Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-05-06
A Crown of Gold.

a light nourishing diet, and good VINE
that's what she needs, said DR.. Osborne,
sorrowfully. Medicine can do nothing
here"
He spoke sorrowfully because he knew
right we'll that what he was recommend
| ing was beyond his patients power to OBJ
tain, and his heart ached for the positive
despair that showed itself in the face of the
listener.
A beautiful girl of 19 or 90 years, per-
haps, upon whose youth the blight of care
and poverty had fallen heavily. She was
poorly clad in black, and as she put back
her dingy veil with 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 whole history of untold anguish in
their depths.
Doctor Charles Osborne, young and ten
der of heart, looking into the sad blue eyes
and falling each moment more and more
deeply in love with their owner, impulsive-
lY answered their despairing gaze as he
might have answered spoken words.
81 would to God that my means were
equal to my will !! " said he. Il am but
a poor and 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 to him CRATE
fully, and the tears in her blue eyes over
flowed.
Il thank you for your sympathy" she
said simply, land for your constant care,
but for which she might not her eyes
were on the bed and her voice sank low
- she might not perhaps, have been spared
| 10 me this loLg. For the rest with a
deep sigh--'' If there be any way in the
world to oltain it she shall have wine.
She s.Ood for a few seconds, looking
after him, and listening to his football as 1t
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
nOaned. "If so it is only TO torture u.s.
| In my poverty true heart has come to me,
| but it can never be mine !"
Then she went into the no0T, Dare room,
closing the door softly after her. and bent
above the sleeping figure on the bed.
"Good Iood and wine," she nlurmured.
"And she will die without theT. How
can get them? How? Alas 1t was
easier TO ask than to answer that. Every
thing they possessed that would fetch a
dollar had been sold, and had she not spent
almost the whole of this weary day in try
ing to obtain work and quite IN valn9
81 know not what to do" she sighed,
despairing!v, and turned away, and, half
unconsciously, ook off her bonnet. AS
she did that, bit of wire escaping from
the fOius of Grape caught in her comb and
drew it out, and down tumbled glorious
shower of golden hair upon her shoulders.
ga crown of gold!" she said sadly and
bitterly. "The last of my ornaments. II
was we'll enough when | was rich Wher
poor papa was alive to take pride in it, anc
call me Princess Golden Hair, and deck il
with pearls and gems; but now-what dC
want with it nowE"
She took it down again, and shook i
over her like veil, and held it up, allow
ing the shining hairs to fall through he
white fingers like golden rain.
'It is worth something" she said
thoughtfully. ''if had wanted to pur
chase it, when | had money, should hav
paid well for it-a hundred dollars, per
haps. Iwonder if Lily Edison would Civ
me twenty now"
'I'A try" she muttered, resoluteIy, ant
began to coil it up again.
'Iily's hair was of exactly the sam
color" she mused anXiously.
ssBut she had not SO much on all he
head as I twist into one of these braids
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 wine
while your child wears golden crown
Never, dear! !"
Lily Edison was an heiress and belle
Not so handsome as the fair rival who ha