The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-04-25
DARK DAYS PAST.

Wont YOU buy bunch Of hOwert
for your lady,"
The gentleman To whom this ques
ton was addressed looked down inc
the face of the speaker, rosy checked
boy of nine or ten summers. The lit
tie fellow had a tiny basket on his arm.
filled with bouquets, such as we were
wont 10 gee in Nav or June. Flower
OF the spring time. suggestive of the
brIg ht and happy days of our childhood
when We were told by our teacher that
We might vote for our next May
Queen. Roses there were, white and
pink moss roses, wild roses, forget me-
nots and snowdrops,; lilacs, there were,
too, and all made up in such lovely
bouquets that it needed hut glance
10 know that a most artist. hand ar
ranged these children of the spring
But, nv boy, it is the beginning
Of September where did YOU get
those roses and Iilacs from ,"
They are not real flowers sir !:
rhey are artificial. Mother AMI auutie
make them.
The gentleman looked more a-t"ni>h-
cd than before. and. after keen look
AT the lad, he asked
Where DO you live, my boy;
Away outside the city, at a little
cottage. We have real flowers, too.
| have a flower patch of my own, and
mother lets me plant just what please.
But won't you buy bunch of these,
sir p They are only % cents, and they
won't fade as soon as the live flowers.
Yes, / will buy two punches of
you, if you will bring me bouquet OF
flowers out of your garden tomorrow.
Here is half dollar for these, and an
other for the flowers you are to bring
tomorrow. Don't fail; | shall expect
YOU at this hour, here in this saloon,
where / generally drink nay cup of
chocolate"
The little fellow thanked the man
aud was off in moment.
why had the man questioned the
lad 90 about his mothers dwelling
place He could not account TO him.
self for it. He who came and went
every day, and drank his chocolate in
silence, hardly looking up at any one,
had actually held conversation OF 10
minutes duration with a little boy.
Soon after he left the house, forgetting
70 empty his cup. We'll, that was
something new, and the walters noticed
il and commented upon it :; for the
gentleman had been their regular
customer every day for nearly year,
and they had never known him to
speak to any one before, except to Or
der his customary beverage and, after
drinking it i'm silence. he would lay
his money down and walk out as
moodily as he had entered.
The next day after bis conversation
with the boy. the man came half
hour sooner than was his wont, and he
seemed impatient and excited. Every
now and then he glanced toward the
door, as if his life depended upon the
flowers that he was expecting. He
aad not long to wait, for the little fel-
COW had evidently been as anxious to
bring them in time as the gentleman
10 get them. After one glance at the
beautiful bouquet, he said, more to
himself than to the child, who seemed
to be expecting a word of praise for
mis- promptness or the beauty of his
pets.
Il thought was not mistaken. No
one knew how to arrange bouquet as
she could. And the resemblance of
this child! My God could l, after
all, have been deceived? 1t cannot
he 1 must have certainly" Rising
hastily from his chair, he grasped the
astonished child by the hand and said /:
Come, show me where your mother
lives, my boy. l must see her"
But mother never sees company,
sir. She only lets the old gardener
come into our house to tend to the
flowers once in while"
"But must see her. Stop! What
is your mothers name might have
thought of that before"
Mrs. Norton, sir"
A shade of disappointment flashed
over the mans face, but only for
moment.
Il must see your mother, child, else
your face, too. deceives me"
The lad made no more objections.
IF we take the shortest road home"
he said, Eve must 60 through the mar
ket house here. and the other streets
will soon be passed"
The walk was quite long, and es-
oecially to the gentleman, who was
travelling it for the first time. At
last they came in sight of little cot
.,,.-o,,ulo1 Iv O no rdon The