 Has he still, as of old, his beaming smile 
 To cheer all the sad and tired ? 
 
 Do the little children yet laugh to see 
 His round face turn to the sun? 
 
 Perhaps — but he sometimes sighs, I think, 
 For old friends, and the tales they spun ; 
 
 And his heart still clings to that humble yard, 
 
 And the simple, homely ways : 
 For, baimies, the home where our childhood 's spent, 
 
 Is the one we love always. 
 
THE MAYFLOWER'S HIDING-PLACE. 
 
 It was when the warm sun had waked them up, 
 And spring days had come again, 
 
 That the sleepy flowers opened their eyes 
 In the woods and along the lane. 
 
 And what a long, long sleep it had been ! 
 
 And what pleasant dreams they 'd had ! 
 When covered and tucked in warm by the snow, 
 
 After noddius- their " Good-nights " glad. 
 
 But now they lifted their pretty lieads 
 To greet their old friend, the sun ; 
 
 And they sang their little hymn of praise 
 To Ilim, who so loves each one 
 
Of the flowers dear, and who made them all 
 To be happy and sweet and good, 
 
 And to blossom for little children, too. 
 In the meadow and in the wood. 
 
 Tlic Violet lifted her pnrple eyes 
 
 To a Pussy "Willow near by, 
 (AVho came so early she put on her furs 
 
 That she might keep warm and dry,) 
 
 And asked, if she d please to look all around, 
 Because she was nice and tall. 
 
 To see if she couldn't find anywhere 
 
 Her friend, the pink ^layfloAver small. 
 
 '^; 
 
 
 m 
 
So the kind Pussy AMllow looked cvcryuhere, 
 
 But .she only looked in vain : 
 And tlicu the Anemone joined the search, 
 
 And the Snowdrop, and her train. 
 
 The Twiuflower, too, and the Columbine; 
 
 And they hunted far and near : 
 ^Vliile the Indian Pipe with closed eyes smoked on, 
 
 And only whispered, " 'Tis queer ! " 
 
 At last they went to the Solomon's Seal, 
 Whose words are alwajs so wise ; 
 
 And they told him all, fyom beginning to end ; 
 But he only said, '• Use your eyes ! " 
 
Then the Boxbcny, with the red berries, said, 
 " Let the Bellwort ring his bell, 
 
 And cull together the flowers all, 
 To sec if no one can tell." 
 
 So the Bellwort rang a long, sweet peal : 
 Oh, I wish you "d heard it too ! 
 
 And the gay young flowers came so fast, 
 I think they had wings, and flew ! 
 
 B 
 
 m 
 
 But nobody knew, till the wind came along 
 To sweep the brown leaves away. 
 
 That hidden beneath them, smiling and safe, 
 The sweet pink Mayflower lay. 
 
THE GOLDEN-ROD AND PURPLE ASTER. 
 
 Once, in a sunny meadow, 
 
 A purple Aster grew, 
 Which opened wide its petals 
 
 To welcome sun and dew. 
 
 It grew among the grasses, 
 
 AVas friendly with the burrs ; 
 
 And all the flowers loved it. 
 
 From the mullein to the furze. 
 
 The Woodbine, with its berries, 
 
 Smiled from the old stone wall, 
 
 And said the little Aster 
 
 Was fairest of them all. 
 
Now listen, while I tell you 
 
 Of all that came to pass; 
 For I heard the dear love-story 
 
 From the flowers and the grass. 
 
 There grew, among the flowers, 
 A bright, gay Golden-Rod, 
 
 More brilliant, and more courted, 
 Than any on the sod. 
 
 And he loved the fair young Aster, 
 With her quiet, modest mien ; 
 
 And he said, '• Dear, gentle flower. 
 
 Will you come to reign my queen? 
 
 J^ 
 
"All tlie flowers shall rejoice 
 
 When they see us side by side, — 
 Golden-Rod and Purple Aster, 
 
 Happy bridegroom, sweetest bride ! " 
 
 So he sought and so he won her ; 
 
 And the Ilarcbclls rang their chimes 
 On that marriage-day so happy, 
 
 lu the far-oiF olden times. 
 
 And, whcne-\er Autumn greets us, 
 
 Still we find them side by side, — 
 
 Golden-Rod and Purple Aster, 
 
 Happy bridegroom, sweetest bride ! 
 
 Wf 
 
OUT IN THE OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN. 
 
 Such a busy, busy chatter as there was one day 
 In the okl-foshioned garden near the house ! 
 Why," the Gillyflower said, " T\e almost lost my head ! 
 I never in my life heard such a touse ! " 
 
 "But the Marigold is sick, and wo want the doctor quick; 
 
 And you mustn't stand there idle," said the Pink : 
 " Tell the Spiderwort and Larkspur to hurry out of bed, 
 
 They must run for Doctor Balm • as quick "s a wink.' " 
 
Then the Peony hurried up, very hot and very red, 
 The Sweet "\MUiain and the Poppy close behind : 
 
 And they all gave their advice ; and no two agreed, — but then, 
 " It 's a comfort," they all said, '• to express your mind." 
 
 But the haughty London Pride, and Stiff Crown Imperial, 
 Would not stir from their corner of the bed ; 
 
 While the gay yomig Prince's Feather, and his bride, the Sweet Sidtana, 
 Condescended just to nod, it is said. 
 
 But at last came Doctor Balm, and, too, leaning on his arm, 
 AVas our good, respected friend, Doctor Sage : 
 
 Doctor Chamomile came too, and beside him Doctor Eue, 
 All the wisest and most learned of the age. 
 
Nui'se Lavender was with them, that old true and faithful friend: 
 Who so soothing, and so sweet and kind, as she ? 
 
 And she hathed the Marigold, (this is what I have been told,) 
 Then she gave her a good strong cup of tea. 
 
 Then the doctors had a talk, and examined leaf and stalk, 
 
 And felt the little stamens for her pulse ; 
 They spoke learnedly of sap ; and then — stopped to take a nap ! 
 
 (While the jolly Pink with laughter did convulse.) 
 
 But the Marigold still lives, and grows near the Hollyhock, 
 
 With glowing, golden color, as before ; 
 And the Southernwood proclaims that peace and order reign 
 
 In the dear old-fashioned garden evermore. 
 
RAGGED ROBIN. 
 
 Ragged Robin looked through the fence : 
 lie was tired and sad that day. 
 
 And there by the roadside, in the grass, 
 Miss Butter-aud-Eggs was at play. 
 
 She looked so sprightly and trig and neat 
 In her gay white and yellow gown, 
 
 That Ragged Robin looked out and smiled, 
 Forgetting his usual frown. 
 
 Then he looked, down on his own pink coat. 
 
 And blushed yet a rosier red ; 
 For the proud Narcissus laughed at Ihm : 
 " It 's absurd to wear rags ! " he said. 
 
Miss Butter-and-Eggs looked brightly up, 
 And nodded, " I wouldn't be blue ! 
 
 Your coat is trimmed with soft fringe, not rags ; 
 And your heart is honest and true. 
 
 " God gaye you the nice red clothes you wear, 
 And he gaye us each our places ; 
 
 And, maybe, instead of work, of us 
 
 He asks but for glad, bright faces." 
 
 Now Ragged Eobin no longer frowns, 
 
 But greets all the children that pass ; 
 
 "N^'hile wise Miss Butter-and-Eggs plays on, 
 "With the Burdock out in the tjrass. 
 
LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 
 
 018 597 296 3