st to comfort her," and the angel spread her wings and sped earthward
with the falling snow.

"Tell me why thou weepest," she said, as she placed her hand gently upon
the head of the weeping woman.

And Eve replied, "I weep because the earth is bare and desolate, and
there is nought that is beautiful to be seen. I pray thee tell me, if
thou canst, where are the flowers that I love so well. Tell me, shall I
ever see them more?"

The angel smiled, and stretching out her hand to catch the falling
flakes of snow, said:

"Is not this beautiful? So white, so pure, so gentle. It is the covering
which your Heavenly Father in His great love spreads over the cold
earth."

And even as she spoke the snowflake in her hand took form and budded and
blossomed into a pure white flower, which hung its dainty head and
trembled as if afraid to look upon the world into which it had been
born.

Then Eve dried her tears and broke forth into smiles as the angel handed
her the frail blossom, saying:

"It is a snowdrop. Take it, Eve, for it is a promise of better things to
come. Never again doubt your Father's love. You have only to wait, and
when the winter's snows have gone and the summer sun shines once more,
the flowers will bloom again as beautiful as ever."

Then Eve watched the angel return to Heaven, until the gleam of her
silver wings was no longer to be seen. She still carried in her hand his
tiny gift and as she turned away she saw that where the angel's feet had
rested the snow had melted away, and on the green grass beneath was
growing a lovely cluster of snowdrops.

And every year since then, when the winter snows disappear, these sweet
forerunners of the spring are found in the woods and dells, bringing a
message of hope and a promise of brighter days to come.

Many years afterwards the monks were fond of planting the snowdrop in
their beautiful gardens. Not only did it teach them a lesson of faith
and trust, but its sweet white blossoms were regarded as an emblem of
purity. And poets have always loved to sing the praises of this, the
earliest flower of spring.

THE LOVELESS YOUTH

Fairy Tales from Flowerland
THE LOVELESS YOUTH

"Daffodils, that come before the swallow dares,
And take the winds of March with beauty."
--_Shakespeare._

YEARS and years ago the River-god wedded a beautiful water-nymph. Their
son, Narcissus, was such a lovely boy to look upon that all who saw him
loved hi