Many hundreds of years ago, on a bright morning in spring, two boys were standing in a beautiful old garden. At a little distance their mother, attended by a dear friend, walked among her flowers. As they walked and talked, Cornelia often stopped to pluck away a dead leaf from a plant or gently stir up the soil about another, and her little sons watched her with love and admiration. "Oh," said the younger lad, "did you ever see so lovely a lady as our mother? She looks like a queen! "Just then Cornelia, the mother, went over to speak to the boys. She was indeed simply dressed, wearing a plain white robe, and on her hands and neck no jewel or golden chain was seen to shine- her crown was long fair braids coiled round and round her head, but her carriage was queenly, and a proud smile lighted her face as her eyes rested upon her sons.
"My dear boys, " she said, as they bowed politely to her, "you are to have a pleasant surprise. You will be allowed to dine in the garden with our dear friend, andlater she is going to show us her wonderful casket of jewels, of which you have heard so much. "The boys looked in surprise at their mother"s friend- jewels flashed from the rings on her fingers, shone about her neck, and two wonderful stones hung from her ears-was it possible she had still more jewels than those she wore?
But they enjoyed the merry meal out-of-doors, and when, at its conclusion, a servant brought a casket from the house, they gazed with delight at the milky pearls, the flame-like rubies, the sky-blue sapphires, and the diamonds that flashed all the wonderful colours of the rainbow in the sunlight.
"Oh ! oh ! " said the younger boy. "If our mother could but have such lovely things! "When the casket had been closed and carried away, the friend turned to Cornelia. "Is it true, as I have heard, dear Cornelia, that you are very poor and have no jewels? ""Poor! " said Cornelia proudly- "Indeed no! "-and she drew her boys to her as she spoke- "these are my jewels, and they are worth more than all your gems put together. "Do you suppose those lads ever forgot their dearmother"s pride in them even when, years later, they became great men in Rome? Ah, no! And all the world, to this day, loves still to hear the story of Cornelia and her jewels.
-GraCe EVelyn StarKe
About the Author.-GraCe EVelyn StarKe is a teacher who wrote the story for an American magazine, Primary Education.(It was told in Latin by a Roman writer long before.)About the Story.-Why was Cornelia queenly? In what way was her dress different from that of her friend? What colour has a pearl, a ruby, a sapphire, a diamond? Which of the two women had the more precious jewels? Cornelia"s father"s name was Scipio, her husband"s name was Gracchus, and her children were Tiberius and Caius. At this time in Rome the poor people, who were little better than slaves, were trying to win freedom from the nobles, who were rich and had all the power. Cornelia"s sons took the side of the people, and were both put to death. Then the Romans honoured them and put up a statue of Cornelia, with the inion "The Mother of the Gracchi."