Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-12-20
A FIR PILLOW.


low of perhaps five and twenty, while ],
demure spinster well into the fiftieS,
looked quite old enough To be his mother,
So the gossips at the little summer hotel
where We were boarding could readily
find nothing to say, though we often had
long talks together, this young Jack Tur-
ner and myself, when we happened to
meet in the parlOr or out on the piazZaS.
The special craze among our young
lady boIrders Just then was the making
Of all sorts of pretty pillows, which they
filled with pine needles or buds of the fra
grant balsam fir, and embroidered with
various appropriate notices, such rs
Dream of the woods, THE pines shall
whisper peace, " Give me your balm, o
fir tree" etc, etc. And as the picking
of these pine needles and pitchy fir tips
was rather disagreeable work for dainty
white fingers it was quite the fashion for
all the chivalric young men in the house
to VOLUNTEER their services in this initiatOry
part of the work. Moreover, there was
not little rivalry among them as 10 who
could find the most fragrant trees,
species Of the balsam fir denOminated
strawberry" being the rarest and most
in demand.
| was therefore not at all surprised
when this new acquaintance of mine,
having found out my botanic proclivities,
came TO me one bright morning with an
immense tow bag slung across his shOul-
ders and announced his intention of pick
ing fir in some remote woods on the other
side of the mountain. Would go with
him and show him the right kind of tree?
He had brought back a whole bag full of
worthless stuff the day before, and al;
because he couldn't tell a spruce tree
from a fir.
How could resist such pathetic ap-
peal'-especially when he could show
me In this particular piece of woods
rare and beautiful species of orchid that
had long been trying to find.
Nol ! couldn't refuse. So Jack with
his bag and with my basket started of
in high spirits that glorious summer
morning. II was one of those rare days
in early July when a cool breath from the
mountains tempered the midsummer heat
and gave me an exhilarating sense of what
LopgfellOw calls
- the electric thrill, the touch
OF life that seems almost too much.
The three miles walk around the noun
tain seemed as nothing, and we soon
belt of woodland that inclosed like a vel
vet girdle the picturesque little lake at
the foot of the highest peak. Jack had
proved himself q most entertaining COM
panion all the way. He reminded me Of
a dear young nephew had lost, and al
though week before we had been total
strangers, | was glad TO notice that he
seemed to regard me already as an old
apI triad fyia,,H ITnnn SY,htarf
however, he WAS very reticent When |
had found for him a clump of the genuine
strawberry" trees, and jokingly asked
him for which of our pretty young ladies
he was going TO pick the fir, he looked
up quickly, and then, with q confused
look on his frank countenance, said:
"Oh, it is for no one here; it is for
some one miles and miles away And do
you think" he added, with an sbstracted
air quite foreign to his usual manner,
that it is really a cure for rconsumption'"
Hardly cure" l answered, al
though I've known it to give relief in
many cases of confirmed lung trouble"
The young man sighed heavily.
We'll, " he replied after long silence,
Il all determined TO try everything for
her.
vi SpIlSC "tIC
ately AROUSED | began at once to picture
to myself the pale young girl in her far
off home fading away day by day like
some frail sweet flower.
Has she been i'll long timer vent
ured at last 10 inquire.
For more than a year." he answered
briefly, and then quickly turned the con-
versation upon some other subject. Still,
I l.. Il, -, L. L,,..
evidently lay upon his mind, that, try as
hard as he Light, he could not entirely
shake off.
Now | de not think l am over sym
pathetic or Lave more than the ordinary
smount of curiosity usually attributed TO
wOmankind, but all the way home kept
thinking Of Jacks little sweetheart, so
many miles away" and wished he would
tell me something more about her.
1t was the evening Of the same day,
remember, that he came to me in the par
lor and drawing ne into a quiet corner,
said he wanted to ask my advice upon q
very important subject.
Did think it would be possible for him
TO make up the fir pillow all himself' He
used TO hem the sails Of has toy boats
when little sha :er, had served a good
in sewing on buttons when
a college boy, and thought he could still
manage a needle pretty well if would
only have the patience 10 show him.
OF course, with a woman's inconse-
quence, | Immediately offered TO do the
whole thing for him. But no! he thanked
me just the same, he said, but would
really prefer to do it himself
Now, in spite Of my mature years, l
still have stored away in my nature
deal of romance, and this fancy Of the
young man touched a sympathetic chord.
OF course it would give an added value
to the pretty gift if it was all his owD
work, and who could tell what psychol- |
ogical power, what wonderful mind
cure" might not be effected when the |
little invalid pressed TO her lips the magic !
pillow her lovers hands had made!
As to the material and color, really
wished that | knew the young girls pref
crences, and when Jack suggested q plain
gray serge, as sure TO wear well, Il Won |
dered not "a little that young man with !
80 much delicacy of feeling should, at the |
same time, be SO Intensely practical.
had already decided in my own mind that |
the pillow should be of some delicate shade |
Of blue pongee, decorated in one corner |
with Alsatian bows Of pale pink satin. |
However, / yielded the point with as good |
a grace as | could, mildly suggesting that |
a border Of yak lace Of the same color as |
the serge wOnld give a pretty finish. But |
wouldn't it tear easily" asked Jack.
Why, yes, if il were handled rough !
ly, l replied: but apillow like this
it would wear for years. "
"On the whole, think I'd like it bet
ter without an such filigree work-simple |
things are always the best, returned my |
discouraged pupil, as for the
fifth time he picked out some unruly |
stitches that | plainly told him would
spoil the looks of the whole pillow
Well. in due course of time il was
finished; that is, the plain serge cover
was firmly stitched together, and then
how / rOnged to embroider upon it some
lovely bit OF sentiment about the murmur-
ing pines and the baImy fir trees! But Of
course all that was out Of the question.
Jack had evidently no idea of doing any
+hinCr furt her himself in the way of npefll,I-