The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-04-01

| o ~ ohO hAO, WaieAuS lOT ulauma
to come home, and talking of the
queer old jar. We had pulled it out so
that the plant stood fully In the fire
light. Presently the door opened and
our mamma came in. We sprang up
to meet her; one took her umbrella,
another her waterproof, and little
Julie brought her slippers. We loved
our pretty mamma as we called her,
very dearly, and often wished we were
boys SO we could work for her."
You can imagine that we were
frightened enough when she turned
very white, and laying her head down
on the table, began crying very hard.
With us she had always been bright
and cheerful, and we thought some.
thing dreadful must have happened.
In few minutes she looked up, and
smiling through her tears called US to
her.
my dear little girls" she said, "you
will think you have very foolish
mamma, but just for a minute it SEEM
ed. almost like parting with one of
you )" and then she went on to tell us
that gentleman with whom she had
trusted her small property, had used
it in speculation and lost it all. She
had, as we knew, sold all her jewelry
and valuable furniture, and the only
thing left US was our century plant.
She had thought of this, and stopped
at florists to try and dispose of it so
we should not suffer until she could
get some work. Fortunately, she met
there a gentleman who would give
| fifty dollars tor plant in full bloom,
and he was to come that very evening
to take it away.
1--WE could hardly believe this
strange news. To think that she had
sold our dear old plant! No wonder
she cried. We cried too. How could
we part with it? Every day of our
young lives we had sc en- it and tended
it SO lovingly. 1t did indeed seem like
selling one of our own selves. It wa
the last of the treasures of our home,
the last thing that bound us to the
happy past"
"In a few minutes there was
knock at the door, and mamma open
ed it to admit gentleman who was
followed by two stout negroes. He had
kind, pleasant face, and spoke very
politely to mamma, saying that he
had never seen finer plant.
mamie watched him very closely,
and saw her shut her lips in a way
she had when she was thinking
hard. Then she stepped forward and
asked him If we could not keep the
jar. The gentleman smiled down at
brave little Nan, and she told him
how it had belonged 10 our grandma,
and how much we loved it and the
beautiful plant too. And, SIR she
added, looking up at him with very
bright, earnest brown eyes, you can
get another jar, but we can never have
another like this How proud we,
Julie and J, were of Mamie then We
looked eagerly at the gentleman.
"He spoke very kindly, laying his
hand on Nannie's curly head:
"'True, my little child. You shall
keep your jar. Here, James, turning
to the men, go over to Palmer's and
get that brown stone tub we looked
at this morning. Be quick
"Then he sat down and talked with
us all very pleasantly, and in few
minutes the man came back with the
tub. They loosened the earth care
fully from the sides of the jar. 1t was
not an easy thing to do, for the leaves
were so long and prickly, but the gen.
tleman took off his gloves and helped
them, while we looked on with great
| interest.
"At last 1t was all free and they
lifted it out. They moved it slowly
and steadily so the earth should not be
shaken away from the roots, bat just
as they were about to set 1t into the
stone tub, some Of the earth gave way
and something heavy fell to the floor.
1t was small tin box, three or four
inches square, and as many deep. And
what do you think it was? Mamma
opened it and there fell out little
piece of paper. 1t was yellow and
faded, but still could be easily read.
"The Indians are coming. 1 dare
not take this with me 80 leave it here.
If don't come back you will find 1t
some day. JULIA DURAND."
"Our grandmother Yes, it must
be! When she saw the red men COM
ing she must have buried her little
box of treasure ia the jar with the
century plant. All these years the
faithful old plant had Kept its secret
well.
"We all gathered about, and mam-
ma emptied the box in her lap. There
was good deal Of money, more than