Osage Valley banner., 1880-04-01
JACKS FLOWER MISSION.


to the houses, many OF them well culti-
vated aud laid out in neat dover beds.
Such a gaCden surrounded Jacks home,
and his lister May sometimes engaged
him 10 work In tho flowers with her lit.
tie hoe aud trowcl aud watering-pot
But Jack was a bad wceder and not 10
be depended on; for, after bending his
back 4 few minutes in grubhing dock
and "pursley,n he generally throw
down his tools and soampered off 20
play with "the Beekman boys" across
the street.
jack did not like 10 have il supposed
chat he was under peticoat govern
meni, or had any thing weak and girl
ish about him; but he was rather fond
of the sweet odors and bright colors Of
flowers, and when one day in summer
he found his sister May, with a large
basket beside her, busy tying mp small
nOsegays to send 10 the sick people in
the hospitals and The crippled children
in The Juvenile infrmary, he thought to
himself that if he were lying Ill In one
of those close wards, Obliged to keep
quiet al dsyeand ~ take frequent. tea
spoonft,ls ~ bad-tfstiug stuff, il would
0 be very pleasant 10 have a kind, soft
voiced lady bring bim Il swect-smelling
bpneh Of roses aud goraniums.
The next day Jack happened 10 bo
passing through low quarter OF the
town, filled with tenement houses and
swarming with dirty, wild-eycd irish
children Near the corner 81 Clarke
and Mott Streets stood an old, tumhie-
down frame building, which iutted "A
little over the sidewalk, and the lower
window -paneso OF the irst story were on
a level with jacks eyes, as the place
was without yardor area. The tattered
halfeurtain happened 70 bedrawn aside,
and Il was by tho merest accident that
Jack looked in, with rather "A delicate
stare. One OF the lower panes was
broken, and he could clearly see almost
every thing the miserable room CON
taincd AZ first Il appeared to be va
cant; but, rs his glance returned 20 the
corner nearest the window, he discoy-
cred = little cot, with stand near its
head, holding cup and spoon and
broknn glass The cot was covered with
= dingy sheet and a ragged quilt, under
which lay n little pale, emaciated girl,
about seven years old. Gao arm was
thrown around rag doIl--a detected
looking creature, with u bit OF old lace.
tied over her iIat head the other ciasped
some small object very tightly, which
Jack, by peering some time through
the pane, made ont TO be glass boitle-
stopper, evidently cherished toy. The
poor little thing was fast asleep. She
scoTied weak and spent and her breath
came fitfully. He face was too pale
sndthin 70 be pretty--it was scarcely
childish; but her hair lay loose on the
ragged pillow and slIoue with a golden
tinge. The room was poor and dingy
aud dark. with nothing pleasant for sick
eyes 20 rest upon. Jack stood and won
dered why The sick child was all alone |
aud then it occurred to him that prob-
ably the mother was obliged TO 90 out
10 her work, and had left the little girl
locked in for the day. She was not vet
too weak 10 help herself 90 the food and
medicine that stood near her on the Ia
ble, and Jack knew by her face that she
was intelligent and could be trusted,
Jack turned away from tho window,
and walked along rather thoughtfully
for block or two, Then he quickened
his pace, and finally almost ran, as he
approached the high, clean portion Of
tho city where his fathers house stood.
II was warm afternoon, and the
shaker chairs were empty all in a row
on the piazza, aud he could hear his
sister May dreamily striking the keys of
her Stoinway piano He opened the
gate softly and looked about the garden.
There were plenty OF flowers in bloom,
for il was not emission day" The
holiotropes, and yerhenas, and scarlet
geraniums, and roses, perkel up their
heads In the sunshine Jack gazed
around, uncertain what 10 choose, until
his exc fen on splendid Jacqueminot
rose, which had just expended its Grim
son bosom, with two beautiful buds
growing close beside Il. lie broke them
all off hastily and ruthlossly, IN boy
fashion, and then selected some panSies
and s0me heliorope and mignonotte,
aud surrounded the whole with sheath
OF sweet-scented geranium leaves,
He finished without being caught BY
MaS, for which he was thankful Ii WAS
also iucky that none of those Beekman
B6ys were 20 that moment playing
" titg and hop scotch iin the street
Jack tied his bOuquot with two or three
blades. of grass, and wTappedit IN a hit
Of paper which Ne piekedup onst the sides
walk You have guessed already what
Jack ine;fntto do Ih ten minutes ha
wits back ,F the broken window where
he had stood an hour before.
The little girl was sun sleeping, for
she was very weak, and If she woke for
afelY.lninntes often, dozed of again be
fore loBg She had tnrRed over en her
side, aud her pale face hail faint iiulse
Of color, Jack saw man smoking and
rMrFt "a