Smyrna times., 1880-07-14
A Crown Of Gold.


He spoke sorrowfully because he knew
right we'll that what he was recommending
was beyond his patients power to obtain,
and his heart ached for the positive despair
that showed itself in the face of the lis.
tener.
A beautiful girl of nineteen or twenty
years perhaps, upon whose youth the blight
and care Of poverty had fallen heavily.
She was poorly clad in black, and as she
put back her dingy veil with a white and
trembling hand, her large blue eyes, full of
unshed tears, roved from the speakers
kindly face to the wasted, silent figure on
the bed again with a whole history of an
guish in their depths.
Doctor Charles Osborn, young and tender
Of heart, looked into the sad, blue eyes,
and falling each moment more deeply in
love with their owner, impulsively answer
ed spoken words.
" would to God my means were equal to
my willr l am but a poor struggling
physician, as you know, otherwise your
mother would want for nothing"
The young girl blushed vivid crimson
suddenly, and drew up her slight figure
haughtily, with look of offended pride.
1t was only for an instant however, the
next she held out her hands gratefully,
and the tears in her sweet blue eyes over.
flowed.
:" l thank you for your sympathy" she
said simply, land for your constant care,
but for which she might mother eyes
were on the bed and her voice sank low
"she might not perhaps have been spared to
me this long. For the rest'-with a deep
sigh-"if there be any way in the world to
obtain it she shall have wine"
She stood for few seconds looking after
him, and listening to his football as it
echoed along the bare staircase and hall
she let her face fall down on her hands
with fearless sob.
"Can poverty bring US good gifts?" she
moaned. If so 1T is only to torture us. In
my poverty true heart has come to me
but it can never be mine. ~
Then she went to the poor, bare room
closing the door softly after her, and bent
above the sleeping figure on the bed.
Good food and wine," she murmured
"and she dies without them. How can
| get them2 HOw2' Alas! 1t was easier
to ask than answer that. Everything they
! possessed that would fetch dollar haC
been sold, and had she not spent almost the
whole of this weary day in trying to obtair
work and quite in vain?
81 do not know what to do" she sighed
desparingy, and turned away, and uncon
sciously took off her bonnet As she die
that bit of wire escaping from the folds o
the Grape caught in her comb and drew i
out, and down tumbled glorious showe
Of golden hair upon her shoulder.
"a crown of gold !" she said sadly anC
bitterly. "The last of nay ornaments.
was well enough when | was rich. Wher
poor papa was alive to take pride in it
deck it with pearls and gems; but now
what do | want with it now?"
She took it down again and shook it owe
her like a veil, and held it up, allowing he
shining hair to fall through her white fin
gers like golden rain.
"Itis worth something" she said thought
fully. "If | had wanted to purchase
when had money | should have paid wei
for it-a hundred dollars, perhaps won
der if Lily Edison would give me twent
now?"
"Ill try" she muttered, resolutely, an
began to coil it up again.
"Lily's hair was of exactly the sam
COLOR" she mused anxiously.
But she had not as much on all he
head as l twist up into one of these braid
She used to say laughing, that she woul
, gladly buy mine for its weight in gold"
"Well, I'll try"
Once more she put on her bonnet, an
leaned over the bed
"You shall not die for want of win
while your child wears a golden crow
Never, dear!
Lilly Edison was an heiress and bell. NJ
so handsome as the fair rival who had bee
her bosom friend two years ago--beautifl
Dora Tremaine-but handsome, enoug
her rival having disappeared from societ
and been forgotten.
81 wonder what did become of Dora
Lily would say to herself sometimes, bl
: she never cared enough to do more tha
y wonder. Else she might have learned tina
like others "poor but prond," Dora ar
her mother had hidden themselves in the
reverse of fortuue from all who had know
them in their prosperous days; snkiI
slowly and hopelessly beneath a sea
trouble, until at last they left not even
sign behind to mark the place where tn,
, sank to ruin.
So Lily Edison's surprise was great indie,
when her maid ushered Dora unannounc,
into her boudoir that evening. The pa
girl came forward with outstretchsd han
anu eXclIeu eyes JnaJ saw no ono DuJ Ill
"Do you remember me?" she ask
almost wildly, 1--WE were dear friends al
schoolmates once you and ~ She pull
the faded Grape bonnet from her hea
"See, you used to envy nay golden crow
- It's all that's left of those old days. !
mother is sick-we need money very sore
Lily will you buy my hair?"
@ And she took out the comb, and dov
the glittering treasure fell, no more like
g golden crown, but a cloak Of shining bea
ty. Dora held it up in her tremblieg har
"Buy it for heavens sake |" she said, q
burst into storm Of tears. "Help
8 save her life"
And then, before Lily could gather bres
for reply, firm hand caught Dora a
placed her in a chair, and brusque, dc
voice, somewhat shaken with emotion sa
w "Pm your customerl There, there,
my poor child, cry all your grief aw
You're with friends-look up and see if J
don't know meT
D. Dora looked up in the speakers face.
"Dr. Gray ~ she cried, and hid her Fl
in shame. "You here7 / thought N
Edison was alone, thought
"That she would buy your crown of gol
B said the old doctor, merrily. $50
l.. would, I've no doubt, be glad of the chan
n, but I've bought it. Whatever she off
~ I'll double, my dear; and you are bound
oaIl ~ fO tho hiUbaof hidIaw poaidac