Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-12-19
3 pnpular Story,
ABasket of Flowers.

1t was bitter night. Ihe WIND DleW
hurricane, and brought the snow and
sleet in showers against the plate glass
windows that lighted cozy drawing
room in grand house. Iteven pene-
trated thro' the heavy folds of damask
and sent a shiver over the robust frame
of an old man, who basked in his ele-
gantly upholstered chair before rosy
sea coal fire.
He shrugged his shoulders, and rub
bed his soft hands briskly together and
said, half aloud:
"Ugh! what night. 1t turns my
blood to ice even in this warm room.
What must it be out in the street,"
There came a sharp ring at the,door-
bell, just then he turned to know who
was the intruder.
A servant entered, bearing square
parcel in her hand, which she quietly
deposited on the table, saying, ''for
you, SIR and then left the old man
alone.
'For me! Who on earth has open
ed their hearts wide enough to find a
place for ?" said Adam Hartford,
as he took up the package and united
| it.
A square white box met his gaze,
and with caution, which had always
been one of the chief regulations Of
his being, he lifted the cover and peep
ed in.
DWELL! well!"
A perfect bed of fragrant flowers,
with the chips of the hot house yet
upon their stems, lay nesting in an
elegant basket.
Old Adam took it up daintily. What
a wealth of tube roses, hyacinths, ca
melia buds, soft, creamy star flowers
and lilies, lay there side by side!-
Why, in all his wealth, he had nothing
SO fair OF perfect as one of these buds.
[ wonder who sent them? Somebody
who knows nothing of the value of
money, I'll be bound These tribes
are almost worth their weight in gold
at this season.
/ He could not suppress that thought.
It was one that was ever first in his
mind and had been ever since he earn
ed his first five dollars. He had in
early life denied himself of every lux
ury, and nearly every comfort in the
world until he had earned enough to
crafty himself to their indulgence,
without seeing behind them the dread
full wolf named poverty. Now that he
had grown immensely rich, he had fill
ed his house with pictures and fine
pieces of statuary, because other folks
did, and because they look well. He
carpeted his floors with soft carpets
because they were comfortable; put
down chairs in every corner, because
they rested him, and eat the very best
food to be obtained, because his appe-
tite was poor and he could eat nothing
else.
But buying flowers, giving penny
to any one in the wide world, doing
anything but for his own comfort and
ease, was something that never occur
ed to him.
Adam Hartford had spent his whole
life in the accumulation Of wealth, and
now that he had grown old, all that
he had to do was to take care of him
self. But he could not help touching
with very tender fingers, the delicate
leaves of the flowers and thinking that
his elegant house had never seen any
thing half so beautiful.
"Now who sent them? Ha! ha! ha!
You don't expect that / have made a
conquest
And he made the room ring with his
hearty voice.
j "Adam, are you getting handsome !?
Must be, or no lady (and surely it must
have been a lady who sent these) would
!, ever think of sending you a basket of
flowers. Halo! what is this?"
The tidy servant opened once more
,, the door of the drawing-room, and this
time she had a great bundle in her
strong arms-a bundle Of patched and
faded calico-a pair of ragged shoes
where the -pinched toes peeped
plainly through, and a pale child face,
with great tangled curl of its golden
: hair falling back from the little col
ored handkerchief which served for a
, hood.
''Mr. Hartford! If you please, sir,
| found this child just now at the
: door. heard voice, like some one
!, trying to reach the bell, and when
opened the door this poor thing fell