The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-09-29

hard, cruel blows. have been sore anC
| lifeless, and blind from their cruelty
All the happiness and good in my lif
have come without my seeking. l have
learned to wait, to refrain from wishes
or schemes, not to despair, but never
to hope"
Penelope groaned.
Horrible Heaven preserve me from
such resignation M care not to emulate
it. l prefer the struggle, however
severe, to such stagnation of every
thing"
The next morning as the Philadelphia
bound train passed by our cottage
Penelope, standing on the front porch
| shook her fist at it and cried: "'Go to
the centennial, YOU rich, horrible things
Go l donat care, and don't glare so
triumphantly out of the windows at
the people you see at home on yOul
route" ~
"I have an idea" / interrupted.
"Give it birth, Esther, quickly" cried
Pen.
dozens of trains passed here every
day, loaded with travellers, and they all
stop a few minutes. Let us try selling
them flowers. The roses will soon be in
their glory: and we might experiment
with ice-cold lemonade Iced tea, and
dainty sandwiches that have the un-
mistakable look of ''like your mother
makes" What say you Pen?"
81 am annoyed. stunnedi There
am recovering and as l return to my
normal condition, 1 may say am de-
lighted"
"Good."
"Who, pray, is to do the peddling ?"
Pen almost screamed, as the full force of
that branch of BUSINESS truck her.
Cant we" 1 asked.
care you crazy?'
Perhaps"
Pen whistled in a soft key, and looked
at me, askance.
Esther" she said oracularly, 81
thought you had fOreswOrn striving and
trying, and were resigned to the newt
able"
picked at the honey-suckle near me.
"Oh this is small matter and l
suggested it to give you an idea, a start"
Oh ! to be surei How stupid | am!
By the way have an idea"
"Wellr'
"Let's hire Boggs's boys to sell our
roses. They are quick, polite, knowing
little scamps, and have the appealing air
of impoverished gentility. What do
you say|'
"Your idea is par excellence. Let us
to work"
"There it is. 1 hate work. 1t is
pleasant enough to plan a campaign, but
to set to work on it is simply too
mundane for me-" and Penelope looked
as superbly above work as the veriest
queen who ever owned the title.
"COme on and gather roses" 1 ex-
claimed cor go over to Boggs's and talk
your fine spun diplomacy to those know
ing scamps of boys"
That not being exactly work, Pen few
eagerly to its performance. There was
generalship in it, and that was what she
liked.
Boggs's boys proved vulnerable and
tractable entirely. Our first bOquets
(in small vials of water, not wrath) sold
like flowers right from Paradise. They
looked like it too. Our sandwiches hung
fire at first, but one day went off with
glory and significance. The iced tea and
enjoyed spirited rivalry, and
our venture proved a NEST
glorious success.
GLOW are the books?" I asked
Penelope at the expiration of the first
week.
She looked over her pretty pen scratch
ings. eve are aboard the train for
Philadelphia" she answered.
"What, tirkets and baggage ~
"No, tickets only"
"That's encouraging. What are the
figures?'
zone, tall and slim the other short
and-not Slim"
How witty Don't tantalize or l will
vanish with the cOmpany's funds.
What are the profits this first week."
"Filteen dollars and torty-seven cents;
six stale sandwiches and Il modicum of
sugar"
"Good p'
Splendid cried Pen, "shall we
to weaken the lemonade ?"
"No, dear, we will not wander from
the proper proportions, nor depart from
honest and virtuous principles and |
dealings, until the last week or two !
Then we will gradually fade out, like a
meteOr's tail"
This was the last week in May, and as
we never expressed wish to visit the |
before September, we have |
ample time before us to accomplish our
most sanguine expectations.
Later.
Our bank account is now ninety-nine |
3Olars, and we have each purchased and |
made a linen suit, and glorified our
heads with handsome hats. Our bank |
account and wardrobes grow apace, and
business is thriving. People laughed at |
Dus enterprise at first, and then as sue
cess came, they envied us and then
slandered us. Envy always back-bites.
Success meant a good time helping to
celebrate our country's birthday; and |
the ''good time coming" for us, was
being continually planted in the faces of |
our enemies.
Nothing succeeds like success, that !
remark is original and unique. But, in
spite of several small vicissitudes (such /
as always give variety to enterprise) we |
are becoming wealthy and famous.
One day 1--WE had been at work three |
Or four weeks) Philip Oswald came in |
upon us suddenly.
"Girls," he said platonically, 81 have |
IN order for Montcalm, Theron q Co."
"There is no Co.," Pen corrected |
"Beg the friends pardon; well, to take
up the suddenly snapped thread of my
| have an order or two for |
your house. The Odd Fellows want |
eight hundred sanwiches ofyou for their
the festival next week, the |
same number, and all the flowers you
can spare"
"Whe engaged you as runner for our
firm ?" Pen asked severely.
"Your lovely self, ma Penelope. / am
runner in general for your majesty"
Penelope curved her scarlet lips and
raised her eyebrows clear into her bangs.
Philip was not to be daunted so easily.
"a dash of scorn becomes your face, ma
5eLIe," he laughed, but with little sus-
Dicion of pique in his fine voice. "You
ire bewitching among the roses and lilies,
Penelope; and familiarity with them has
,ent some of their loveliness into your
,elf"
Pen frowned, and with a genuine ac-
cent of displeasure, said, Chow fatty
and what of the butter?
Have l grown more ethereal among the
P'
Her manner and tones were in
cruel, and was really angry
with her. 1 looked at Philip, and wv
S--o,- 10 Sa@+Ia Iov-,, o,-o- L..