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Show DEAR MOTHER NATURE OD are very clever," said the 1 fern to the cactus plant in the greenhouse. The cactus had been telling the fern that the reason for all the prickles which it had on its leaves was to save the juicy stems from being eaten and destroyed by animals' iu the deseri lands from which It and many of its family came. "Oh, yes, we must have a protection if we're to grow, and in this way we're quite safe. No one wants cactus burrs!" "Of course 1 don't have the trouble that you do, for no one wants to eat me. So I do not need to be protected as you do." "Well." said the cactus plant, "it is useful. I believe there are other crea- H-'HM upyiR!MVUMm WJil n?UM of you to be able to have protection such as you have and such very good protection when you're only a plant." "Ah, fern," said the cactus plant, "you give me credit for more brains and sense than I have. "AH of this is owing to dear Mother Nature. She is the one who looks out for her children. "She it is who saw that the cactus plants, or the Cacti as you speak of many of us, had prickles to save them from being destroyed. "Yes, Mother Nature Is the one who looks after us. She is not so busy that she hasn't time to remember all her children, every one." Then a voice spoke. "I didn't think I would hear anyone now," said the fern, "for our keeper lias left for the day and the green house is closed to people after the late afternoon has passed." "I heard a voice; I most certainly heard a voice," said the cactus. And again they heard the voice more clearly. In another moment they saw the loveliest of lovely creatures. "Oh, Mother Nature!" they all shouted. "Darling Mother Nature." "There, there," said Mother Nature, "if you make such a fuss over me I will cry with joy. I'm glad little Violet Vio-let made me a yellow and a purple and a blue handkerchief. For even though I have three handkerchiefs I may have to use them all." Mother Nature wore a beautiful cape made of leaves, which was trimmed with a collar of summer flowers. Her hat was of garden flowers and edged with a tiny border . of little woodland wild flowers. Her shoes were of moss and her dress was of soft, long green grasses and wheat and rye and barley intermixed. inter-mixed. "I wore my summer frock today of course," she said, as her greenhouse children admired her. "I'm glad you like it. But, children, you were praising me for watching over you. "I do not deserve any praise foi that. 1 cannot help but watch over you. I love you a mother who doesn't . love her children is a very, very strange creature! "Mother Nature isn't strange like that. She loves all her dear ones and she does what she can for them. It is only natural, only natural !" fOnrivrleht.l "The Poisonous Snakes Have Their Poison Right With Them." tures who do the same kind of thing as we plants have some means of protection. "There is the hedgehog, who can roll himself up into a prickly ball when he is frightened. That , is his protection. "Yes, there are many, many creatures crea-tures who 'wear' their protection. "The poisonous snakes have their poison right with them. "Many little birds look like the woods in color so that they cannot be seen and some of the toads and frogs do, too." "Ah, yes," said the' fern ; "all that you say is very true. But animals are li Cerent from plants. "I think it is so particularly clever |