St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-09-30

every other sound, and seemed deter
mined to drive away every other
thought than that of boots and shoes
Her feet climbed patiently the three
dark, worn and stained flights of stairs
to the girls stitching room, and in
spite of the din and darkness the light
stayed in her face. She held some
thing carefully twisted in a bit of news
paper, as she passed through the mar
row way between the two lines Of
noisy machines. Stopping beside the
machine next her own, where girl OF
sixteen was Threading up" she laid
the paper upon the pile of Innings
waiting to be stitched. "GOodmOrn
in',n said Miss Snowfield, cheerily
"'T looks like clearin' away, dOn't
you think sO7 Thought you might
like this bit of flower, seein' twas Sc
stormy outside. I'd a brought more
only twas all l happened to have in
bloom. But theirs more buds"
Mandy Smith had looked up won
deringly, for she had not recognized
the voice of her usually silent neigh
Dor, but her face reflected the radiance
of Miss Snowfield's own as she opened
the paper and disclosed brilliant clus-
ter of geranium blossoms. CANT they
lovely p she said, as she took them
half in her hand. 81 never
saw any like 'em before"
otis a Martha Washington" said
Miss Snowfield, her face beaming.
CAN l brought the slip from Lyme.
| always like to have some bloom
around and even the leaves are pretty
too"
She added this partly to reassure
herself, for Mandy could not know that
the geranium had been Miss Snow
fields own precious possession, which
she had watched tenderly since the
day when she brought the little "slip"
from her old home. These were the
| first bright blossoms, and she had shut
her eyes as she broke the stem that
morning. For the old plant in the
Lyme sitting room had been thing of
beauty that was ever comfort to the
two quiet women in the little home.
They had watched the opening buds
together, and these blossoms brought
the picture of the old days so wildly
that it hurt to take them away.
"But it's all Fve got to give" Miss
SnOwfield explained to Nudge, "and l
do want to make a beginning"
Mandy's face had already repaid her,
and she felt her heart warm toward the
girl who held her treasure. She told
her brightly many things about the
LYME home, while Mandy asked eager
questions.
"Thank you ever so much for the
flower it's made me feel brighter al
ready" she said, as Miss SnOwfield
went to her own machine. "It helps
lots"
No words could have been sweeter to
Miss SnOwfield, and her fingers flew as
she sat at her work, bright smile
lighting up her face as she nodded now
and then to Mandy. "Seems more
like the old Melviny," she said to her
self. 81 amt felt so good since | came
from Lyme. | wonder where that girl
lives. She amt mOre'n sixteen, but
she looks pale and thin. This amt no
! place for her, wOrkin' for dear life at
five cents an hour. Wonder why |
haven't noticed her before. Twas
your hard, crusty heart, Melviny
Snowfield! But you've took another
turn now, and may be you'll grow to be
the old Melviny again."
Upon this she smiled again at
Mandy, who returned the smile with
interest, with glance at the geranium
and wondering why she had never
noticed before the look of kindliness in
her neighbours face.
The expression of peace found a
home in Miss SnOwfield's face, and she
often sang to herself unconsciOusly as
she walked to and from her work, or
sat alone with Nudge in her cosy room
at Mrs. Browns, which had somehow
grown to seem larger and SUMMER and
more like home than before. "Midge,"
she said meditatively, as she knit bust
ly one evening sitting in the large
patch covered chair by the stove, and
watching Nudge, who was curled up on
a cushion at her feet, 'Midge, I've been
thinkin' things over an Pve bout made
up my mind. This is a real coy room,
Nudge. There's my furniture brought
from home, two rockers, two crickets,
an the table, an the chest of drawers,
and the geranium that's full of bios
SONS. Plenty enough for two. Now
don't raise your fur, for my minds
made up. That little Mandy Smiths
cough shakes her half to pieces, an
she boards two miles out an walks
down in all weathers, an don't have
no one to call her own, nor to take any
interest in her, an it's burnin' shame!
Nudge, she took the geranium blossom
an pressed it to keep. | was so kind,
she said. She's lonesome, an half
sick, an poor, an she needs to be taken
care of an petted little. | guess l
need to do it, too. We've got enough
an to spare in heart an home, an she
shall come here. Maybe we can help
the child TO a slice of comfort. If it
should make difference in expense,
why, faint absolutely necessary that
we should go to Lyme in the spring an
that'll count sOme."
Nudge made no decided objection,
and Mandy's grateful, tear-filled eyes,
as she listened next morning to Miss
SnOwfeld's proposal, told something of
her joy at the thought of the new
home. So two shared the sunny cor
ner-rOom at Mrs. Browns, and had CO.
zy breakfasts and teas on the little ia
BILE that came from Lyme the gera
mum was crowned with blossoms for
two, instead of one two willing work
ers answered together the call of the
factory whistle, and two happy hearts
planned together the sometime visit to
Lyme.
"'Twas all the geranium," Mandy
would exclaim, happily.
"'Twas a leadin'," said Miss Snow
field, and she looked at her hands.