Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-10
rHE GIRL's rLowER GARpEN.

I" If she amt at it again ~ exclaimed
Miss Nancy Pollard, as she peered out from
behind her blinds at the little brown house
across the street.
AT WHAT" asked Nancy's niece, looking
up from her sewing.
Why, it's that Susie Ross, the lawyers
daughter YOU know explained Miss
Nancy, biting off her basting thread with
a severe expression of countenance. She's
forever and forever puttering over those
flowers of hers. l never did see nothin'
like it. Now, if she'd put her mind to
somethn' useful stead of wastin' all her
shinin' hours out in that front yard,
'twould be sight more sensible accordin'
to my way of thinkin'" and Miss Nancy
stitched on with determined look on her
face that seemed TO say that her way of
thinking was the only right way, and no
one with any sense would dare gainsay it.
Pm sure it looks very pretty over there"
said the niece, turning wistful look from
Miss Nancy's bare yard toward the roses
and honeysuckle that blosSomed so luxuri-
antly across the way.
"Humph :" calculated Miss Nancy.
Folks had better be dom somethen' to
earn their own bread and butter | reckon
if the Lord wanted flowers 10 grow he'd
make EN-, and folks haint no call to med
die with such things"
All this time Susie Ross. utterly uncon-
scious of the unfavorable remark that were
being made upon her conduct, was bustling
about the pretty front yard, cutting great
punches of Iinks, sweet peas and scarlet
geraniums. Susie always did love flowers,
and her little beds Of pansies and violets,
her lilies and fuchsias, were q great source
of happiness to her.
But why was she cutting so many of
them? Well, it was Wednesday afternoon
just the time when Susie always cut a
great number Of her flowers, for tomorrow
was Thursday, and Thursday was the day
when the Young Ladies Flower Mission
had their meeting in the neighboring city,
| to tie up the flowers sent by interested
friends, and TO carry them around to the
poor sick people in the hospitals, where
no flowers bloomed, and children hardly
knew what they were, unless they had
seen pictures of them or heard them de-
| scribed by their parents.
Susie had to be up by o'clock Thurs
| day, and hurry down to the little station
with her mission basket. There the eX-
pressman took it, and before an hour had
passed it was safely landed in the Mission
Room. That was one good thing that came
out of Susies garden. Then there were
sick people scattered all through the town
she lived in, who were always glad to have
Susie come bringing lovely little bouque
from that same garden; and Saturday;
there were always flowers to be fixed fol
the church. Surely there were enough
places for Susie's flowers, to say nothing o
wreaths and crosses and crowns and star
for funerals and weddings. SO Susie really
felt that she was doing little good in tn
world, when she watered her flowers anC
trained them up SO carefully.
or tuN Nv nd la i
was called to see Miss Nancy's niece. Sh
had sewed too much and was run cleal
down." Miss Nancy said. For good man.
weeks Ruth was so sick that no on
thought she would ever be well again.
But at last she commenced to rally
little, and Miss Nancy began to hope one
more.
One pleasant day Susie Ross came owe
and knocked gently at the front door
" Can l see Ruth?" she asked. Does sh
feel well enough to let me come in, do you
think? -
Miss Nancy looked rather grim at first
but, after asking Ruth, she concluded tina
Susie would do her no harm, and invited
her up stairs to Ruth's room.
Don't you like pansies?" asked Susie
after the first greetings were over, an,
Ruth lay back quietly in bed with a tire,
look in her face. Il brought over a littl
bunch for you; there are so many differ
ent kinds of them that / thought mayb
it would amuse you to look at them, an
besides, it won't tire you to hold then
the way big bouquet of flowers would.
So saying, she laid the bunch of pansies o
the white coverlet near where Ruth coul
|, reach them.
80, thank YOU said Ruth, taking ther
, up very carefully, I'm glad of anythin
. ! now 10 1ooly ut lNriDu bpra co Inncr -
Susie glanced at the brown carpet, th
, blank walls, and three prim chairs, an
thought she could see why Ruth was S
tired of looking at the same thing
| There was quite a variety of the pansie
, some almost white, others nearly black
! some blue, with yellow blotches, Other
, purple, with orange borders; one kin
was bright copper-color; one white, wit
: red stripes; and there was a pure yello'
( one that Ruth took the most fancy to bt
cause she said that they were the kind thu
7 she used to find on the hillside near to he
old country home. That set her to talkin
2 about old days, and altogether Susie stage
longer than she meant to; but Ruth sal
that it did not hurt her bit, and that ST
wished she would come again.
| never saw anything like it, sal
Miss Nancy, two or three weeks aftt
| Susies first visit " 1t did beat all no
those blue and yellow little flowers chee
ed the child up. Why, she held thel
and looked at them half that afternoon
Mebbe | was leetle wrong about wastil
time CROWN posies; anyhow, Susie Ro
r brings over a big bunch every day, and
they do other sick folks as much good
they do Ruth | rather guess Susie'd bett
keep on CROWN flowers"
:, NJ. E. BAMFoRD.