MARCH 9: The Old Woman and the Pot of Daffodils
“A little girl named Laura,” said daddy, “had been quite ill. One day she was wondering if she would ever feel like herself again, able to do things and to play around. She was sitting up by the window in a big chair. She was looking out, feeling very sad and forlorn, when suddenly she saw a funny old woman who looked just like a witch stop by the window and then walk right into the room.
“The funny old woman spoke at once.
“‘Don’t be frightened,’ she said. ‘I’m not going to hurt you. Instead, you see this pot of daffodils I am carrying?’
“‘Yes,’ exclaimed Laura. ‘Aren’t they beautiful?’
“‘I am so glad you like them,’ continued the old woman, ‘for they are for you.’
“‘For me?’ repeated Laura. ‘For me?’
“‘Yes,’ said the old woman. ‘When the spring comes I take a walk each day, carrying with me a pot of daffodils. When I see some one sitting in the window of a house looking sick and longing to go out I just go right in and leave my pot of daffodils, for they are better than any spring tonic, to my mind.’
“And the yellow flowers smiled at Laura and bobbed their pretty heads, saying, ‘We’ll make you well.’
“And, sure enough, they really did more toward making Laura well than anything else. How could she help but feel better with the bright flowers smiling at her and cheering her up?”