Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

these plants, growing at the base of a tall elm tree. With surprised eagerness, I kneeled down and smelled the bunches of pale blue bell like flowers. With a sort of eager ernestness and nervousness I dug them out with only my hands and planted them in the arbor. They were a new kind of flower to me, so I erected a little shelter over them to keep them from the hot sun from them_, I made this out of carpet thrown over stakes, and everyday I watered them.

     A little beyond this some violet plants were beginning to send up little shoots, that were soon to be leaves.  Near them I saw that May blue-bells were beginning to grow little red shots.  I can remember distinctly the day that I got them.  It was a warm afternoon last May, when we had a half holiday for the preliminary field meet.  Spring after Spring, I had seen boys and girls wearing these pale blue flowers and I endeavored in vain to find where some grew. This afternoon, I had been following the same creek that we followed a week or so ago getting only a few violets here and there. Suddenly, at the place where King launched his fleet, I came upon a plant. Several tall spikes with these blue flowers and pink buds, arose from the thick leafy base. For a moment I gazed at it