Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-06-30


1lr- rr1~un,
Irr!H9-. >'inr iay, wife VII If YOU
! peep IT her Treasures. Sh:. kc,.p> Them
IN a drawer. only 4 LITTLE tern hat. :,
whistle. It drum. Il pair Of shoes Will,
our hou-'' wash always quiet, an! VIII
was m'rrirr in tiiu>,' DAYS Oar hoy
would hav,' been nearly old enough for
cuilry". now.
Took the children home iu sea wife.
| and her soft mothcrly heart lcaprd up
| when >h" saw them.
Prepin" into the >i,ting-room Just be-
ior' going out, heard Ralph, with ewes
lit up. telling about: My mother. nv
beautiful mother.
'She used To- do the Sewinr for the
stor'~ All the day long. and often through
In" night. But they would hardly pav
anything. and sometimes We had 40 din
ii'r or supper till the work was taken
nome. She looked so beautiful then.
oe''ail>e. in the afternoon the roses came
INTO her cheeks and STAYED all the even
ing But in the morning she was pale,
oh. So pale.
one day mother went on: to take
some work home. 1t was cold and
windy and We had had nothing to eat all
DAY. 1T last She came back with bread
ana tea. and wood and coal for Il fire.
ne basket of wood and coal was heavy,
ana did not know >h" had il until she
SCI 1t down on the floor and sa, down bv
The window. Ralph?' she called. |
Spran~ TO answer. but there was mother
with Il handkerchief to her mouth O.
mother mine
Il called the neirhbor, but they couli
do nothing. only one ran for The doctor
and came back without him"
- did all there was 10 do. | would
not lei them touch Etr She was mn
mother. | chafed her hands until 1T
last she opened her eyeS, then her lips
moved and She whispered; 'Snowdrop,
Ralph, and | cried:
80 mother We are here. Please don't
90. o mother. live. o mother. mine
live! But only aqtiick quiver came over
her face, and her hand sought for Snow
drop"
II put her hand on Snowdrop's golden
clirls. for she seemed to grope i'll dark
ness
"'Kalph,' She whispered, 'take-care
of Snowdrop- and Tod l. keep
yo- my-chil ~
">he could not finish the word"
Ralph
Il bent over her, but only heard 3
long, low sigh
"rhcy took Us children away. and
then they buried mother in i BIZ crave
yard.
.a Ina .f thn u,u,.u in , r.,,,,, ,,,xt
our5 took Us, but they were poor, and |.
though | sought for work. could yet
noiie. They said was too Young and
turned away. And yesterda, Mrs.
Burn husband came home drunk. and
he knocked my little Siiowdrop over. be-
cause she WAS blind and could not see To
get ont of hi, way. Then he cursed h,.r.
and | just went up and struck him. He
ordered is out. and we went into the
street just "a the SHOW was beginning to
fail. and we walked till we We're 50 tired.
and We thought we'd sleep on the door
step.
We went up that fine street because
We knew rich people lived there. and
was telling SnOw;lrop about the bea,i:;-
ful rooms We could see into when the
gas WAS lit.
forgot nv patients rs | listened to
the boy, story. But when SAW the lit
tie birdie safe asleep on witr's lap and
her arm about Ralph, then went Oh my
round.
| had n long round that day and it
was late when | reached home. When
| did saw a brighter light in wife eyes
than for many Il day. AMI 4 flush on her
cheeks As ii She were growing Young
again.
The children were off To bed and wife
took me up to look at them. Ralph
turned over and murmured: "Snow-
DROP
After tea wife came to her place on
my knee. Just rs in the old honeymoon
days. and knew what was coming. But
she didn't say 4 word. only looked
straight into the fire, and |. looking
closer, saw the tears gathered in her
eyes. So didn't wait for her to ask. but
said:
Yes. well keep them"
Then the tears ran over and she turned
and kissed me; but she could not speak
for the quivering of her lips and knew
she WAS thinking of frankie in Heaven.
The children stayed; the house grew
brighter and wife younger rs the yea.s
sped on.
Ralph has grown to be Il man and my
practice will fall into his hands. Wife
says he won't marry. his heart is so bound
up in Snow,lrop. But-perllaps Swell.
there is no knowing.
We cannot spare Snowdrop. for. she
knows the old home from garret to base
ment. Who would sing and play for us
in the evenings, and warm my slippers,
and do all the other things she does for
wife and Me? No. We couldn't ;pare
our sunshine. our sweet spring flower,
0sr Snowdrop.-Gohlen Ralc.