The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-09-02
A BUNCH OF WHITE LILAC.

A bONCh oF WHITE LILACs
so much? 1t is too muchr' said a
soft, plaintive voice behind me.
/ turned-to see small creature
standing ON tiptoe before flower stand
at the entrance to Covent Garden as |
was passing.
In this position, her head was about
on level with huge bunch of white
lilac; and the rough straw hat pushed
back, and the fair curls glittered in the
sunshine, as the little face was fairly
buried in the fragrant bloom.
l stopped short; the bright hair and
the pale flowers both arrested me-
Swift as thought, they had caught my
memory back to a bowery seat under a
white lilac clump. and a golden head
upon level with my shoulder, and a
face that for fairness and sweetness
might have put the white lilacs them
selves to the blush.
Somehow could not help wondering
if this face would be like that face, as
these blossoms were like those of the
past, faded now more than half-a-dozen
years ago.
And it was startlingly like. So like,
that ! could almost believe that three
times half-a- dozen years had vanished,
and my little playmate, May-my May
Queen, as used to call her-stood be-
fore me among the lilacs.
The child looked up at me, frankly
and contidingly, out of those great blue
eyes-that might have been Mays eyes,
forgetful that there had ever been bit
ter quarrel and a parting.
What a folly in me to be thinking of
her now! But, thinking of her, some
how / could not help answering those
soft, appealing eyes.
You wanted the flowers, little one?"
"Yes, sir. Please, sir, the big white
ones"
..You like white lilacs?"
The fiower-girl behind the stall was
singing out great, sweet bunch, re-
sponsive to the coin | had laid beside
it. But the child was shaking her small
head.
ing to a mass of yellow daffodills.
the big white lilacs? They're for her,
sir; and will You make this buy them?"
She showed me her penny, over
which the rosy fingers were shut jeal-
ously.
keep your penny. child, and 1 will
buy the lilacs for you"
But she shook her head.
No; Little Mother was crying this
morning when woke up-did you
know grown-up people ever cried?-
and she told me 1t was because she had
no white Ilacs on this May-day. Wasn't
that funny thing to cry for? And
then she told me she was Queen of the
May once, and she had to get down off
her throne, and wander away and
away from the white liiacs, and out in
to the cold, dark streets here. l don't
think they're cold and dark. do you?"
the little thing added, looking up at me
In the sunshine.
Suddenly a wondering expressing
grew in her eyes.
you are not going to cry, are youP"
she asked.
If Little Mother had felt the blank
sense of misery which had been closing
IN and blotting out the bright day from
me- Sas the child prattled on, she would
have been too near to despair for tears.
l could only hope her pain was less than
mine. The small hand / took into
mine had torn open an unhealed
wound; AMI now it must lead me until
i could see her Little Mother face to
face, and know if it were indeed my
| lost sweetheart, May Elliston.
mo, no! / am not going to cry"
said "But am going home with you
to see your Little Mother. See, we will
take her all these lilacs."
Yes, but must buy them myself,
she declared. Il didn't tell her SO; but
promised myself to take my bright
new penny as soon as had done my
lesson and Little Mother was at heI
work and wouldn't miss me-"
So the bright new penny was laid
down on the counter beside my coin,
and the little maid, her pinafore heaped
with a gay bunch of daffodils amongst
the lilacs, trotted on, her free hand
trustingly in mine.
1t was not until we were some dis
tance from the stall, and the knot O
wayfarers about it, that / could give
voice to the questions burning in my
heart.
What is your mothers nameP
..Why, Little Mother, of course! Wha
else should it be?"
"And your own nameP
..Bertie."
What elseP"
'Why, nothing elser' she said will
wonder in the uplifted eyes which Ver'
so like Mays.
My heart grew heavier and heavier
For BERTHE was the name of May
scapegrace brother who was lost at SCI
when my little sweetheart had no
much more than entered her teens. Sh,
had all a young girls romantic devO
| a. e. not EnI
that she should have named her chill,
after him?
There were ugly stories whispered
about of BERTHE Elliston before the yes
sci was wrecked in which he was flee
ing from his country-out OF reach o
the law, it was rumored. But Ma,
would be sure not to believe the stories
she was never a half-hearted partisan.
If every one had not known that tn
, vessel went down with every soul ol
board, it might have been supposed tina
May had gone to her brother somewhere
when, after the death of her grand
father, her last remaining relative. sh
simply disappeared with the fortune tn
old man had left her, because he coul
not carry it in his grasping, miserl
hands into the other world.
That was just aIIer May anu ha
. had our bitter lovers quarrel; and whe
came back to the old village to loo
, for her, she had vanished. And now
find her again-not my May, but tn
child's mother.
could not bring myself to questio
the child about her father. She had
bit of black ribbon tied round her stra
hat.
l dared not even think of it. l trie
not to think at all, while she drew n
gaily on, her feet dancing over th
rough ways of the dingy streets, u
which she turned, as her bright ey'
were dancing over the fragrant bio
SONS heaped up in her pinafore.
Up the dingy street, up and up Il
dark staircase Of dingieE house to i