Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-11-07

by MRS J X BARNEY.

and mother, Just turn over the package
and sec if you Can find what you want"
! There was quite rush in the store tha
morning, and hr. Dew forgot his it'll,
customer until the larger ones had gon
out; then he noticed her, still standing il
the corner before the box OF seeds, wit
an anxious, perplexed look upon he
face.
What is the matter, little woman
can't you find the pansy seeAs?'
Yes, sir, but"
"But what?" asked Mr.. Drew, goin!
nearer, and gently lifting the broad brh
which hid her face. You see sir, the
are marked thirty cents and have onl
twenty five, and was thinking may b
you would open the paper and sell M
half"
"Well then, you would have ten cent
LEFT, and you wouldn't know what to d
with it,"
"Oh yes, should by some eterna
flowers, they would be nice for winte
bouquets. and | think they would SELL
This was said timidly, while the brow
eyes looked wIstfully at the seeds.
"Going into business, are youo vii
you tell me where you live, and youl
namep"
II am Lilly Moore, and I live just ou
of the village over by Granite Hll, anC
you see, sir, mother is sick and canno
wash. and sewing is so slow, and there's
Robbie TO eat, and | am going to hell
some, but it costs so much to get started.
Mr.. Drew smiled down upon her, bu
only said, "WelI, why do you wish to ge
your seeds now; you cant plant them il
The winter, can youp'
"Oh, I've green house, just a liltl,
bit Of one. Andrew made it when h,
was home in the fall, out Of boxes an,
some old windows. It's real cunning
and my plants are doing well, but | dc
want to try Panses; they are such beau
ties, and everybody likes them"
There was more talk between the going
and coming Of the villagers, and Mr.
Drew found much of Lilly's life, and tn
more he heard the greater became biz
interest in her.
She told him proudly of Andrew, who
was away from home, working and study
ing, and who Was sure to be IL great mar
some day, land then," said she, "w
shan't have any more trouble
And who is Rohbie9" asked Mr.. Drew
He is our BABY and then Il httl,
sadly, 81 suppose he will always be :
baby; he cannot learn much, but he I
ust as dear AS he can be-
Mr.. Drew was tender hearted, and
chance customer coming in just then
asked if he had a cold;-judging probabl,
from his face and voice.
When he went back to Lilly, he took
up the coveted pnnsy seeds and selected
z refully from the rest, until he held
doz packages in his hama.
"Now. my little friend" said he, :"
should like an interest in your greenhuus'
and next summers garden, and | AN
grIng to ask you to take these seed,
nome, and if you succeed well with them
you shall brlng me IL flower of eacn klud
and tell me something about it. Do yur
think hat would be paying too dear toi
Lhemp'
"Oh. sir, it would he SO little | car
pay the twent, five cents now, and ual
what the others are marked, when I've
earned the money
mo-" said be, "you must take up will
my offer if you have them at all, though
~ D pam am ScttipS tuo ptol vi tl'
bargain, for shall have some tl,wers
without any labor, and you will have t,
work hard for yours"
They we're duly wrapped up and given
INTO the thin, bare hands; the brown eye,
and rosy lips said, Thank you" in ii klnc
of fearful joy, and then the little iisur,
hurried out, as if she wished to be alone
with her treasures.
The first conner from Granite Hill, Mr.
Drew questioned concerning the Moores
and learned that they were poor enough
though they had managed to get along
while the mother could work. Now,
said the informant, ''they'll have 10 bt
helped bv the town, reckon, though
there's no telling the shifts these proud
kind of poor will make before they Ii give
in; there's gal that looks delicate and Il
boy that's a fool and arr. and there's q
boy off somewhere. but he's lucky if he
can take care of himself Got bill gin
'em, may be?"
No." answered Mr.. Dew, rather
curtly, as he remembered the way the
little girl had spoken of her brothers
especially Robbie, "who would always be
a baby" and then he resolved that ht
would take the first dull day and ride
over to Granite Hill, but business kept
brisk, and there was no end of care, and
good resolutions are the easiest things in
the world to put aside, and so the winter
wore away, and spring, GLAD, merry,
delightful spring came, to gladden. the
earth with sun and showers.
One morning, it was in May, and there
yryo hrin nh I'm linz
leaf and bud that Mr.. Drew loitercd Il
little on his way to the store; his mind
filled with tender thoughts of his boyhood
home, the old house on the hillside, with
the apple and peach trees in the dooryard
a bunch of whose blossoms he fancied
would be worth more to him than all the
bloom from his neighbours conservatory
As he came around The corner and up the
steps his eye fell upon this pretty picture
A little girl sat upon a box by the door,
her face bent over basket of flowers and
moses which she held in her lap, while
her fingers wandered lovingly among
them, and before she noticed his coming
she touched her lips to something in the
centre; then she heard step and looked
up, her face all aglow with smiles and
bushes.
"Oh Mr.. Drew, did you think l had
forgotten youp There hasn't been day
in all the winter but what We thought OF
you; indeed could not help it, with my
plants starting SO beautifully, and have
brought you this, because l could not
wait any longer. Mother helped me to
make the basket of birch bark and lichens
and this damp green moss will keep the
flowers fresh a long time. These apple
blossoms are from Andrews tree, and the
arbulus, innocence, anemone and volets,
with all the wigs of maple, birch and
willow, Robbie and I gathered; but see.
sir, right here in the centre is greal
purple, velvet pGnSy! Ism it splendidp
and its in pot, the MOSES cover that,
and it has six buds; if you keep it in
nice place they will come out for you in a
week or two."
All this was spoken SO rapidly that Mr..
Drew had only smiled, but when she
paused or breath. he touk the basket in
his hands and showed so freely his appre.
citation of everything about it, that the
little giver fairly danced for Joy. Gus
toners came in, but they forgot their
hurry; the ladies admired the flowers and
the gentlemen the sweet face of the child
and in a very few moments Lilly had
n ka,, r.rdaro Gu oiy hou bats of n ,Nua,,, a,