OF THE FOREST. ae

the flowers which are to compose my garland ;
and those are the flowers I would choose for
my device. The rose,” added the little girl in

i lee, “is the emblem of beauty, the

 

§ glory, the heartsease of content, and
ai fair maids of February of innocence; but
what are all these without my lily of the
valley? Tell me, father dear, what is any
good quality without humility?”

“ Aimée,” I said, in amazement and admi-
ration, not only of the sentiments of this dear
child, but of the elegant manner in which she
expressed them, “ Aimée, my little one, who
taught you all this?”

She looked innocently upon me, and said,
“ Papa and mamma used to instruct me in these
things: it was poor papa who taught me that
the lily of the valley was the type of hu-
mility, and sometimes when I pleased him he
called me his lily. Ah, sir, I wish I were
really like the lily; for the lily loves the cool
valley and shadowy places by the streams of
living waters.”

“Dear child,” I answered, “you are indeed
a lily of the valley. Would to God,” and
I crossed myself as I spoke, “would to God,
I were a lily too !”

G3