Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-02-04

! way u Hdu bIooiltu, perfect
rose, exquisite in shape, perfume
and color, dropped from one stem,
aud beside ii Il half blown bud gave
promise OF another flower rs lovely.
Until this moment Millicent, in
her anxiety, had forgotten her one
treasure.
/ Bat for II gentle shower that had
inllrn that morning ii might have
Nlthcrrd where ii stood. Tor she
had not even wairIrd IL. Now a
bright Thought fitted through her
mind. She had often seen children
selling flowers in the street, and
ladies and gentlemen srriacd glad
- buy them. She would force her.
self Ia he courageous. She would
go ont into the street with this rose
aud lis bud. and some one would
give her enough to buy u loaf OF
bread, or at ledS, roll Tor little
Jane.
She would do il--Shc would.
She tied on her hood and wrap.
ped her shawl about her. AMI pluck
Ing the flower aud Il leaf or two,
and that bright bud, that seemed
perhaps the iIirrr of the two. babe
Jane hc good and wait tor her, and
, Went clown stairs and ont from the
dingN cross street into Broadway.
There every one save herself
seemed gay and happy, and well
dressed.
She seemed to he Il thing apart -
Il black blot IN Ill this brightness.
She stood AT Il corner and held
out her flowers, but il srciucd that
no one needed her.
AT last she gathered courage tn
touch one ct the Ladies' that passed.
and SAY:
"Euy IA rose, lady-buy Il rose!
Please buy rosie"
But the woman hurried 10y as the
rest did. 1t would not do To stand
still. She walked on slowly. When.
ever she caught II pleasant eye, she
held out her tiny bouquet and re-.
peated her prayer.
"Buy II rose! buy rose"
But the sun was setting and she
WAS opposite the City Hall Park,
and still no one had bought her
flowers. She WAS growing desper.
ate. Some one should buy it. Jane
should have bread tina, night.
"BnN II rose, See. Look at il,
See how pretty il is she cried. in II
voice sharpcncd 10y hunger and sor.
row. Look. You don't look at it,
or you'd buy"
These street beggars should he
suppressed" said stout man she
had addressed. Young woman,
I'll give You in charge il YOU don't
bchave Yourself"
"llr don't know: he don't know"
said Millicrnl To herself. "Nobody
could guess how poor We are. Oh,
" hat Il hard, hard world.'
Then she went on, not daring to
speak again, and her rose dropped
Il little in her fingers, and still no
one seemed disposed to buy it.
In her excitement she walked
further than she knew. She was
far down Broadway. and before her
was Bowling Green. with its newly.
trimmed grass plot aud its sllvcry
fountain.
\ little further on the Battery,
newly restored 10 it's pristine glory,
and on its benches some blue blous.
ed cfnfgrantS. with rCuId, Dutch
faces, and their harrhraded wives
with WOODEN pttticOatS and little
slIawls crossed over their bDsoms
and knotted al theil waist.
AS they stared about them, it
struck the girl that they, fresh from
the sea. might he tempted 10y the
fresh. sweet rose she held in her
hand, To spend few pennies; but
when she offered il To them, she
SAW they were more prudent.
They only shook their beads sol.
rnulN, and looked away from her.
And this last hope gone. despair
seized upon Milicrnt. She sank
down upon a hruch and began To
weep bitterly. The twilight WAS
deepening. She WAS lar from home
and little Jane. She WIS taiu, with
wrariness aud hunger. Beyond the
present moment all seemed an ut
ter blank To her. She covered her
face with her hands; the rose drop.
ped from her lap UNDECIDED. She
cared for it no more. Fate was
against her. that no one could even
buy beautiful flower like that
from her.