Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-06-21

pick one or two of these y
"As many as you care for answered
Mrs. Brown warmly. "Here-take the
shears and help yourself, while | gather
some pansies for you"
To the panss were added a cluster of
vivid scarlet geranium blossoms, and when
Miss Ann turned from her rose cutting her
faded face lighted at the color and sweet
ness placed in her hands.
"Thank you so much, she said in her
slow quiet way. 81 shall keep these fresh
and take them to second cousin Thomas
| Crawley's little lame boy when 20 to Bos-
ton to morrow. Yes, am really going
it's some time since have seen the folks
there. No, Eddy will never walk the doc
tors say How much comfort he will get
from these flowers"
Mamma mamma ~ Lottie stood by
the bedroom door looking very pretty and
very troubled "Some one has picked two
of these roses-there is only this one left
| Who could have done it p
They were there last evening" Mrs
| Brown paused in her dressing perplexed.
| 81 remember showing them TO Miss Ann.
| Why, Lotte, she must have taken them.
| told her she might pick all she wanted but
| quite forgot TO mention those as being espe
cially choice. Too bad, dear
How provoking | wish Miss Ann had
stayed at home. Papa is almost ready now,
mamma and if you don't hurry well be
late. | ought to he there long before the
exercises begin
But the pouting lips smiled again as she
surveyed herself in the mirror. That great
bunch of creamy Royals with a faintest
pinky tea tinge on the petal edges gave
just the required tone to her costume, and
looked so much better than anything else
could have done that Lottle felt ashamed Of
| her sharp words about Miss Ann. The red
rose lay on the table where she had pet
tishly flung it-now she caught it up and
| placed it among the scented bloom at her
waist. 1t might remind her to be good for
the rest Of the day.
The bustling Boston depot seemed larger
and more bustling than ever before as Miss
Ann left the car and followed the crowd
| toward the waiting room. She looked
about confusedly trying to recall the way
she had turned to gain the street entrance
on her two previous stOppings there, and
was wondering if all those people knew
where they were going and why Cousin
Thomas did not appear when she caught
| sight of the pleasant middle aged face com
ing along by the fruit and candy stands
With a relieved heart she gathered togeth
er her various bundles and hastened to
meet him, not noticing that a small brown
| paper parcel had slipped from among the
other things on to the floor. There it lay
without coming to harm while many hurry
| ing feet passed toand fro. Presently two
roughly clad young men came by and one
of them noticed it.
"Hullo here's find Perhaps there's
fortune inside-Ill 90 halves with you,
Bob, if there is said the finder jocosely.
mo such luck as lighting on even an ex-
ira penny, answered the one addressed as
Bob. "A feller has to strike nowadays if
he gets more than starvation wages"
"Pshaw nothing but a couple of flow
ers - was the contemptuous remark as the
torn wrappings disclosed pasteboard box
containing two deep red roses, with stems
carefully wrapped in wet cotton He was
about to throw them away when his com
panion stopped him.
Here, let's have 'em. I'll take em
home to my little sster-she's sick, and
likes such things
The coarse face softened as he placed the
roses in his button-hole. The two turned
up the street resuming their interrupted
conversation on the great labor question of
today. When they parted the young man
who had taken the roses found that one of
them was missing Muttering an oath at
his ill-luck he turned down narrow alley
lined with dingy houses and went up the
steps of one of the most dreary. A sallow,
adfaced woman looked up from ironing
| he entered.
"How is she =
9TH 'spensary doctor come in this morn
ing nd said she might last through the night
Yer father come home yist'day and racket
ed round so she ant been able to get much
sleep. He wouldn't care if we all lay dyin'."
| Her tone was hard as she threw a bitter
| glance toward a ragged figure stretched on
quilt in one corner of the room, but slowly
gathering tears fell upon the finely EN-
broidered and tucked garments over which
/ she bent her head.
The young man went softly into the next
room, where child lay with its pale face
turned from the light A faint smile parted
| the fevered lips as he sat down beside her
"See what I've brought you, Sissy"
"a flower Oh, Bob, how nice. Where
did you get it :" She stretched out her
hands eagerly.
81 found it, Sissy"
And nobody won't want it can keep
| it for my own -
''Yes-for your own," said her brother
with strange gentleness.
81 did want a rose So murmured the
pathetic voice I've dreamed bout "a big
garden full of all colored flowers and | was
walkin' right in it, But it's better to have
a posy in my hand. And | can keep it al.
ways-forever'n ever" The heavy lids
dropped over the child's fever bright eyes,
but even in sleep the treasured rose was
clasped by her wasted fingers and the
blossom opened all its golden heart in such
rare odor that it seemed as if breath of
pure country air had waited this bit of June
skies and sunshine into the room where, at
the bedside, stood the Angelo of Death, count
ing the sands of time into eternity.
When the other rose had become loosened
from the young mans button hole it had
fallen upon the sidewalk just in front of a
small store bearing the sign ARTISTS Ma
terials.' The first conner out, a young girl
in plain, somewhat shabby dress, saw it at
once and picked it up with pleased ex
preston The very shade of the very flower
she had been wanting to buy but which
her finances would not allow Now she
could work out the design for a Christmas
card that she had been so long dreaming
about, and if she should get the prize-if
hers should be chosen as the favored one
among the many cards sent in for examina-
ton, ah how much $50 would help a strug
Cling art student like herself
Her feet seemed winged, and she was
soon turning her latch key in the door of
the place which she called home "A
cheap, respectable boarding-hous was
what the mistress, fat Mrs. Henrys, adver-
tised by placard in the dining-room win
dow, and although it was none too cheap
for Amy Trollope's purse, she sometimes
tired of its respectabiity the neat faded
parlor, and table furnished with a strict eye
to economy and waited upon by an awk-
ward girl in frayed gowns. But she for
got all these things now, forgot, also, to
mentally reproach Mrs Henrys for not hav
ing the gas lighted at the proper hour, as
she groped her way up three flights of stairs
TO her small hall room.
The daylight would soon begin to fade,
and the card must be sent in the evening
mail or it would be too late for the prize
competition, so her paint box was at once
brought out, and the deftly handled brush
laid ON broad dashes of color, light and
shade, and dainty finishing touches The
twilight was deepening so that further work
was impossible when the young artist arose,
with a long breath of satisfaction, and
stepped back TO survey her work, delight
fully oblivious to the odor of rank tobacco
which crept through the keyhole, asserting
that the newly hedged NJ. D., who roomed
across the hall, was indulging, according TO
his custom, in a cheap cigar before the tea
bell rang.
Already she was sanguinely weaving her
straw of hope into certainty of success, and
that night she lay long awake planning a
happy and prosperous future, while the
card freghted with so many promises was
ON its way TO the great lithographing firm.
The academy hall was ablaze with lights
and sweet with flowers. The prizes were
awarded, the last song was sung, and an at
tentiye audience changed TO gay crowd,
talking, looking smiling, ia press of way
! ing fans. rustling gowns and animated