colby_fam_b1_f24_d11_02_a

such a foolish thing as to spoil their own
richest gifts are sure to be sorry when it is
to late for sorrow to renew them bloom free
And that men and women, who, as grown
up children sometimes do, lean up in a
moment of anger, all the spring times
flowers that would have enriched their
lives, always weep over the slightest blow
that time cannot restore

But now all the orchard trees stood
disconsolately enough. There were neither
leaves nor flowers, but a dingy memory
of bloom, and a coming greenness, and
the zephyrs seemed to forget them, and
went away false and fickle, as he was
to toy with the pinks & roses? But the birds
came and built their nests among the
trees and poured forth such a wealth
of song, such a cheery stream of
music, that I'm sure the gnarly old
fl boughs did not {?] much of
their [?] wreaths. And the birds were so
friendly and sociable, and seemed so neigh-
borly, and I do not believe their lively
gossip had any sting in it, that they
ever slandered or told bad stories about
each other, for I do not remember to
have seen a single bird among them
all who seemed sad, or broken-hearted