, 1876-01-15

"Oh, it is one of my odd fancies."
"But do tell me- Florence"
"Well. cousin, you knew the little pale
girl to whom we give scwing3"
"Whnt' little Mary Stcphcnsi How alb
snrd, Florence! This IS just another of your
mothcrly, old.maiiish ways, dressing dolls
for poor children, making bonnets and knit.
ting socks for all tho dirty little babies in the
rcighhorhood. do believe you have made
more call.in those two vile, ll.smelling alleys
behind our house, than ever you havei in Chest
nut street though YOU know everybody Is
dying to see you; and now to crown all, you
must give this choice little biiou ton seam
stress-girl, when one Of your most intimate
friends, in your own class. would value II 80
highly. What in the world can people in
their circumstances want with flowers"
"Just the same as do" replied Florence,
calmly. "IIave you not noticed that little
girl never comes here without looking wist.
fully at the opening huds2 And don't YOU
remember, the morning she asked me so pref
tily If would let her mother come and see
| il, she was 40 fond ofhowers1"
"But, Florence, only think of this rare
flower standing on a table with ham, eggs,
cheese, and flour, and stifcd in that close lit
tie room where Mrs. Stephens and her daugh.
ter manage to wash, iron and cook"
"well, Kate. and if were obliged to live
in one coarse room, and wash, and iron, and
cook, as you say; if had to spend every mo-
ment Of my time in toll, with no prospect
from my window hut brick wall and dirty
lane, such flower rs this would be untold
enjoyment TO me-"
"Pshaw, Florence: nll sentiment! Poor
lcople have no time 10 bc sentimental BE.
sides, don't believe il will grow with them;
tits green housy flower, and used to deli
cate living"
"Oh. as TO that, flower never inquiries
whether its owner is rich or poor; and Mrs
Stephens, whatever else she hps not, has sun
shine ofas good quality Ns this tbar streams
through our window. The beautiful things
that God makes are his gifts to all alike.
You will ace that my fair rose will he as well
and ns cheerful in Mrs. Stephens room as in
ours"
"Well nftrr all how odd! When one gives
topoor people, one wants to give something
uscfula bushel fpotatocs, . ham and such
things"
"Why certainly, potatoes and ham must be
supplied; hut having minstcred to the first
and most craving wants, why not add any
other little pleasure or qualification we may
have in our power to bcstow1 know there
are many Of the poor who have fine feelings
and keen sense the beautiful, which rusts
out anti dies because they arc too hard press.
ed to procure it any qualification. Poor Mrs,
Stephens, for example, know she would en-.
iov birds, aud flowers. and music as much "a
do, have seen eye light mp as she looked
upon these things in our drawing room, and
vet not one beautiful thing can she command.
From necessity, her room, her clothing, all
she has, must he coarse and plain. You
should have seen the almost rapture she and
Mary felt when offered them my rose"
"Dear me! all this may he true, hut new
cr Thought Of that before. never thought
that these hard. working people had any ideas
Of taste"
"Then why do you SEQ the gcrnnum or
rose 40 carefully nurscd in tho old cracked
teapot in the poorest room, or the morning
glory planted in n box, and twncd about
the windowl Do not these show that the
human heart ycarns for the beautiful in all
ranks of life' You remember Kate, how our
washerwoman sat up whole niglt, after a
hard days work, to make her frst baby a
dretty dress to he baptised in"
AYES, and remember how laughed at !
you for making such tasteful little cap for
IT,"
"Wcll, Kate, think the look Of perfect
delight with which the poor mother regaded
her baby in its new dress and cap, was some
thing quite worth creating. lido believe she
could not have felt more grateful II | had
sent her barel Of -four"
"WeIl' we'll, cousin suppose you are right,
but have mercy on my poor head it is to
small to hold so many new ideas all at once
SO 60 on your way" And the little lady
began prOctic,ng a waltzing step before the
glass with great satisfaction.
1t was very small room, lighted by only /
one window. There was no carpet on the
floor, there was clean, hut coarsely covered
bel in one corner; a cupboard With few
dishes and plates, in the other, chest of
drawers; and before the window stood small .
cherry stand, quite new, and indeed it was
the only article in the room that seemed So
A pale, sickly-looking woman of about
forty was leaning back in her rocking chair
her eyes closed, and her lips compressed us il
in pain. She rocked backward and forward
. few minutes, pressed her hand hard upon ]