The Almond Blossoms.



"MOTHER," said a little girl to her mother,

as they were walking together in the garden,

"why do you have so few of those beautiful

double almonds in the garden? You have

hardly a bed where there is not a tuft of violets,

and they are so much plainer! What

can be the reason?"

"My child," said the mother, "gather me

a bunch of each; then I will tell you why

I prefer the humble violets."

The little girl ran off, and soon returned

with a fine bunch of the beautiful almond

and a few violets.

"Smell them," said her mother, " and see

which is the sweetest."

The child smelled again and again, and

could hardly believe herself that the lovely

almond had no scent, while the humble violet

had a delightful odor.

"Well, my child, which is the sweetest?"

"It is this little violet."

"Well, you know now, my child, why I

prefer the plain violet to the beautiful almond.

Beauty without fragrance in flowers

is, in my opinion, something like beauty

without gentleness and good temper in little

girls. When any of those people who speak

without reflection say to you, 'What charming

blue eyes!' 'What beautiful curls!'

'What a fine complexion!' without knowing

whether you have any good qualities,

and without thinking of your defects and

failings, which everybody is born with, remember

then, my little girl, the almond blossom;

and remember, also, when your affectionate

mother may not be there to tell you,

that beauty without gentleness and good

temper is worthless."





 Young Pilgrim.