The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-01-20
MYRTLE'S BOUQUETS.

Myrtle sat in the back porch beside
long low table, upon which guam
tity of freshly -cut flowers was heaped
in picturesque confusion. She tossed
them over, lightly humming a tune as
she selected and arranged them in
tasteful bouquets, to be carried
into the city for sale in her brothers
stationery store. 1t is lovely,
dewy June morning, and the sun
has not been above the horizon
much more than half an hour, But
Myrtle is up betimes, araycd in
fresh cambria dress and broad brim-
med hat, that she may get her flowers
all arranged before her brother goes
into the city in the Z 80 train.
A robin alightcd on the great,
broad-spreading willow before the
back door, and thrilled sweet matin
song melodiously. Every thing was
SO fresh and lovely outside, as Myrtle's
eyes wandered through the door now
and then that she thought with pity
OF the denizens of the city in their i'm
pure, dusty atmosphere, and wondered
who of them were to enjoy her flow
ers. 81 wish everyone could live in
the country in summer" she said
aloud. "The summer, the summer!
The exquisite time of the red roses
blush and the nightingalc's chime"
a cunning little device was stealing
along Myrtle's brain. ut would be
nice to write some lines of poetry and
hide them in these bouquets; some
thing about nature, or, perhaps, some
thing sentimental. Gentlemen often
send little notes to their lady-loves in
bouquets. Pll write something and
establish sort Of friendship between
the unknown ones who buy them ana
myself"
She flew lightly up stairs to her
room, got some paper and ink from
her writing desk and carried them
down into the porch. "Let me see"
she thought, commencing her last bout
quot; 81 want one to be about flowers.
All! have it," and she laid down
the white rose and the sprig OF myrtle
she held, seized her pen and wrote:
"Look what light of flowers is ON the earth.
AS if the proud, yoluptous blood of June
Blushed out in roses"
"That'S pretty little quotation"
she thought, as she folded the tiny bit
OF paper and put it in one of the bou-
quets. Then some sweet lines Of Lo-
well came to her mind. She copied
them and hid them in another, "Now
must think OF something sentiment
tall she said, resuming her last bou-
quot. Her fingers moved swiftly,
while her thoughts ran lightly over
the poetry with which her brain was
stored. When she was half done with
it she laid it down and wrote half
dozen lines or SO Of sentiment that oC-
Cured to her.
"There!" she thought, as she tied up
her last bouquet and put the note in
side, 81 wonder who will get hold of
it. / hope it won't be some cross,
prosaic creature, who don't care for
anything but money making." She
placed the flowers in basket, which
her brother, after eating his breakfast,
took and hurried to the depot. And
Myrtle, who was n pretty, brown-eyed,
intelligent girl Of eighteen, with pink
and.white complexion, and sweet,
rosy lips, went about her duties that
day, smiling to herself now and then,
as she wondered who would read the
little scraps Of poetry.
A pleasant, well-kept private board
ing-house in the city, with sprink-
ling of both sexes making their home
there. The most important parsonage
seemingly, was rich bachelor of for
ty-6ve, Mr., Hathaway, who caused
considerable iluttcring ofhearts among
the ladies Of the house, for he was
well-kept and handsome and very
agreeable when he chose TO be SO,
though quite peculiar in his ideas.
lie was ut present confined to his
room, convalescing from an attack of
slow fever, during which the ladies
have We'd with each other in show
ing him attentions. He had secret
preference for an attractive widow,
Mrs. Clifford, who was looked upon
with rather jealous eyes by the girls
in the house, as all the gentlemen
seemed more or less smitten with her.
She was out that morning on Q little
shopping expedition, and stepped into
Marsll's TO replenish her note paper.
While the youth who waited upon her
tied up her parcel she observed the
fresh bouquets ranged on the showcase
temptingly, with the sweetness and
brightness of the country air and sun
light which they had assimilaled,
centcred in their glowing, fragrant
hearts. "'ll buy one for Mr.. liatha-
way" she thought, on the impulse OF