THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN. 10]

with Epimetheus. Neither did he himself know what
ailed him, any better than they did. For you must
recollect, that at the time we are speaking of, it was
everybody’s nature, and constant habit, to be happy.
The world had not yet learned to be otherwise. Not a
single soul or body, since these children were first sent
to enjoy themselves on the beautiful earth, had ever been
sick, or out of sorts. |

At length, discovering that, somehow or other, he put
a stop to all the play, Epimetheus judged it best to go
back to Pandora, who was ina humor better suited to
his own. But, with a hope of giving her pleasure, he
gathered some flowers, and made them into a wreath,
which he meant to put upon her head. The flowers
were very lovely, — roses, and lilies, and orange-blossoms,
and a great many more, which left a trail of fragrance
behind, as Epimetheus carried them along; and the
wreath was put together with as much skill as could
reasonably be expected of a boy. The fingers of little
girls, it has always appeared to me, are the fittest to
twine flower-wreaths ; but boys could do it, in those
days, rather better than they can now.

And here I must mention that a great black cloud had
been gathering in the sky, for some time past, although
it had not yet overspread the sun. But, just as Ept-
metheus reached the cottage door, this cloud began to
intercept the sunshine, and thus to make a sudden and
sad obscurity.

He entered softly; for he meant, if possible, to steal
behind Pandora, and fling the wrgath of flowers over her