E-text prepared by the Bookworm, Emmy, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from digital material generously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/americana) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 29427-h.htm or 29427-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/29427/pg29427-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/29427/29427-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries. See http://www.archive.org/details/lotusbuds00carmiala LOTUS BUDS [Illustration] [Illustration: The Great Rock. (_Page 338._)] LOTUS BUDS by AMY WILSON-CARMICHAEL Keswick Missionary C.E.Z.M.S. Author of "Things As They Are"; "Overweights of Joy"; "The Beginning of a Story," Etc. With Fifty Half-Tone Illustrations from Photos Specially Taken for This Work Morgan and Scott Ld. 12 Paternoster Buildings London MCMXII Copyright, Morgan & Scott Ld., 1909 First Edition, _Quarto_ (_Fifty Photogravure Illustrations_) 2,000 _Nov., 1909_ Edition De Luxe (_Fifty Photogravures on Japon Vellum_) 250 _Nov., 1909_ Octavo Edition (_Fifty Half-tone Engravings_) 5,250 _July, 1912_ _TO THOSE WHO CARE_ DOHNAVUR, TINNEVELLY DISTRICT, SOUTH INDIA _Christmas, 1909._ Each for himself, we live our lives apart, Heirs of an age that turns us all to stone; Yet ever Nature, thrust from out the heart, Comes back to claim her own. Still we have something left of that fair seed God gave for birthright; still the sound of tears Hurts us, and children in their helpless need Still call to listening ears. OWEN SEAMAN. _From_ "In a Good Cause." _FOREWORD TO THE PRESENT EDITION_ _WHEN first "Things as they are" trod the untrodden way, it walked as a small child walks when for the first time it ventures forth upon young, uncertain feet. It has to walk; it does not know why: it only knows there is no choice about it. But there is an eager looking for an outstretched hand, and an instant gratefulness always, for even a finger. A whole hand given without reserve is something never forgotten._