The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-16
SILAS' FLOWERS:
And Among them He Loved Lit
tie Althea Best.

There was no room for any fower-gar-
den in front of the house, it stood SO close
to the road The little cottage implanted,
save for white strips around the windows,
had an air of pushing forward timidly.
The small, white, sharp-steepled meeting
house stood just opposite. There was a
joke prevalent in the town about Silas
Vinton's house having once started to go
to meeting when the bell rang. The three
uneven stone steps before the front door
led quite down to the narrow sidewalk,
which was scarcely more than foot-path
amongst grasses and weeds. The little
strip of green under the two windows on
each side of the front door was closed in
neatly and trinity by low fence Of two
whitewashed rails. Silas Vinton had tried
to start some plants in their tiny Enclosures
but it was of no use The drip from the
caves directly into the roots kept the earth
washed away from them. So there was
nothing but the little pebbly strip, where
the rain-drops fell, through the close green
grass.
Silas had enough land at the rear of his
house to make up for the want of it at the
front. There were two good acres stretch
ing back to the river-bank. One acre was
the flower and vegetable garden, and the
other was an apple orchard. There were
cherry trees, but they were scattered about
at intervals through the garden. This
morning the trees were all in blossom, and
some early flowers in the garden, and Silas
was out there working. He had taken his
coat off, and his blue calico shirt sleeves
showed.
He was young man under thirty, and
he looked still younger. 1t was not so
much because he was short and slender
and fair-haired; the effect of childishness
he gave came from some inward quality
which shaped the outward to itself. People
used to say: "SilaS Vinton is dreadful
womanish sort of fellar." But it was not
womanishness nor boyishness, but that
peared in his round, delicate face. When
he was baby he must have had that same
look of wonder and inquiry and innocent
speculation that no had now. He was at
work near where the garden left off and
the orchard begun. The Towering apple
trees were full of bees, and there was a
cherrytree near him which swarmed with
them. One could hear their murmuring
and through that between the ranks of
rosy trees, the spring rush of the river. The
air was very sweet Silas was setting out
some potted plants which he had brought
from the house. His windows were rugged
with shelves for them from sill to ceiling
His house in winter was like dollhouse.
All the time Silas kept talking to him
self, or rather murmuring. 1t was the way
the bees did and he might have been
making honey, after q spiritual fashion,
too. "Lilacs, and snowballs, and almond ;
apple blows, and cherry blows, and daffo-
dis" He talked to himself about the
plants he was setting out; where this one
had better be put, and that one, and how
deep holes to dig for them. But every now
and then he cast his eyes about, and re-
peated; "Lilacs, and snowballs, and
almond: apple blows, and cherry blows,
and daffodils." 1t was like a refrain to his
practical musings. These new flowers were
in sight around him as he worked, and he
kept counting them over as he might have
counted jewels. He was so busy talking
and working that he did not hear a girls
footstep on the garden path.
The first he heard was timid high
pitched voice. saying: "Silas."
He started and looked around. "Why,
Althea Rose, said he, you tharl How still
you came l didn't hear you"
Mother wants to know" the girl said,
bashfully, "if you've got any parsnips you
could let her have"
Certain have; a good parcel; and your
mothers quite welcome to 'em. They're
right over here"
Silas led the way, and the girl followed
him. She had a basket in her hand. She
was an odd-looking young girl. Her face
was sweet and fair; her features were small
and delicate, and had that quality about
them which one calls waxen in lilies; but
everything about her which did not depend
directly on nature was peculiar Her thick