Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-05
D MY WINDOW.

If it hadn't been for the flower mission
I don't suppose I shouldever have known
the two old people whose touching story
am going to tell you. And yet in a
certain way I had known them for
months. You see the bay window in my
little corner room looks right down upon
their quaint, old-fashioned garden, and
ever since we took possession Of our suit
of rooms, last spring, l have enjoyed the
pretty bit Of ground, as if it were my
own. There is a certain fascination, too,
In wondering about ones neighbors; and
when, one mild March day, l ran to the
window to assure myself 1 had actually
heard a robin, 1 stopped to notice a pale
faced, white-haired woman, who was
looking for something down among the
dead leaves by the garden walk.
"She has dropped her thimble out of
the window, or may be her glasses" /
said to myself. But no, she had not
dropped anything; she was simply look
ing for snow-drops, and a few minutes
later l saw her go her go back to the house
with her hands full of the delicate, white
beauties.
An old mar met her at the door, and !
could see them smiling and talking ovel
their treasures like two children.
Instantly l felt a strong bond of SYM
pathy between the dear old couple and
myself. l wanted to tell them l had seen
my first robin high up on their tall
horse-chestnut tree. l was sure they
would be glad to know.
The lovely spring days came on apace,
and the old gentleman always attended
by a large Maltese cat) began to prune
and scrape his apple-trees, rake up the
dead leaves, and overturn the moist,
brown, fower-beds.
l threw open all my windows, to drink
the delicious earthly odors-always sug:
gestive Of v%iolets, dim messy woods and
summing brooks; and when the little plot
of ground was planted l knew where
every seed was dropped and watched a.
eagerly as my n%eighborsfor the first greer
shoots.
"Thim be twin brother and sister, thin
two" said my %loquacious washerwoman
one day. "And they lives quite alone by
thimsilves, ma'am. The old lady does al
her own work, even her washin', if yer'l
behave me, ma'am; so stingy as some
folks be-" she muttered to herself, as she
went on with her scrubbing.
I closed the door abruptly might
yay in Mrs. Mulligan'sfa face. What righ1
had she, a coarse, gossiping Irish woman
60 talk over the affairs Of my dear ole
people?
Nevertheless, I was glad to CLEAN a Bit
of information concerning them; they
were brother and sister, not husband and
wife, as l had imagined. Perhaps, then
this curious old house where they livec
was the very one in which they wert
born. Had they always lived together
were there other brothers and sisters,
wondered. And then, with somewhat O.
the same feeling that leads one to puzzl,
over the post-mark of an envelope before
breaking the seal, l asked no questions
But kept N wondering.
How beautiful the old garden looked tina
bright May day! The apple trees.
could almost touch them from my win
dow-were weighted down with thei
pink and white blossoms, and fame
winged orioles whistled merrily to on,
another, as they fitted from bough t.
Dough. Purple pansies, yellow dafiodil
and gay red tulips peeped in. and GU
among the stiff, straight rows of fragran'
box, and saucy dandelions dotted tn.
trim, grassy borders with charming irreg
ularity.
Kate Edmonds, my energetic little
friend on the Flower Committee, hac
just dropped in for a half-hour's chat
and, as her eye fell on the wilderness o.
blossoms beneath my window, she ex
claimed:
"Dear me! What a waste. Don't you
think those good neighbors of yours
would send some of their flowers to the
Hollis Street Chapel, if we asked them?
looked at the audacious Kate il
amazement.
"They are perfect strangers to me-"
began, and"
"Oh! that doesn't matter in the least
interrupted Kate. "Tm on the 'Asso