The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-07-30
" ROSES"

"Roses, indeed!" said Mr.. Merritt.
with dark frown on his countenance
Ia dollars worth OF roses never
heard OF such nonsense in nay life.
What In the name of common sense do
you want OF roses, I'd like to knowP
Ain'S there lots of wild ones down in
the swamp"
Mary Merritt stood crimson and con-
fused beneath the lash of her fathers
sneering words. She was slight,
pretty girl Of eighteen, with bright
brown eyes, hair smooth and glossy as
chestnut rind, and n complexion of
the purest pink and white.
Il - thought I'd like a few flowers
in the door-yard," hesitated Mary,
scarcely venturing to lift her eyes from
the floor.
"FlowcrS!" sarcastically echoed her
father. Wouldn't you like set of
diamonds, or a black-velvet gownP
Or n carriage and fourP II I'd known
you was such fine lady I'd have had
the house newly furnished with red vel
vet cushions and a Brussels carpet.
You must have deal ofmoney to spare,
80 90 about ordering dollars worths Of
roscsw
Its my own money, father" cried
poor Mary, fairly stung to desperation.
~ earned it with my own hands,
binding shoes Mt night, after the days
work was DONE"
And you're mine, amt yOu-and al
that belongs to youP" said Josiah Mer.
ritt, grimly. "And If you're able to
earn any extra money, it had ought to
he handed over TO me. Give me that
letter with the dollar-bill in itp"
Cant have any roses, fatherp" said
Mary, with sinking heart.
"Not on this here farm" said Mr..
Merritt. "All the spare money we can
raise goes to payin' interest on the old
mortgage and keeping up the buildings
aud fences. A dollar amt much, '
oying poor Mary's precious bill, "buj
dollar will help along, Now go back
to your milk. skimming, or your bread
making, or whatever you're about
And if you want any roses or posies go
out into the fields arter them"
He went out as he spoke, banging the
kitchen-door after him, and Mary sat
down and cried.
She was so tired of the plantain-weeds
and running white clover in the door
ward; she had so longed for few brig ighl
spots of color there. And she mao
worked so hard to earn the money that
her father had Just coolly contiscated,
Josiah Merritt kept no servant, and
she was the patient household drudge.
So Mary washed and ironed, baked and
cleaned, made cheese and butter, raised
whole colony Of young turkeys, gees
and chickens, and mended her fathers
shirts and stockings between times.
For poor Mrs. Merritt had been
worked" out Of the world years be
fore, and nothing remained OF her but a
tender memory in Mary's heart. and a
crooked tombstone, half-buried In
weeds and briars, in the village church
ward. Nor did she venture to plead
that one OF the confscAted roses had
been "for mothers graveW
"It's too bad" said Joel Harvey, who,
from the back shed, where he had been
sharpening his sickle, had heard the
whole alteration. "Why didn't you
lei the poor girl have her roses, Mr.
Merritt"
because don't believe in encoursg-
ing 70 such high-hown notions" re-
torted the farmer, stiflly.
"Yes, but"
ats my business, Joel Harvey, not
YOURS" said Mr.. Merritt. "And now,
If that there scythe's ready, We'll 90
back to the ten-acre lot. Time is
money, and we've wasted enough Of 1t
already this morning"