the earth-worm told  them about. God had taken care of them, and
takes care of of His little children, too.

Buttercup Gold

Did  you ever hear of the pot of gold hidden at the end of the
rainbow? Some people think it is there now, but they are
mistaken, for a long time ago somebody found it. How he happened
to find it, nobody knows, for a great many people have searched
in vain, and have never even been able to discover that the
rainbow has any ends at all. The man who found it was very
selfish and did not want anybody to know, for fear they might
want some of his money. So one night he put it in a bag, which he
slung over his shoulder, and walked across the fields toward a
thick wood where he meant to hide it.

In the bag was something beside the gold--something so small that
the greedy man in his hurry had not noticed it. It was a hole,
and, as he walked on, one by one the gold coins fell out into the
grass. When he reached the wood and found all of his money gone,
he hurried back to search for it, but something strange had
happened. It was a midsummer night, and the fairies were having a
dance out in the meadows. They were good, loving little people,
and despised selfishness above everything. One little fairy spied
the glittering gold among the grasses. She had seen the greedy
man passing by, and knew he would soon be back to  hunt for his
treasure. "It will do him no good," she said, "if he hides it
away, and neither will it help anybody else. I will change it
into something that will give joy to rich and poor."

When the greedy man reached the meadow he could see no gold
money, but in its place were bright, yellow flowers--buttercup
gold for the children.

The Raindrops

Up above us, near the Sky Country, in a place called Cloudland,
live a great many little people, called raindrops. They are very
helpful, and always try to do their best, because they know the
great King of Cloudland has work for them all. One morning two
tiny raindrops were sitting together looking down at Earthdom.
"How dusty and hot everything looks," said one drop. "Yes,"
replied the other, "let us go down and see how much good we can
do in Earthdom to-day." So these two little raindrops called
their brothers and sisters and told of their plan, and asked them
to go, too, for they always wanted to share their good time with
others. "Let's have a game of tag, and see who will reach the top
of that hill first," said one little drop, and away they
scampered. They ran so fast that they reached Earthdom at about
the same time, and how glad Mother Nature was to see them. Some
of them went at once to visit the flowers, and whispered such
sweet words to the tired, dusty blossoms, that they raised their
heads again, and thanked the raindrops for the comfort they had
brought. Some of them slid down the slanting roofs of houses and
filled the wells. Our two little raindrops with five others, went
down into the brown earth and cheered up the roots. Then they
travelled on, and by and by they came out again further down the
hill, and made a beautiful spring, around which little children
played. The spring soon helped make a brook, that flowed down
over the hillsides, winding in and out among the rocks, washing
them smooth and round, singing as it rippled on its way.

By and by it met some more brooks and they made a stream. The
sunbeams loved the clear stream and danced to and fro over its
surface, as it rushed joyously onward, turning the busy mill
wheels, and keeping the grass and flowers alive and beautiful.
Sometimes weary travellers walked along its banks, and stooped
and quenched their thirst with its pure, cool water. While the
stream journeyed on, it met other streams and they made a
rivulet, and by and by the rivulet heard a low voice calling,
"Come with me and I will show you the mightiest of waters." So
the rivulet joined the river, and together they travelled on till
they heard the deep voice of the ocean welcoming them to its
cave.

Where were the little raindrops that left Cloudland early in the
morning? They were playing among the ocean waves, and helping to
rock the ships that sailed over the waters. At sunset a
vapor-boat carried the drops back home and in the eastern sky
they stood with robes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, 
indigo, and violet, and made a bright bow of promise.

As they looked down upon Earthdom once more, everything was
fresh, and sweet, and glad, because the little raindrops had done
so much to help others, and had left no part of their work
undone. The night shadows came, and the rainbow faded slowly
away, leaving a message for the children of Earthdom. "Do your
best, little children, and big children, too, for God has work
for all."

Glories

Laura was tired of playing with her dolls, and tired of taking
care of Baby Donald, too, he was such a big baby, and she was a
little girl for nine years old. So as soon as nap time came, and
baby was at last quiet, Laura went out on the porch and cuddled
down in the hammock, where she swung to and fro, wishing there
was something nice to do, or some new kinds of dolls to play
with. All at once she thought she heard a faint voice say, "What
a queer child! Here she is wishing for some new plaything, and
has never noticed us. She must be blind, poor child! for every
morning we put on our prettiest dresses and smile at her; but she
always passes us by."

"Yes," replied another voice, "when she came out here to lie down
in the hammock, I brushed her hair softly and left a kiss on her
forehead; but she shook me off as if I were a bee trying to sting
her."

Laura sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked around in surprise. Had
some one really spoken, or had she only fallen asleep and dreamed
it all?

She could see nothing except the morning glories which covered
the side of the porch. There seemed to be hundreds of them, blue,
white, pink, and violet; and how wide awake they looked! "It must
have been the 'glories' talking," said Laura, "but I didn't know
glories could talk. Can you, dear glories?"

The flowers nodded, as if they understood what she said.

"What pretty colors! I never half noticed them before," went on
Laura, "and wouldn't that blue one make a lovely dress?" 

Just then wee Donald, fresh from his nap, came toddling  out
through the open door, and stretched his little fat hands to the
glories. "Baby wants a trumpet," he cried.

Laura laughed aloud as she said: "Why, they do look like
trumpets, and like parasols, too;" and she gathered a handful of
the blossoms and sprinkled the porch with their brightness.
"Let's play with them, baby; see if we can make some dolls; " and
Laura stood a glory on the step, and into the tiny hole stuck the
yellow center of a daisy, whose petals she had pulled out. On
this center she marked eyes, nose, and mouth; and when a small
glory was added for a bonnet, what a pretty flower doll she had,
with a pink skirt, green waist, and white bonnet!  Then a whole
family of glories were made, and Laura gave them each a parasol
to carry.

Baby used his glories for tents, and they had 
a good time playing, and Laura wished she had noticed the glories
more before.

By and by, when the day was over, and Laura sat again in the
hammock, watching the sleeping glories, she said: "I wonder if
the glories could have been talking this morning; "and one little
sleepy bud looked as if it could tell if it chose. But Mamma put
her arm about the little girl and said, "I think it was a dream,
dear. But if the flowers could speak I think they would tell my
darling that by using her eyes more, she will find out how much
there is that is beautiful, and God made them all for us to
enjoy, because he loves us. Every flower that blooms its
sweetest, and every child who tries to be good, is a precious
part of our Heavenly Father's glories."

A Fall Song

Golden and red trees
Nod to the soft breeze,
As it whispers, "Winter is near;"
And the brown nuts fall
At the wind's loud call,
For this is the Fall of the year.

Good-by, sweet flowers!
Through bright Summer hours
You have filled our hearts with cheer
We shall miss you so, 
And yet you must go,
For this is the Fall of the year.

Now the days grow cold,
As the year grows old,
And the meadows are brown and sere; 
Brave robin redbreast 
Has gone from his nest,
For this is the Fall of the year.

I do softly pray
At the close of day,
That the little children, so dear,
May as purely grow
As the fleecy snow
That follows the Fall of the year.

The Babies' Blankets

"Such a cold day," sighed Mother Nature, "and no blankets to keep
my babies warm! Little Jack Frost came over the hill last night,
and what mischief the boy is planning to do now, it is hard to
tell. He is such a happy little fellow, but is always up to some
prank. If Father Winter does not send me some blankets soon, I
fear Jack will pinch my babies' toes, and pull their ears, and
make them shiver till they am ready to freeze. I have put them to
bed and told them to keep quiet, and perhaps Jack will not see
them."

"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed a tinkling voice right at the dear old
lady's elbow. "Some of your children did not mind you. Early this