Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-12-29
CHRISTMAS ROSE.
BY IIEsPERUs.

to p close, the rays of the sunshine
fades in the paling sky, the gray clouds
darkened down till the diamond senti-
nels of heaven twinkled above in the
frosty sky; down below the warm radi
ance of the gas lit windows flashed forth
on the snowy streets. Oh, how cold i,
was The men at the pea nut stands
swung their arms with9aH their might,
spread their hand over their little stoves,
stamped their feet on the pavement, and
could scarcely nuke change when a
customer wanted pennies. Jack Frost
was king, and had bound the world in
letters of ice. Everybody who was
abroad buried their chins in their warm
furs and hurried home, laden with gifts
for their loved ones, as fast as ever they
could go.
They glanced in at the glistenine
windows, latticed with et-work of wire,
and then sped along, for it was too cold
to stop and look at all the pretty things
displayed behind the transparent bar
rier. The biting wind whistled round
the corners. whirled the fresh fallen
snow-crystals in circling wreaths, and
went through and through the thin,
scanty garments of poor little Sally, as
she stood shivering before Tiffany's big
store. Nobody had time to buy he1
flowers, her tiny, dirty hands could
scarcely hold her basket, and the tear
drops that rolled out from her bright
blue eyes CONCEALED as they ran down
her thin cheeks. She watched the peo-
pie as they came out with smiling faces,
laden with Christmas gifts, and remem-
bered the time gone past when she hung
her stockings in the old homestead for
Santa Claus to fill, and woke up to find
it stuffed with goodies and candies and
dolls and toys.
Sally had not always sold flowers in
the streets of New York. There had
been happy time when she lived in
the country with papa and mamma,
when she picked flowers and wove chains
and garlands out of them; but somehow
things had not gone right, and then she
had come to the great city, and papa
had gone away, and mamma had cried
great deal and waited long time fol-
him to come back, but he had never
come. Then mamma took sick and
had gone to the hospital, and the old
woman with whom Sally lived sent hel
out with the other girls to sell flowers.
Sally did not like the old woman She
was not bold-faced and impudent like
many Of her companions, and she
brought her basket back with many
bouquets left, and then the old woman
scolded her and sent her to bed supper.
less. To-day flowers were very dea,
and she had sold none. What would
she do2 She had been down to the
hospital that morning to ask how he1
mother was and the gruf porter had
alked very kindly to her; his voice
was very husky when ne told her to
come right early on Christmas Day and
spend all day with her mother. He had
called her back as she battered away,
and given her a ten cent stamp, and
muttered something, and then told he,
to come right early. Yes, she would
not go back to Greenwich street tonight
she would go down to the gate and be
| there as soon as ever he opened 1t liz
the morning.
She ran along until she was all out
OF breath, and when she got to the cor.
ner of the red wall, waited for an in
stans. Suddenly strange faintness
came over her and she sauk down on 8
drift of snow gathered in the corner. I,
felt soft and nice and she rested there,
and when she had lain there a few In
stants she thought she woald not like
to move; no, she would stay there, she
was SO sleepy, and it would he so good
if she only had some supper. What
would she get? She had no money,
she had spent all in flowers, for they
were very dear that day, and she had
sold none. She took bunch of vio-
lets and lilies up In her slender fingers
and smelt at it, then it touched her lips
and in an instant the pearly teeth bit
one of the leaves. How good it tasted
and what was still more wonderful, as
she maunched it up the gas-lamps van
ished, the cold night air ceased to nip,
and the whole scene changed to the
brook that ran past the foot of the gar
den in her old home. Yes, she could
see the bank of blue below where the
old stump stood-there was the gnarled
root, and there white Lilies nodded over
the ripping water. She crammed the
last lily into her mouth and then stretch
ed out her hand to gather more, but
the vision faded, and she found herself
all alone in the cruel cruel, pitiless
night.
She caught up camellia, and as she
crushed the waxen petals to a shape
less pulp, she heard the piano playing
as it did when she gave her party last
Christmas. The room was full of all
hex companions, and there she could
see where supper was laid in the dining
room. She dropped the camellia to
hurry in, but her hand only met the
cold rough wall.
But what was this flower? Where
did it come from? All! yes; that must
be the ugly big bud that the men had
thrown her when she had paid him. Now
it was no ugly bud, but it was beauti-
full full-blown blossom, with broad,
smooth leaves glowing like FURNISHED
gold; as she gazed at it an ineffable
perfume exhaled from its bosom, the
scent waited forth from the expanded
petals and filed the night with an at
mosphere she had never breathea be-
l