The weekly Columbian., 1857-04-11
4 Good Deed In Season.
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND.

beggar boy. I'd like to know what
right you have to look over the fence at
our flowers 2" The speaker was little
boy not more than eleven years old, and
though people sometimes called it hand
some, his face looked very harsh and dis
agreeable just then.
He stood in beautiful garden, just in
the suburbs of the city, and it was in June
time, and tulips were opening themselves
to the sunshine. Oh! it was greatj JOY
to look at them as they bowed gracefully
to the light with their necks of crimson,
of fyellow and carnation. The beds flank
either side of the path that curved around
a small arbor, where the young grape
clusters that lay hidden among the large
leaves. wrote beautiful promise for the
autumn.
A white paling ran in front of the gar
den, and over it the little beggar boy, SO
rudely addressed, was leaning. He was
very lean, very dirty, very ragged. lam
afraid, little children, you would have
turned away in disgust from so repulSive
spectacle, and yet God and the angels
loved him.
He was looking, with all his soul in
his eyes, on The beautiful blossoms. as
they swayed to and fro in the summer
wind. and his heart softened while he
leaned his arm on the fence railing, and
forgot everything in that long absorbed
gaze! All! it was seldom the beggar
boy saw ANYTHING that was either very
good or beautiful, and it was sad his
dream should have such rude awaken
ing.
The blood rushed up to his face, and
a glance full of evil and defiance flashed
in his eyes. But before the boy could
retort, little girl sprang out from the
arbor. and looked eagerly from one child
to the other. She was very fair, with
hazel eyes. over which dropped long shin
ing lashes. Rich curls hung over her al
most bare, white shoulders, and her lips
were the color of the crimson tulip bios
SONS.
"How could you speak so cross to the
boy, Hinton?" she asked with tone of
sad reproach quivering through the sweet
ness of her. voice. "I'm sure it doesn't
do us anv harm to have him look at the
flowers if he likes"
"Well, Helen" urged the brother,
slightly mortified and ashamed, 81 don't
like to have beggars gaping over the
fence. 1t looks So low
"Now that's notion of yours, Hinton.
I'm sure. if the flowers can do anybody
any good, we ought to he very glad
Little boy,"-and the child turned to the
beggar boy, and addressed him as cour-
teously as though he had been prince
"Pll pick you some of the tulips if you'll
wait moment
Helen, do believe you are the fun
niest girl that ever lived!" calculated
the child's brother. as he turned away.
and with low whistle, sauntered down
the path, feeling very uncomforta ble-for
her conduct was stronger reproof to
him than any words could have been.
Helen plucked one of each specimen
of the tulips, and there was great varie
ty of these, and gave them to the child.
His face frightened as he received them
and thanked her.
Oh the little girl had dropped "pearl
of great price" into the black, turbid bill
lows ofthe boys life, and the after years
would bring it up, beautiful and fair
again.
Twelve years had passed. The little
blue-eyed girl had grown into tall. grace
ful woman. One briy yht June afternoon
she walked with her husband through
the garden, for she was on visit to her
parents. The place was little changed,
and the tulips had opened their lips of
crimson and gold to the sunshine. just as
they had twelve years before. Suddenly
they observed young man in work
mans blue overalls, leaning over the
fence, his eyes wandering eagerly from
the beautiful flowers to herself Hehad
frank, pleasant countenance. and there
was something in his manner that inter-
ested the gentleman and lady.
"Look here. Edward" she said, "I'll
pluck some Of the flowers. 1t always
does me good to see people admiring
them;" and then releasing her husbands
arm, she approached the paling, saying
and the smile round her lip was very like
the old, child one" Are you fond of
flowers, sir! twill give me great pleas
ure to gather you some."
The young workman looked moment
very earnestly in the fair. sweet face.
"Twelve wears ago this very month" J"
he said in voice deep and yet tremu-
lous with feeling, RI stood here, leaning
on this railing, dirty. ragged little beg
gar boy; and you asked me this very