Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-01-10
The New Years Rose.

The New Years Rose.
JOhn Carthew stood befDra the florist
window, for rose was blooming ther
unlike any he had ever seen before.
was as white as a lily on the edge of ii
petals, and golden at its heart 1t look
ed like rose of paradise.
II will buy that for Dora," he said.
ut is unique" the florist said. 81
have never seen any otker like it.
raised 1t myself, and have tried to gros
others from it, but without success" ;"
Half An hour later, girl with bea&
tlful face was bending over the ro.&
with smile on her lips. and John Csk
thew WAS standing by her Is
~ couldn't think of anything else
bring to remember NE by" ne said. n
II don't want anything to make
remember you" she answered softly rs
IL do not believe you would ford
me" he answered But this rose lnasAs
me think of you. becau e it was SO n
ferent from other roses What is II
Tennyson says? Something about sea-
ones being queen rose of the roselpi
garden of girls?' I'm not good at euiG
ing poetry. you know Every tipir
there is new blossom you must thisll
that / am thinking OF your d.
II wonder whether you thoughts VI
me will be as sweet as these blossoms
are?" she asked, holding one against
her pretty pink cheek.
"You can always believe that,n be
answered, breaking off one creamy bud
and fastening it in her hair. "When |
come back from over the sea I k, ow
where there is rose shall try yin
l wonder whether shall find ergugh
over there to buy it with"
"Qh. john" she said earnestly s'the
rose you want would be yours for the
asking, if tho rose cOuid have its owl
way in the matter. Iffather could only
see that wealth isn't what is waited to
make us happy perhaps he would give
up his opposition to our marriage
1T is no use to press the matter with
him fur her" John Carthew answered
81 am going away to try and get the
wealth must have before ] can win
you. 1t will be long waiting for both
of US. perhaps, and to me it will be q
weary, lonesome one. since I may not
write to you in all that time"
II shall be as true to you as if were
bound by thousand promises, or wrote
every day." she said. liam willing to
wait"
Three years came and went. To Dora
Grayle they brought CD ,nges that she
had never dreamed or She had waited
hopefully for the time to come when hel
lover should return to claim her as his
own. She heard from him now and
then he was always working, and
ho Pr1f hn v,
were very long to her.
The end of the third year brought
death into her home. One day her faith
er complained of feeling ill; the next
day he was dead; and she was alone In
the world.
After the funeral fact came to light
of which few had dreamed. The old
man had speculeted heavily: his estate
was bankrupt. t--
So. at the beginning of the fourth year
Dora Grayle went out into the world
with only her hands to depend upon
But she had stout heart, and she knew
John would come back when he heard
of what had happened.
She took room in poor tenement
house; and almost the only thing she
brought from her old home was the rose
that h, lover had given her. That she
would take with her, she said, where
ever she went. Everything else she was
willing give to up to pay her fathers
debts. But that Was hers and nothing
could buy it from her.
She had thought that she had many
friends before her fathers death, but
she found out now that those who had
been glad to visit her in the elegant
home she had lost, quite forgot that they
knew the lonely girl who lived up two
pair of stairs, in q poor, little house, on
q very plain, questionable street.
She waited and watched, and the days
grew into weeks, and the weeks into
and the months to years even.
When her father died, she considered
herself free from any obligation he had
and had written to John Car
they, telling hing Of Vhat hGd taken
place. She thought he would come to
her. But he did not, and was SILENT
Maybe he was dead. She did not once
think that he had forgotten her.
1t was New Years eve, and she was
unutterably lonely. Suddenly she re.
member that sue had heard that child
was ill in tenement-house down the
street, and that its mother was alone
and wanted some one 10 come and s1l
with her. She put on her bonnet anC
shawl, and went out All at once she
thought of her rose A new blossom
had opened that morning: a royalty
beautiful flower; and she said to hersel
size would carry it. to the poor sick boy
She returned to her room, therefore
and broke off the blossom, and one half
opened bud growing ueside it. a teal
or two fell into the rose's golden heart
as she did this. She had learned tt
thiuk that rose her friend. Every tim
it had blossomed she had told hersel
that her lover was thinking swee
thought of her.
When she reached the room where tn
child was, she found that death hat
crossed the threshold before her, ant
was standing at the cradle by which tn
weeping mother knelt;
"He is almost gone "the poor woraal
sobbed. Poor Bennie What VII
mother do?
Dora put the rose in the child's hand
He opened bis eyes. and saw the mower
and smile came over his poor llttl
face.
pretty posy," he whispered, an
held it against his cheek. lovingly. An
holding it there, fell asleep forever
Dora dressed the child for its bH7la
and Iaia the rose upon its breast, be
tween the little folded hands. And q
night long she sat there with the dea
baby and its mother, while outside tn
snow fell. soft and white, making th
world beaufffuI for tho New Year.