Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-09-14

20 cept IN cages never scoh any
Il was goin' to say---but misery,
I'irt and poverty. But then, that would
Int be truo, for there was one lovely
Ming before my eyes, night and morn
fag, and that wa, my sister Mary. She
was a beautiful girl, Lut shc'd d been sick
/ for long time, and so, though she did
all she could, sho couldn't do much
smorc than keep herself sweet and clean.
y other had died when wa a baby, and
Va uppose it was the hard work and
Ner's drinking that had sickoaod the
Y0or girl. But | was tolia you about
!, shae day. 1t was a hot June day.
Father had been special hard on u, and
tho last thing he'd done was to get nc
a place in a drinking saloon, where
there was lot OF gambling goin' on,
too. My boy, you're an innocent, we'll
brought-up young fellow" (Jack lifted
tho mass of blossoms to his face, and
. their deliC tic pink seemed reflected in
his chceks), tut il you ever knew what
! know of the wic6cduess that cards
Md liquor may leai to, you'd not won
Fer at tho old dcacon's narrow
ness Well, as / was a-sayin', my
father ID found me tho place, and I'd
: en- at it for just week. That Fri
I @y eveniN WAS to b. paid, and had
+ ycat plan in my head Mary was
Erazy over flowers. A missionary
/ pd brought her bunch once and
I'd the way she dotted on 'cm
lrprisin. D3ar, dear, how
eught of Mary when l see
Trade supplied.rs puIliu flowers and
throw Two nj s1wayw
The deacon paused moment. Jack
broke off bit of the llossoins, ana
with the gcntleness of woman, fas-
tened it in the old formor's coat
"Thankco thaukeo never could pick
fruit blossoms myself, butt don know
but flower, i, as much needed as fruit.
We'll, as | WIS a-'ayil', had a pan. !
had seen Lively rose bush in pot at
enc corner grocery and meant to buy
w for Mary. Ipriced it; twas just
kSly-Avo ccnts; and I'll watched
day and no one had bought it.
= morning | moant to buy it
AN t iii tho saloon till a ,,ot /
Nvight. But when l cot to
tif- rosc-bush warn't tborei
Y sOoi many ais,.,.
- 4u1 ..actner,S- - - -
n felt ono wuss- Ihe
w. was talkin' to big rough
ilow. but was that eager
4 wait, and / just rushed up and
you ain't sold that rose bush2
a guess 1 looked mighty airnest, for
y both looked at mo, and then the
liam said: Yes, bubby sold it
yesterday afternoon. But there's other
flowers this mans just bargaining for
me to buy some of his n.'
care you SO fond of flowers, sonnyf
said the strange man.
81 told him l wanted tho rose for my
sister, who was sick, and then l said l
had told Mary how pretty the rose was,
and though she diln't know was to
get it, I'd meant to buy it'd bor-
rowed the money from Tom cause l
wouldn't be paid off till midnight.
Midnight! A little fellow like
your exclaimed the big man. Aud
where do you work till midnight
"'At the big saloon around the cor
ner, aid 4 amt 50 young Pm
iouIt Itcenv
"'And working in a saloon2 What
docs that sister o your say to that2
said the big one.
"'Sho feels mighty bad about it.
She cries and cries But l tell her |
wouldn't driak, not if they killed me,
nor l won't play cards; and tonight Il
have three dollars for M.ry.
THE groceryman had gone to another
customer. Tho big stranger stood
lookin' me over for minute or 80 and
then he laid his htrd on my shoulder
and said: How'd Mary like you to live
on farm, soanyF
81 told him that that was just what
made Mary feel 50 bad. A lady had
told her to pray about everything, and
Mary had prayed and prayed that I
nigh: 90 to work on larm-as if
there were farms in New York City
Now, see here, sonny, said tho
man, you just look in that GOV red
wagon and pick out the fJwers you'd
like for Mlry and thea tell me where
she lives, an ril go and see her.
"You'Il bell We l stepped up to that
wagon pretty lively, 1t was just full OF
roses-little pots and big ones. But l
hadn't minute to spare, and | pulled
out beautiful pink roso that made me
think of Mary's checks at night, and
told him whore we lived; and then l
Just flew around the corner. l was late,
and the mn was mighty cross. The
police had Ieen in the night before, and
| got hard wlr Is and some blows, but !
didn't care-Mary would have that rose
l haveI't time to tell you how the men
took iancy to make mo drink that
evening, and how my own father, al
tipsy as he was, helped 'em on; but at
last it wa, time for me to leave, ana
asked for my pay. Jack, ju,t think
how felt when that saloon kee per told
me my father had taken my pay in
lquor l was stiff and sore-I had
been up late for seven nights; and now
hadn't cent for Maryl
- a IIovr . al oav,aa l,oaI,