Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1883-10-06
SAD, But ROMANTIC.
CHILD ENDEATORS TO GRANT HER
THEIRS DYING REQUEST.
sne ~tenIs Flowers with which to Decorate
nef Hothrr's Chamber nd il Mt Last
DiseoSercd, but Let 20 Cnpunished.
IFrom the London Teleeranh.l

From the London Telegraph.]
The gardeners of the South London
pubic park had On more than one occa-
sion discovered that larcenons liberties
had been taken with the newly arranged
beds of snowdrops and crocuses. and sat
q watch for the delinquent, who was an
carly morning visitor. A watcher hal
noticed small girl, poor little ragged
urchln ofseven or eight years old. who
frequently came through the park as
soon as the gates were opened, but a.,
She always emerged at the gate of exit
empty handed and her scanty skirts
showed no signs of bulging pocket be-
meath, suspicion didnot attach 10 her.
lt'was not remarkable, since her attire
was made up of mere makeshifts of odd>
9d ends, that she should wear nn old
bonnet many sizes too large for her, and
1t was IN the capacious crown of this ar
tlcle of headgear that the stolen flowers
were bestowed. The gardener saw her
pause at bed, and, after looking warilv
atout, produce from her bosom a piece
OF slate fit for digging with, and then she
knelt down, taking Oft her bonnet, to
which half dozen tiny roots were rap
idly Transferred, she placed it on he,
head again and went on her way, to lie
presently stopped III fright and accused
of the petty robbery. It was useless I.
deny it, nor did she attempt to do so.
She went down on her knees, however
this time without producing the crimin
a'ing piece ofs}ate and begged the park
keeper not to take her to the police sta
ton, because, if her mother, who was
i'll in bed, came to hear what she had
done it would kill her. Presuming that
IT was much more likely that the chill's
story was but an artful prctence, and
that probably her mother had sent be-,
to steal the flowers, to be afterwar,;
converted into buttonhole bouquets fol
sale in the streets, the little girl va,
taken before magistrate and put back
for while for inquiries to be made.
The address she gave was at house ina
squalid back street in the Borough-at
least couple of miles from the park
where she had purloined the snowdrops,
and 1t was sooI discovered that the tale
the child had told as. to her mother he
ing Ill was quite true. The poor creat,1e
was found ct"ifinnd rn her DeO IL, uaIE
and miserablv furnished back room, az
there she had lain dying of consump:iul
since last winter sat in. The father wa
in prison and the sick woman's onl,
means of support was her two children
respectively two and four years Older
than the child in custody, and they al
armed few pence each dailyby selling
cigar lights near London Bridge. AT a
glance it was evident what had become
of the stolen flowers. A piece OF board
was fastened shelf wise across the foot Of
the sick womans bedstead, and on it, il
three or four galli-pots, were as many
punches of crocuses, and snowdrops and
wall flowers, each in a setting of grecl~
grass. The poor invalid had not the
least suspicion that they had been dis
honestly obtained, and the person IN
quiring being in unofficial costume and
perceiving her condition charitably re
Trained from enlghtening her. "Yor
are looking at my garden, sir" her white
face lighting with wan smile. "The,
are wild flowers, sir. SO my little girl tell
me, but she has to 60 ever SO far to pick
EN-. When the winter weather wtLt
away and the sun came out began 20
feel that craving for the sight and smcf4
of fresh flowers that couldn't express if
l tried. It is through lying here $
many weeks so drearS-and dull and so
many hours all to myself, suppose;
| but knew it was no use thinning about
'em at the price they are wheINthey frs:
| come in the spring, though I couldn I
| help talking and saying that If l had n
| few felt sure they would do me more
good than all the physic. And so, with
| out saving a word about it to anybody,
my little K1tty-a mere mite of seven,
| sir-she gets up at five in the morning,
with as pretty bunch as ever you SET
eyes on They didn't last very long,
poor things, in this stufiy little room
| and it seems almost shame to bring EN-
here out Of the fields where they grow,
but there's thousands of EN- there
Kitty tells me, and I don't think :ha
those who have their health to gt
and see 'em growing would grudge m'
Just few brought away for my share.
No one certainly would, snpposing III
little girl you speak Of comes by then
honestly" the visitor ventured. ~
fear abeut that sir," replied the sci
mother confidently. "Whv, / happene'
only to hin. something like what yo'
just said w'an she brought home til
first lo., az ne fell crying 80 that
didn't know what to do with her. ;
the kind hearted park official came ava
with his original purpose unfuitlied, al
! the magistrate being Informed OF the G.,
! cums.ances discharged the thrilled lii.l
prisoner with caution. Whether ST
ran home and made confession / cannf
say. bu, unless she did so within we'
il was too late, for, at the end Of nolone'
. Al interval she was Ino.herless, and
{ was my privilege ITO assist IL placin
Kitty and her two sisters IN cosinfl
home. far removed from the vice az
. temptations Of London streets, and whel
!, wild flowers in plenty may be Tad 4
| the picking.