River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-06-19
The twilight was deepening

The twilight was uebpeHlup.
She was far from home and little Jane.
She was faint with WEAKNESS and hum
ger.
Beyond the present moment all seemed
an utter blank TO her.
She covered her face with her hands;
the rose dropped into her lap unheeded.
She care for 1T no more.
Fate was 50 much against her that no
one would even buy beautiful flower
like that of her.
There were steps.
She needed them not.
There were voices.
1t mattered not to her.
Suddenly some one said
"What beautiful rose.
And the words caught her ear.
She looked up.
Three or four seafaring men, with bun
dies in their hands, were passing by,
fresh from the ocean evidently, embrown-
ed with the sun and wind, and with the
ships roll still in their gait
Sailors were always generous. once OF
these would buy the flower.
She held out the flower.
''Buy it please" she whispered, family.
HPlease buy this rose.
ii am glad TO get it." said stout, cl-
derby man, slipping forward whats
the price. my lass? win that doa'
He tossed tlmee or four toreign-looking
silver pieces into her lap, and took the
flower.
Then looking at her very closely he
spoke again;
Al -,
afeared TO tell me. | had little girl Of
my own once. Shes dead now. Tell me,
can help you!"
Millicent looked up.
The mans face was half hidden by his
hat, and he was stouter and grayer than
her father had been, but she fancied a
| likeness.
"You have helped me. sir, she said,
'.by buying the rose. Thank you very
much. Ny father was sailor too; and
he WIS shipwrecked. =
ITS sailors fate. said the man. Its
time you were getting home, lass. This
city is no place fer a young glrl TO be out
in after night. But just wait, sailors
orphan has clam GA a sailor, and my
poor little Millicent would have l.een
about your age if she had lived
"MilicentY screamed the girl. ''Oh,
my name is Millicent I'm frightened.
| don't know what to think. You look
like him-you I'm Alillicent Blair
MY father was Roger Blair Is it a
dream2 1t can't be true. 1t can't he
father
But the next instant he had her in his
arms. and she knew that the SEA had glver
him back to her.
Wrecked with the vessel, but not lost
he had been cast upon desert island
whence he escaped after three wear!
wears, only to find his little home empty
The widow had left her little cottage
to earn her living in the city, and thu
news of her death had been brought
, back to her old home by some one wh'
had beeA in New York when she died
aud " ho had either heard or imagined
! that he heard that her children were deaf
also.
J And the news was told to Roger Blai
by kindly people who believed 1t thor
oughly, and he had borne it as best HI
could. and had sailed the sea again,
weary, heart broken man.
He had not found all his treasures bu
that some were spared was more than HI
had ever hoped and the meeting between
father and daughter was like two arisel
! from the dead.
And so the rose bush had done NOR
= for Nillcent than she could have dreamed
and 10 this day it is the most cherished
treasure in the little HON where the ole
2 man lives with his two daughters; an'
l when once a month its blossoms fill tia
Z air with their fragrance, they GROVE
{ about it as the shrine of some sainte'
thing, and whisper:
l but for this we should still be parted.