Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-22

every woman needsa home, think"
Mrs. Scraggs watched David, to see how
he took her view of things, and was graf
flied to see that it interested him.
"Tell her thank her very much" said
David. at makes me think of mothers
roses; tell her that"
The flower made his room almost
beautiful, and his heart seemed full of
dreams, forfhe did nothing but dream the
rest of that day, and it must have been
the roses fragrance that made him do it.
Another day of confinement Would
he ever get out again9 He went to the
window and watched the skies. They
were torbiddingly gray. 1t would rain
by tomorrow. But while he stood there
the sun seemed to burst forth, and the
world was suddenly bright and gay.
Other people might have failed to see
any Wonderful change,but looking over
the way, he saw Ruth at her window
watering her rose, and she saw him, and
bowed and smiled, and that accounted
for the sudden frightening up of every
thing.
The next morning it rained; slow,
dull, drizzling kind of rain, that didn't
amount to much as ram, but effectu-
ally prevented him from going to the
store, as he had intended to.
Ruth was at the window, setting her
rose on the sill to catch the drops as
they fell, when he looked across the way
alter breakfast. She nodded and smiled
to him, and the air seemed alive with
rainbows. He threw up his window and
said, "Good morning." and they had
quite pleasant chat together. Being
up so high they could carry on their con-
versation without interfering with any
body.
He sat by the window and tried to
read, that afternoon. But his eyes would
keep wandering from his paper to the
window over the way.
By and by Ruth came to take in her
rose. She threw up the window and
reached to get the Pot; but by some mis-
hap it slipped from her grasp and went
tumbling down to the ground, where it
broke into fragments, and the rose was a
poor, mangled thing, with its life crush
ed out of it forever.
A cry broke from Miss Doane's lips
cry full of pain and grief. Her rose
was like friend, almost the only friend
she had in the world And it was
gone!
David sprang up, pulledI on his coat,
put on his hat, and started for the old
German florists, round the corner, "that
sudden" Mrs. Scraggs declared, ''that
she thought he was took worse, an won
dered if he wasn't out of his head"
Pretty soon he came back with a pot
under each arm; one held rose bush,
twice as large as the one that had met
such sad fate, full of beautiful roses and
scarlet buds: and the other Gala, with
two MAGNIFICENT blossoms cleaning out
Whitley from its broad green leaves.
David went straight to Ruth Doane's
room. He never stopped to think any
thing about the propriety of the action.
He knocked at her door, and she came to
let him in with fearful face. She had
been crying over her poor rose.
81 saw it. cried David. 81 knew how
you cared for it, and brot ght these to
take its place."
''Oh, what beautiful things!" she said,
bending over them, while her face was
| fairly radiant. I don't know which
pleased her most, the flowers or the kind
1
looked up her eyes were full of tears.
81 can't think of words to tell you how
thenkful am" she said. "But if you
knew how few beautiful things my life
has in it, and could only know how much
like friends flowers are, you could under
stand it,
II do understand" he said softly
"Oh Ruth, would love make your lie
anv brighter2"
She looked up wonderingly, question
ingly.
& love you," he said simply, and his
face..was TRANSPORTED by the holy light of
his affection. 81 love you, Ruth. I
want you. May have you9"
He held out his hand toward ner. She
was pale now.
care you sure you want me9r she
asked.
"Quite sure" he answered, smiling
"surer than ever was of anything else
in my life"
She put her hands in his, and sweet
rain tears b1okc over the violets of her
eyes. He folded her to his breast and
kissed every tear awav, while his heart
was ringing with sudden music. 518
my Ruth he said, very softly, very
tenderly. and kissed her again. "How
happy am! wonder if you know9"
81 think ! do" she whispered, "be-
cause am so happy myself"
By and-by, David, sitting by the little
table where Ruth had written hour after
hour, while he had watched her light up
on the wall, told her of his dream.
"Such pleasant home as we will
! have!'' he cried, and the rose bush shook
all over in its mysterious glee, and the
trumpet blossoms of the Gala seemed
ringing out jubilant peals.
"Home," she repeated, musingly SITS
word I've almost forgotten the meaning
Of" ~
"We'll learn what it means" he said.
: And they have. The fire on their hearth
: is as bright as any hearth. fire in the land
Home is home to them, and not place
to live In.