AUDREY.

-EEP in the green woods lived a violet, and near by
the high-road lived a little girl. Audrey was her
name, and when the first wild flower peeped up its
head, Audrey was sure to be the one who spied it;
and when the last daisy sprang up by the wayside, or a dande-
lion, forgetting how near it was to winter, would smile from
between the stones, Audrey said loving words to the daisy, or
gave an answering smile to the venturesome dandelion.

One day, as the little girl was running about the woods,
she saw, down at her feet, the dear little violet, who looked at
her with its dewy blue eyes. Audrey bent over to gather it,
but drew back again. “I will not take you, little violet,” she
said, “for you are only one, and you might be lonely.” So
she stooped down and kissed it, then went on gathering other
flowers till she had her hands full to carry to sister Helen.

They were great friends, though sister Helen was ten years
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