Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1870-11-10
THE WHITE LILY.

Please" said wistful voice,
"give me a flower. Tom is SO fond
of flowers
Ella Bronson was on her way to a
friends with a boquet of choice
flowers. She stopped, at this ap-
peal, and looking down saw a little,
poorly clad girl, about twelve years
old.
"And who is Tom? asked Ella
touched.
"My little brother. He fell and
hurt his back, and now he can't
move himself; and the doctor says
he'll never get well; and he does
wish for flowers So" %
Ella hesitated for moment, but
only for a moment. To take a single
flower from her boquet would spoil
it, SO perfectly had it been arranged;
and it was for a friend, moreover,
who was about to be married. But
the pleading face Of the child, and
the thought Of sick brother, were
more than she could bear. She re-
membered, too, the words of Script
ure, ''Inasmuch as We have done it
unto one of the least of these We
have done it unto me-" She select
ed the finest flower in the boquet, a
large white lily, and gave it to the
child.
"There," she said, "put it in wa
ter, and it will keep ever so long.
And here" she added, as the girl with
a grateful look, turned to run away,
sis some thing to buy a few cakes
for your brother. Where do you
liveY
The child told her, adding, cob!
won't Tom be glad" and then dis
appeared.
1t was not long before the little
thing reached her home. 1t was a
close, hot room, at the top of the
house, looking into dirty inclos-
ure behind.
els that you, Lizzie?" asked a
weak voice. 'sFm so glad" --
The speaker was lying on straw
bed on the floor, and he looked up,
smiling into his sisters face.
"See here, Tom," said the sister,
producing the cakes. 'These are
the very kind you like. But that S
not all,'' she added, triumphantly
producing the lily. "Just look at
this!'
Toms eyes fairly glistened with
delight. In his eagerness he half
rose in bed, exclaiming, "Oh, what
a beauty. Where did you get it?''
But the exertion was too much for
him, and almost as soon as he had
grasped the bud, he fell back on his
bed.
"How pure it looks,'' he added
weakly, after a pause; at makes
me think of the angels. You good,
good, Lizziew
"See, I'll put it in BOTTLE said
Lizzie, ''with some water, and it
shall stand on the floor close by you.
It'll last ever so long, now. But why
don't you eat your cakesY'
Tom shut his eyes. 81 can't Liz
zie," he said. II amt hungry. You
must eat it yourself. 1 will lie and
look at the fiower.''
Lizzie was frightened. Tom must
be very bad, she knew, if he could
not eat cakes. r
"Eat a little bit, DEAR" she
begged, "it will make you feel bet
ter
81 don't think l shall ever be bet
ter" answered Tom.
The tears rolled down the sisters
face. "Don't talk so, Tom," she
sobbed. "You shan't go. 1 can't
live without you. Who will there
be to care for meY'
"rve been thinking" said Tom,
gravely, "and l think a great deal ly-
ing here, that when / am gone father
will be different. You know" and
here he dropped his voice, and
looked carefully around, as if to
see lest any one should be listening
''you know that father drinks; and
that's why he can't afford to sent
you to school; and why he is sc
cross; and why, sometimes, he beat:
you"
"Don't speak Of it DEAR" sobbed
the sister. 81 wouldn't mind, if i
wasn't for you"
"But l do mind it, Lizzie; and i
breaks my heart to lie here and SEE
it. But, sometimes l think, when
die, father will be different. HI
says he loves me, and it makes hin
good you see. What is it the Bibl,
says? Through such tribulation.
Yes! it is through such tribulation
we win the crown. What was tn
verse we learned at school? l keel
forgetting. The one about bein.
tired"
"Oh, I KNOW" said Lizzie. "Com
unto me all that are weary ant