Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-06-15
81. makes me think of old times h

'It makes me think of old times" he
said. 81 nearly broke my neck once
climbing an old apple-tree for blossom.
like that to give to Lucy Baird, the pret-
test girl in school. I fell from the top
branch and my brother, l never had but
one, sir. picked me up and carried me
home. He was real good TO me all the
long time was sick, too. l think he'd
have died for me then, and just to think
that now we should be quarreIns over q
few hundred dollars! Castor, you needn',
do anything about this matter-just yet,
at least. II guess III go see him.
And say"-rather shyly-'you couldn't
spare me little twig with few Of those
blossoms on it, could you:"
Mr.. Castor willingly broke off branch
and handed it to him, but he watched
Mr.. Edson's departure with comical
smile on his countenance.
"Those apple blossoms are doing sad
work in this Office" he said laughingly
to Clark. "I've lost one promising case
through them already, and as for keep
ing my own mind on anything legal it's
an utter imposiblity- It's quite evident
to my mind that Law and flowers were
never meant to 60 together. ! think Ill
take them home to my wife before they
do any more mischief"
But as he turned to 60 out of the Office
door he saw the Office boy eyeing his
bunch wistfully.
"Here, John, would you like spray:"
he asked kindly, and without waiting for
the eager answer he saw on the boys lips
he tossed him one Then he ran down
the Office steps humming again the tune
that had haunted him that morning. He
looked so pleasant as he stood at the
street corner waiting for his car, that a
ragged little girl who saw him ventured
to ask:
"Please, mister, what is them posies! ?"
apple blossoms"
"Does they grow on the trees that has
apples on"
"Yes."
"Oh my. wouldn't like to see EN-
once! Say, mister. would ye give me a
little one:"
"Yes. Here. child" breaking off an
other little branch and giving it to her.
He watched her from the car window
take off her old hat and stow away her
treasure in that. and then, clasping it
close to her breast, set off on a run down
toward the lower part of the city.
When he reached his home and gave
the branch to his wife her faded, peevish
face relaxed into smile that was almost
sweet as she took them from his hand.
Apple blossoms she said "How
beautiful they are Do you remember,
Daniel, the apple blossoms that we gath
cred thirty years ago" and in another
minute he and she together were recall
ing old times and associations, until the
years that lay between their apple bios
som times and now had dropped away,
and the light and glory Of past days once
more shed itself upon the gray hairs Of
the hush and and the faded cheek of the
wife.
The ragged little girl meanwhile ran
on for quite little way till she came to
one of those narrow, filthy courts crowd
ed with tenement houses, and steaming
with horrible odors in the warm May sun
shine. She entered one of these tene.
ment houses and ran lightly up the steps
to her special domain, a little room
where, besides herself, only Biddy Ma
earthly with her husband and baby lived.
Biddy was sitting near the window rock.
ing the baby in her arms when the child
entered.
"Whisht, Meg! The baby's awful
sick"
Don't he get any better, Biddys
asked Meg, creeping softly to her side.
"No, he don't. Oh, if | only had him
home in the green fields Of ould Irelant
he'd be well entirely; but how can he
breathe in this shifting room."
"Look here, Biddy. See what I've
got" And Meg took of her hat and
showed the precious spray of apple bios
SONS. "Do ye think that came from the
green fields ye spoke about!"
] Biddy gazed at it in wonder and de.
light. "Oh, the purity things!" she ex
claimed. "It's just the picture Of thos'
I've seen many's the time growing in th'
orchards in the ould country. Ie' mi
take it, Meg"