The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-11-29
.r.lLslnL.i barrel y 81 s snii4N 1t
THE FLOWER GIRL.
" Millieent. Millicent. wi
BY MINNIE HoLBRooK.

perT'
"God only knows, child"
There she sat staring into the little
fire on which their last atom of wood
was burning, and seeing in the red ashes
into which the light wood dropped so
quickly, pictures of the past They had
I never been rich people, but always COM
Z Portable. 49i - :.
pa Her father was seafaring man-frst
amateof an ocean vesselAand her mother
a tidy housewife, who made everything
bright and cozy. How he used to sit
I telling his adventures to them when he
was at home. q
He;would not have been a sailor had
there not been sea-serpents and mermaids
in them, but nothing was wonderful for
those loving folk at home to credit; and
indeed he probably believed them him
self. 2-fH
The rooms had been pretty with shells
and coral branches, and bright parrots
In swinging cages and pictures of ships
upon the wall.
1t had been SO different from this
wretched place in which the two girls
now lived.
That was not all; the love was gone.
the tender care that parents have for
their children. :
The mother lay in her green grave in
far-of cemetery; and who can point
the place of a shipwrecked sailors
grave3 l s.ssa IAoil aal b., .4e) &
n She remembered so well how he sailed
away that last time-how she looked
after him, her mother and herself-how
they waited for news, and waited in vain,
until at last there came to them sailor,
saved from the wreck of the "Flying
Scud, ewho told how she went down in
mid-seas at the dead of the night, ablaze
from one end to the other; and how
Roger Blair, the first mate, was among
the missing. ~
a's After that, poverty and sorrow; de-
parture from that dear old home; toll
and a strange city, sickness, friendless-
2 ness, and the browning woe of all, the
mothers death.
The girl had done her best for her
little sister ever since, but she was not a
! very skillful needlewoman, and could
1 not earn as much as some others; and
now work had given out altogether, and
she, pretty and sweet and good and help
ful IN daughterly way about the house,
! was not quite sure that she could win
bread for two in any way bread and
! shelter and fire. e.l-.i 49,. t.lf
ll She was only seventeen and frail
little creature, with very little strength
9 In her small body, and now that matters
were so bad, who can wonder that she
! almost despaired? nL
A9."l suppose it isn't quite supper time
3 yet?p said little Jane again.
~ A''What shall dog' said Millicent to
herself, as she looked about the ROOM
II have sold everything-the clock, the
books, even mothers work-box and the
parrot. There is nothing left. The
child viii starve before morning. Oh,
what shall do?'
10 She arose and went to the window,
and looked down into the street. 1t was
dirty and narrow, and swarmed with
filthy children. .i,g St. ~ -fif
Opposite was little drinking shop,
about which blind man with fiddle
drew profitless audience.
Nothing sweet, or fresh, or pure met
her eye there, butbetween that scene and
herself a sudden breeze blew beautiful
screen, and there was waited to her
through the broken glass an exquisite
perfume. ..-'. --E
az. On the sill without stood rose in
broken teapot: hA ssuf.l
She had picked up the slip among the
rubbish cast out by neighboring
gardener, and it had grown well in its
3 handful of earth
To-day 1T had bloomed; perfect rose,
exquisite in shape, perfume and color,
dro0ped from one stem, and beside it a
shalf-blown bud gave promise of another
flower as lovely. ~ sf,ftr ~ r. .
= Until this moment Milhcent, in her
anxiety, had forgotten her one treasure.
4 But for gentle shower that had fallen
that morning it might have withered
where it stood, for she had not even
watered it. Now a bright thought
hitted through her mind. She had often
seen children selling flowers in the street,
and ladies and gentlemen seemed glad to
buy, them She would force herself to
be courageous. She would go out into
the street with this rose and its bud, and
some one would give her enough to buy
a loaf of bread, or at least a roll for little
Jane. V sis5sF i5s ~ 49,.
hss6he would do it-she would. l1s.s.8
"na She tied on her hood and raped her
shawl about her, and plucking the
flower and leaf or two, and that bright
bud, that seemed perhaps the fairer of
the two, babe Jane be good and wait for
her, and went dawn stairs and out from
the dingy cross street.-The broadway.
There every one save herself seemed
gay and happy, and well dressed. sg,D
She seemed to be a thing aoart--.a