The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1884-12-19
A CHRISTMAS VIOLET.

Three O'clock in the afternoon 1t
was, and tue snow lay several
inches deep on the ground in the
city OF Baltimore. A young man
walked briskly up Eutaw street,
aud picked bis way carefully across
the open eud OF the market-place
on Lexing. 1t was a busy scene
Tor all day long the market had
been crowded, aud large carts were
backed up TO the pavement for two
blocks, and the sidewalks were
lined with dealers IN fruits, flowers,
and knick. .knacks Of every imagina
BILE description. Along the great
market building, for hundreds oil
feet, the three aisles were well filed,
and, in tact, crowded with vendors
arranging their stands for the eve
ming, aud with purchasers Carrying
Baskets aud bundles.
The young man was tall and
slender, and a brown ulster came
nearly to his heels. About him
bright Christmas berries and ever
Ceens were piled in great heaps,
and the gully decorated stalls bore
kindly evidence that the blessed
season of mirth and jubilee was at
hand. Portly and Jolly merchants,
Oh tours Of inspection, tLunped the
fat turkeys aud chafleJ the b0, 8
who kept the fruit stand, and de-
clared that it WAS no market ut all,
aud ended by orderin. halt a cart
load OF eatables and greenery. Lit
tie children CANT along :beaming
With their one cent tor a stick u
tafly. their two cents tor u banana
and of with seemingly the woild
| in their clasp. Everywhere laugh
ter, everywhere happiness--excepl
IN the face of this TIL young man.
Dean by name, who looked sad and
tired, and troubled IN spirit. Per.
haps his thoughts were m les away,
with those he loved most; perhaps,
and this is most likely, he was
brooding in silence over so.ae deell
aud lonely and nnspeakanle grief
tor upon those he met there fell d
hush us of recognition and sympa.
thy. Across all that noisy and
merry market place it was as il n
sorrowful, suffering brother mortal
lhad passed, aud men With theil
burdens stepped aside, and even
| the peanut lads torbore to urge
their wares upon Dean, musing rs
he walked, lonely ms Dante in the
streets of Florence. Yet, as ht
passed the little flower stand hall
way across the market, the black
robed widow, who had kept it since
Gettysburg, led by an impulse sht
never could quite explain, picked
up u cluster OF violcts, and helt
them forth witbouta word, not tha
} she wished to urge him t. buy, bui
would he not wish to see them
Hot-house violets they were, large
pale aud fragrant; twelve flowers
were in the cluster, bound up Will
their own peltate leaves, and twen
/ ty.iive was the price at hat season
The tall young man remembered
Christmas violets in n far oil city
built upon the bills of a wlnd-swep
! peninsula, where Ave cents for |
cluster as large as your two hand
could hold was all they cost. III
paused, and looked gravely down
seeing the plain pine table, th
modest array Of flowers upon II, III
widows faded garments and blacl
: shawl, tho pale aud elderly face
winning because OF its serenity, th
violets family sufiusing the wintr
air with fragrance. He drew hi
|, hands from the deep pockets OF hi
: ulster, laid a silver quarter in til
! ! fiower.woman's palm, and took tb
+ violets.
$50 violets still bloom in til
worldf | am glad you had thel
! for me,n he said TO the ilower-sellel
. and thrust the bouquet deep dow
into his pocket as lie went OH, I,
J. lapsing into the same meditativ
= mood and troubled revelie.
He reached the corner of til
markct place, where the street
: cross. The sky was overcast, an
! gusts of wind began to swee
4 across the city, and few lara
4 fakes of snow fell. Dean ha
( again forgotten his surrounding
s lie stood somewhat apart from I'll
I crowd, and looked far westwar'
y toward the sinking sun, gazing pa
8 miles OF brick, aud blue hillss an
Z low fringes Of pines, sai-cyed,
s lent, earnest.
Z A pair of little hands clutcht
4 his ulster fasf, and pullded it VI
4 Asss.4I. i !. :. -. .