The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-09-09

l The love that gives charm to home
| l feei they can not take;
| We'il pray for happier years to come,
| For one anothers sake.
| --sss--------
| 4 BUNCH OF DAISIES.
| His shoes were out at the toes, his
! trousers were out at the knees, his
| Jacket was out at the elbows. In his
hands was a bunch OF daisies, roofs and
all. How tightly he grasps them, lesl
| be should drop even one, smelling now
and then OF the large, white blossoms.
He had wandered tar out into the fields
| this Sunday afternoon, and plucked
them by the wayside. So far, indeed
\ had he gone, that he must needs pay his
last five cents, earned by selling news
! papers, for ride home in one of the
| street cars.
A lady got in at one of the avenues.
"Such little ragamuttinw she mentally
! exclaimed, carefully adjusting hei
took the seat beside him, the only va.
| cant place. Then she noticed the flow.
| ers. Then she glanced down at The boys
| rosy cheeks and caught an instants
fash from his deep, blue eyes. She was
| interested. For what possible reason
could he prize those weeds SO highly
She had lively imagination. She i'm.
mediately began to conjecture. Pres,
emily unable TO restrain hec curiosity,
| she asked:
"You have some daisies there, see
Did you find them growing wildW
| "Yes'm," he replied, blushing, hall
| laughing in a shameiaced way, ana peer.
| ing round to see whether Jack and
Andy, companions in his ramble, who
had been poking fun at him all along ON
account of the "bouquet," MS they called
ito see whether OF not they were look
ing on. No; they were just then con-
templating the array OF oranges, ba-
nanas and pineapples on a fruit stand.
So the lady might be as inquisitiye as
she pleased.
"Yoh love flowers very much, do you w
"Yes'm, but not SO much as Dolly
does"
"Dolly"
"Yes'm, that's my sister,"
"Ah, your sister. Is she as old as
your
>"Yes'm, she's three years older, but
she's lame. She has to keep lying down
all the time. She cAn't slL up or walk q
Bit"
81 knew there was arstory connected
with those daisies," thinks the lady,
pleased at her own skill in guessing.
'And you gathered these tor her?'
tsYes'm. Pm going to set 'em cut when
get home."
"Yes? Where do you live?'
He named the street, and upon further
| inq uiry, the number. No matter. A
good many ragged urchins ale TO he met
| with in that quarter.
Next day the lady came In her car
| riage, and climbed fight after flight ol
| dirty stairways till she found the room
where Dolly and her brother lived.
The boy was in school, the mother was
cut washing, and SO the weak little voice
| that said ''come in" when the lady
knocked was Dolly's. There she was
all alone, lying on the lounge under the
open window, her face as white, almost
as the pillows. On the window sill, IN
an earthen jar, was the bunch OF daisies
| Now there Vas acertain sadness in the
lady's eyes, as though she, too, had
known sorrow. Perhaps 1T was this that
in spite of all her elegance, made q slen
der biidge across the wide guilt between
herself and Dolly; and 0e latter after
the first brief embarrassment, did moi
lear TO give her confidence. So 1t all
came out by piece meal, her pitiiul little
tale; how ner father, a brakeman, haJ
been killed in a railroad accident, and
her mother had such hard time sup.
porting the family that Dolly, ambitious
| TO help, had gone into a factory at toe
tender an age and injured herself b,
oyerwork. Ana then very good. kline
| doctor mad f0Hnd out about ii, and hat
1 been trying to help her and would take
nothing Tor his services. And when SHE
| had got SO far there came another rap al
| the door. .
| son, that must be him nowW she cried
| her eyes Frightening. And when he
came in and the lady glanced up anc
saw him, how strange they should both
seem 50 surprised and turn so pale, and
that the lady should clutch DoHy's pil.
| low nervously, and then with great
sigh lall nervously in heap OH the
RoOr.
Dolly wished she could do something
to help her. but she had TO lie there per.
fectly useless, while the doctor brought
water and did every thing he could to re-
store her visitor. But sne thought she
as it was when the lady at last opened
her eyes and moaned in heart-broken
voice: 20, Richardl Richardl will you
forgive me" And he held her very close
for moment and kissed her eyes and
her lips and her forehead, and whis-
pered something in her ear.
Well, Whatever 1t was all about, 1t is
certain there must have been u misun-
derstanding OF some sort; perhaps the
lady had been naughty or coquettish /;
one could only guess, and the meeting
and all together had brought about re-
conciliation.
But never day after that, as Dolly
lay Oh her lounge through the long hours,
was she iii want OF charming books and
pictures Tor entertainment, or OF dainty
dishes to coax her appetite. And often
the lady came to visit her, and as sure
as she came the doctor would chance to
call. And what with the mystery and
guessing it was a most beautiful bit OF
romance TO Dolly, and her mother and
brother. And when by and by they were
called upon to dispose a package of we'd
ding cake, Who had better right to IL
than theyl ,.
When Dolly turns her eyes toward the
window, what is it that prevents her
from seeing the rear of the dreary, dingy.
squalid blocks OF bricks and broken
panes, aud loose, swinging blinds, and
the rows Of encumbered clotbes-lines
oh Il I'M ma