He 's always so good to us ; '' and Merry looked so innocently earnest that no one smiled at her kind thought or the unconscious paraphrase she had made of a famous stanza in her own `` little verse . '' `` To one who teaches me The sweetness and the beauty Of doing faithfully And cheerfully my duty . '' `` He will like that , and know who sent it , for none of us have pretty pink paper but you , or write such an elegant hand , '' said Molly , admiring the delicate white basket shaped like a lily , with the flowers inside and the note hidden among them , all daintily tied up with the palest blush-colored ribbon . `` Well , that 's no harm . He likes pretty things as much as I do , and I made my basket like a flower because I gave him one of my callas , he admired the shape so much ; '' and Merry smiled as she remembered how pleased Ralph looked as he went away carrying the lovely thing . `` I think it would be a good plan to hang some baskets on the doors of other people who do n't expect or often have any . I 'll do it if you can spare some of these , we have so many . Give me only one , and let the others go to old Mrs. Tucker , and the little Irish girl who has been sick so long , and lame Neddy , and Daddy Munson . It would please and surprise them so . Will we ? '' asked Ed , in that persuasive voice of his . All agreed at once , and several people were made very happy by a bit of spring left at their doors by the May elves who haunted the town that night playing all sorts of pranks . Such a twanging of bells and rapping of knockers ; such a scampering of feet in the dark ; such droll collisions as boys came racing round corners , or girls ran into one another 's arms as they crept up and down steps on the sly ; such laughing , whistling , flying about of flowers and friendly feeling -- it was almost a pity that May-day did not come oftener . Molly got home late , and found that Grif had been before her , after all ; for she stumbled over a market-basket at her door , and on taking it in found a mammoth nosegay of purple and white cabbages , her favorite vegetable . Even Miss Bat laughed at the funny sight , and Molly resolved to get Ralph to carve her a bouquet out of carrots , beets , and turnips for next time , as Grif would never think of that . Merry ran up the garden-walk alone , for Frank left her at the gate , and was fumbling for the latch when she felt something hanging there . Opening the door carefully , she found it gay with offerings from her mates ; and among them was one long quiver-shaped basket of birch bark , with something heavy under the green leaves that lay at the top . Lifting these , a slender bas-relief of a calla lily in plaster appeared , with this couplet slipped into the blue cord by which it was to hang : -- `` That mercy you to others show That Mercy Grant to me . '' `` How lovely ! and this one will never fade , but always be a pleasure hanging there .
Now , I really have something beautiful all my own , '' said XXXXX to herself as she ran up to hang the pretty thing on the dark wainscot of her room , where the graceful curve of its pointed leaves and the depth of its white cup would be a joy to her eyes as long as they lasted .
Bat Grant Merry Ralph Tucker calla elves knockers left stanza