Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-01-12
THE BLOOM OF WHITE vIoLETS."

Is certainly true one: and my hero
ines are two poor girls. Ellen and
Kate. who worked in a neck-tie fac
tory when | first knew them, through
visiting their father on his death bed.
The father fingered a good while
before he passed away. He had been
hurt in falling from a building. The
mother had left this world years be
fore. And l was very glad when
Ellen and Kate, having nearly cried
their pretty eyes out, began to cheer
: up little, and finally married two
some young men-good, honest
.,.-..dnics, of sober habits, and max
ing fair wages. l had known both
since they were boys, and they were
worthy of such good and pretty
wives. The young couples went to
housekeeping on the same flat, one
front and one back, and, as friend
of the family. I dropped in often, for
1 had patients in the neighborhood.
1t would be hard to say how many
new dishes (" ont of the cookery book !"
tasted" in those early days, or
how much advice 1 gave about mat
tiers l was supposed to understand,
for they looked on me as a kind of or
acle in that house. 1 confess to have
had something to do with making up
those matches, and 1 was proud of it.
They had never had difference of
opinion. as far as / knew-the four
of them-until one morning. when l
stepped into Wright and Wheeler's
to speak about my carriage, which
needed repairing, and, going out
stopped to speak word to Will and
Silas, who were working side by side.
"How is the world using you.
boys?" said l.
And Will lifted up his head, and
answered:
Good morning, Doctor. Well,
we're rather out of sorts. We had
our first family row this morning"
''Eh?' said 1.
Exact, Doctor" said Silas. "What
was it about2 you'll ask. Well, Will
has got it in his pocket
Here it is" said Will. And he
pulled out of his pocket n pretty
gilt paper box, with Sinking lady's
face on the cover, and underneath it,
in blue letters.
BLOOM of White Violets. Per
fectly harmless. Used by Her Maj
esty, Queen Victoria"
"This is what we quarrelled over
said Will, opening the box, and
showing me that it was full of sort
of white paste. 1.-The girls have
taken to using this. and we don't
mean to allow them to do it."
"Give me the box, Will. I'll test
the stuff, and give the girls an idea OF
what it is made Of and the conse-
quences of usingit. That will do the
work, I think"
."Do you think 500" said Will.
"Well, if they believe in anybody it
is you, and we'll be much obi ICED
to you for doing it. I'd rather Kate
would give mp quietly, but she must
give up"
I'm not so sure about Nell" said
Silas. I'm glad of the doctors
help"
Well, I did as I said I would, and
I found the stuff labeled "Bloom of
White Violets" was vile thing, with
poison in it, pure as it looked; and I
went over that afternoon and talked
to the girls. I told them that this
pretty cosmetic was preparation of
lead; that though there were some
people to whom lead seemed harm
less, it was impossible to know who
they were: while to others it was
simply deadly.
81 guess we are the kind it don't
hurt, Doctor" Ellen said, at last,
for we've used it year."
"Stop using it now, them" said I !;
and what do you want to smear
your faces for when your husbands
dislike the looks of it?"
"Oh, Silas DON'T" said Ellen laugh
ing. He owned up that I look ever
so much fairer and younger with it
on"
Then I knew Silas had put it out of
his power to keep Ellen from using
the stuff; out of mine, too, perhaps.
When next went to the little home,
1 heard nothing of the matter, and I
concluded that the girls had given
the thing up. I kept on going occa
sienally, as usual, to see the little
families. Ellen was blooming as ever.
Kate grew less SO; but that hap
Le1ns to many girls after they take the
cares of the housewife upon them
selves, and SO, since she did not COM
plain, 1 made no remark about it. At
last, however, one bright morning in
winter, as I was just getting into my
carriage 1 saw Silas Harden running
down the street with a very pale face.
doctor! Doctorw he cried, as he
came near me. II was afraid I
would miss you. Come round to my
house, will you? Ellen is in a bad
way. She is very sick, and she has
lost the use of her hands"
GOOD heavens said 1. Jump
in, Silas;'' and I drove him to his
home as fast as I dared to drive. I
said nothing until we were going mp
the long stairs together. Then I
asked:
''Has Ellen been we'll until now?"
'She's had cramps; but I didn't
think them dangerous" said Silas. Il
gave her ginger for them, and they
went over; but this morning she woke
up strange and stupid, and all of
sudden she called out that she
couldn't use her hands. She can't,
either. She is cold and gray looking
I'm afraid she's dying" and the poor
fellow burst into tears.
"My boy" said l, perhaps we can
cure her. It's something that is cur
able, though it takes long while to
get over. l believe she has been
using that COMPOUNDED Bloom of
White Violets,' and that is the cause
of it."
Well" said Silas, choking, "she
has, Doctor. She stuck to it, and 1
couldn't scold her. I'm too fond of
her"
We didn't say any more. I ran mp