The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-04-11

The clerks stood chatting with one another.
and making remarks about the few GUS
toners who strolled In with an L don't
know what l. came-fof air, and straight
way strolled out again without purchasing
anything.
The millinery department ON the second
floor was entirely deserted 90 far a. Gus
TONERS was concerned.
Behind one OF the large glass cases,
filed with flowers of every conceivable
shade. and beautiful feathers In all the
latest tints reposing ON bed Of soft black
velvet, stood young girl, gazing, with a
wistful look in her big blue eyes, at o
bunch OF beautiful pale ostrich tips which
she held In her hand.
Her hair was short and curly, with q
CLINT Of red in 1t, and her plain black dress,
although of cheap material, fitted her
slender figure to perfection.
Only sixteen, very pretty, and very poor.
ALL how she longed for fine clothes and
the luxuries money could buy. But, alas!
her father was dead, and she was the cid
est OF FIVE children, and obliged TO work
for her daily bread.
She lifted the bunch Of pink tips ten
derby, md laid them inside of the case.
Such tnery was not for her, and q. tear
dimmed the blue eyes and rolled down the
pretty cheek. ~
ALI how tired she was; for the past two
weeks the work had been very hard for one
so inexperienced as Delna Kingston.
Obliged to stand mp all day, and show
one bunch of flowers, then another, to
crowds of richly dressed ladies', who were
all so undecided as to what color they
really did want.
Delna remembered it all with sigh as
she glanced up at the big clock on the
wall.
Only half-past = nearly five hours
longer. Oh, dear! how her head ached.
Only one customer had been near the
feather counter during the morning.
lady who came to exchange the very bunch
of pink tips she had just replaced in the
case.
The lady said she had decided to have
pale green tips instead of pink.
Again Delna glanced at the clock. How
slowly the hands move. Twenty five
minutes of. two Hark! What was that?
The sweetest music Delna had ever heard,
like little bells. And listenl--someone is
speaking; it cannot be-yes, it is the bunch
Of pink tips. Glad to get back? No,
can't say that / am, for the lady that
bought me put me on the loveliest pink
plush bonnet 1 ever saw, and i know
looked we'll. Then had u very pleasant
grand reception, all inside of two days.
"Ah! how NICE" murmured bright red
rose.
tips, mice while it lasted, but i was SO
angry when i heard the lady tell Miss
Delna that she had scarcely had me out OF
the box, for on comparing me with the
shade of plush on the bonnet she saw at
once that we did not harmonic, and she
preferred green"
at is a shame" spoke up cluster of
white lilies. Indignantly. "A lady pur-
chased me and said was for bride TO
wear. She took me home, and that very
evening the bride, lovely blonde, fast
ened me among the soft, rich lace on her
breast. looked even better than the real
flowers, for never fade. felt glow of
pride as / nestled close to the beautiful
white lace, and thought what q happy life
was before me. But alas! the very next
day l was exchanged for bunch of scarlet
roses" And, saying this, the white lilies
relapsed into silence.
"Well! it is very pleasant here, ventured
a spray Of white daisies, quietly.
"Yes, very pleasant, and Miss Deina is
very tender of us all, said the blue violets,
thoughtfully.
Let me tell my experience, spoke up q
bunch of ostrich tips, of an exquisite shade
of green.
"A lady returned me last week, after
keeping me three days, and during that
time was / utterly miserable, IL you will be-
lieve it. She selected me for hat of blue
velvet-just think of it-green and blue. 1t
is q wonder / survived. / had the blues ;
all the time was there, and was delighted
when l found myself back here once
more"
THAT was dreadful experience" said a
cluster of lovely white roses. IL can SYM
pathize with you, for, if anything, my fate
was even more hearirending than yours"
The green tips rustled softly, and looked
interested.
"Yes," continued the white roses, speak
ing very slowly. Il was very unfortunate.
woman bought me, and paid for me. /
didn't like her appearance, but was
obliged 10 so with her. 1t was long, long
distance to her house, and she walked
every step Of the way, and carried me in a
thin--uerg thin paste board box. o, but
it was cold" And the white roses shivered
at the remembrance.
"Yes, il was cold, can tell you; quite
contrast 10 this warm case. Well, at last
she arrived at home and threw the box,
that was in, into the lap of young girl,
WIZ Wus oittAuk OS lilo lho bIi
tore open the box and snatched-yes, actu-
ally snasched me out, not very tenderly, /
can assure you; then she turned me over
and over, pulled me this way and that, and
finally she spoke. You can imagine the
tone of her voice; the words were these:
"'Ob, ma, why didn't you get red roses?
That's what / sent for; white ones gets
dirty SO quick
La, childv said the mother, them's the
incest, red ones looks so cheap then she
grabbed me and put me up TO her nose. 1
can't begin to tell you what | suffered. /
prayed to die. Then the girl spoke again:
~'Give 'em to me, ma. i shant keep
EN-. I'll exchange EN-, to- morrow, for red
ones. / guess / know what want.
And she pushed me back into the box,
utterly regardless Of the fact that she
crushed all my pretty white petals. All! /
am very glad she returned me; am happy
here"
And the white roses nestled lovingly
against black velvet with contented sigh.
Your experience should make us all
contented with our present quiet, unevent-
full life," said a long gray ostrich plume,
and the pink tips all nodded approval.
"yery true" said cluster of bright pur-
pie pansies. Il was longing to go forth
into the world, but from now on, l am
content to remain here under Miss Delna's
kind protecting care"
There WINS n soft ruaf1a of opnrohaf;o,