A Red Wallflower

Esther had been sitting still in her corner by her boxes; not doing anything; and her face, which had brightened at William's first coming

e dull eye, and the sad lines of the lips, and the still, spiritless attitude. He was touched with pity for the child, w

!' said he. 'What h

oi

are you doi

thi

. What do yo

to amuse

uld? Numismatology isn't what one would call a lively stu

y. 'I used to hear papa talk abo

him to talk to yo

s not talk

hom,

moisture suddenly dim the grave eyes, and the

she breathed r

to hear?' he we

can't understand a

uch as most people I know. Let us se

se slips of wood to be full of such nests, or little square compartments. The trays were beaut

E. P. F., if I read aright, and then the word "Reich." What is that, now? "R. E. P. F. Reich." And here is a motto above, I am sorry to say

n't know

the other side. Ha! here we have it. "Lud. xvi."-two letters I can't make o

her. 'He was beheaded, wasn't he,

was not a wise

ise man, could he h

ad; and when a people get mad, they don't listen to reason, naturally. Here's another, now; what's this? "Zeelandia, 1792," not

does i

e through,"-literally, "emerge." Our English word comes fr

g. 'He doesn't teach me m

gain the expression of quiet hopelessness that

ant to le

es

hy

want to lear

know. But queens are not expected to know the

em because it is

man laughe

ice. Two lions rampant-shield surmounted by a cr

motto w

752. Let us try another, Queen Esther. Ha! here's a coin of William and Mary-both their blessed heads and names; and on the reverse a figure three, and the

w history,'

re going t

How c

ea

of England-that's all. Mother gave me that. But when I read,

he col

to be troubled,' the

k m

ou are not

see. Ah, here's a pre

n, really beautiful, w

the luckless Louis XVI

On the other side, "

ns seem to belong t

and, the names of Roman emperors; but I know th

seems to weigh upon yo

' said the little

I am not. Well, I wis

than a three-cent piece, and with the help

said

with a small peaked beard; but the name is so worn off. On the other side

s

d study history with you over these old coins; and then

a wondering, grave, inquiring face. He nodd

you mea

is to conceal one's thoughts. I hope you are not labouring

each me?' said t

majesty a

ld be very trou

ntrary, think

ter a little whi

to stop, I'll

ou? Wou

ould an

tense with life, yet wi

en would you te

, every day;

me here to stu

h you wha

e me Latin lessons?

tain

tudy history o

ia Theresa, now: 1745, Hungary and B?hmen, that is Bohemia.

war wa

t, Queen Esther. "Ad us

ful. See here-don't you

already, and it just makes me want

p and brough

ouldn't find the columbine, but it must be out. Christopher

er, this and the Hepatica, belong to one great fa

t is harder

e belong to one family; so you learn to know the

w they are of t

both, and the corolla has separate petals, see; and the Ranunculaceae have the petals and sepals deciduous, and the leaves generally cut, as you see these are. They are what

talk very

I am talking of. Now this Sanguinaria belo

oes not look like

hers. But you must learn to know them, Queen Esther. King Solomon knew every plant from the royal cedar to the hyssop on the wall; an

is nar

ng to

a good q

it. It isn't healthy to go so fast as

at?' asked Esther

f people killing themselve

the poppy fami

y n

ischi

of them. They are very good for

s a grave face still, for a child of her years; but now it was a noble gravity, showing intelligence and power and purpose; indicating capacity, and also an eager sympathy with whatever is great and worthy to take and hold the attention. Whether it were history that Dallas touched

recognised her forlorn solitude; and now he began to be interested in the development of a nature he had never known before. Young Dallas was a student of everythin