River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-12-12

! Inc summer DAYS passed by quickly,
and Lucy's rose grew luxuriantly. The
/ tall stalks we're covered with album
/ dant LEAKAGE. hut there were 40 bios
SONS. But Lucy's faith and care did
/ not waver. and when the frosty nights
/ of late October came her father trans
/ planted the rose into larger pot and
/ brought il into the house. Lucy daily
watched and tended i, and the rose
/ tree spread its green leaves and drank
/ in the sunshine and the warmth all
+ through the snowy weather. but gave
no grateful response of bud or flower.
Its gentle care taker did not thrive 50.
A slight cold taken in early winter
could not be shaken OF The sorrowful
/ father and mother watched her daily
/ failing and slipping from their loving
grasp. The delicate flush on the cheek
/ deepcned into a crimson, the white skin
T grew vet whittier. and the slender figure
dropped like a flower. DIR. Packard Wis
/ tied the house daily, and sadly shook
I his head.
Lack Of vitality, Joe. Nothing to
build on. Too much soul, too little
/ body. IL can not save her"
But with Lucy DIR. Packard was al
ways Jolly. and made her bedside merry
with iests and bright with flowers. She
confided to him her hopes, her faith in
her rose and her visions and plans, which
grew brighter as her own sweet life
ebbed away. To please her. the doctor
drew a rough plan of little green
house and made out list of plants and
flowers for her to begin with.
The Iose-trce stood in Lucy's room
and She spent hours gazing at its fresh
green bOughs. With the doctors help
She cut of many slips and pleased her
self trying 10 root them in boxes Of
sand. calling them her roses little chill
drcn.
Slowly but surely the end came. 1t
was a warm May morning. The cham
Der was filed with the song of birds and
the perfume Of the apple-blossoms float
ing in az the win low. A light breeze
futtered the leaves OF the rose-tree.
suddenly Lucy rose up in bed, exclaim-
ing: .Oh, father. Oh. motherl See!
see the roses, Red blossoms on my own
rose, My beautiful rose" A slight
gasp followed, and the sobbing parents
knew that the soul of their child had
blOssomed into immortal beauty
After Lucy's death life in the cottage
was Outwardly the same. YEARLY the
father went to his work, more bent and
grave in aspect. Silently the mother
performed her household tasks and to-
gether they spent the summer evenings
/ in their garden. The flowers their child
/ had loved were remembered one by one;
/ but the barren rose received the tender
| est care. IL was as luxuriant as ever
but had ceased growing almost entirely
while the roses children. the cuttings
Lucy had planted. took vigorous root
and grew 80 rapidly that they babe fair
| to Outstrip the mother-plant.
The autumn came at last and the
roses were again sheltered in the house
No promise of buds was given, but the
lonely father and mother could not part
with their child's rose.
One evening in the early summer of
the next year the father said with
trembling lips: Look, there are buds
on our Lucy's rOset' Slowly the buds
grew, and when at length the perfect
rose unfolded what glorious one it
was. Deep. dark-red, with leaves of
richest velvet. and magnificent in size
and fragrance, Bud after bud per-
[ fected. until the roSe-tree was covered
I in radiant beauty. as if all the love and
care that had been bestowed on it had
turned into a garland.
Mr.. Carter ioyously cut some of the
largest flowers to carry to DIR. Packard.
As he went with them Manufactured
man stopped him.
.Oh. l say, Carter. said Mr.. Browne,
you'll have to pay the rest of that
mortgage soon. think I've been pretty
T paticnt-it must be seven years or more
/ that its been running. Business is
business. YOU know. and | want the
money to use"
The sight of the bunch of roses was
now like a stab to the fathers heart.
/ How 70 raise the money he knew not.
/ blinded and benumbcd he stumbled into
/ DR. Packard's door.
'Lucy's roses" lac said. brol1enly and
sank into chair and hid his face in his
/ hands.
! These roses grow herc?" demanded
/ a hearty voice. They are magnificent,
Such color. Such form. Got any more
/ like'm?"
y Is" abScntly answered Mr.. Carter;
/ ''the bush is covered with them"
/ Good, I must see them" and before
/ the amazed father knew it he was lead
/ ing the way home with DIR. Packard
I and the stranger following.
This Is truly wonderful" said the
stranger. who was friend of DIR. Pack
ard and a city florist. Il want to buy
it. How much viii you take for it,
Il can not sell my child's rose an
swered the father
III our child were here and could
speak She would be eager to sell it.. :"
said the mother. who had stood silently
/ by. ''You know that her dearest wish
was that her rose should help us We
/ love the rose for the blessed memories
/ il brings us. but those are always ours -
You have several young plants of
] this same rose?" asked the florist.
YES, about twenty, replied Mr.. Car
/ ter.
We'll, I'll give you fifteen hundred
dollars for those. and you send me all
+ the c4tdngs that You can make grow,
and YOU may keep this bush. But, un-
+ derstand. You are not to give away or
sell single cutting. My right is ex-
elusive"
/ 80 il was settled. Mr.. and Mrs. Car
/ tor still live in Rose Cottage" as il is
I called. Lucy's roses bloom everywhere
f in the neat door-yard. The dark-red
/ flowers are freely given away, although
+ not cutting can be parted with; and
never a sick-rOom in the village but has
is bouquet. carried there by Lucy's
gentle mother.
DR.. PacSard's garden still fourishes,
and he still frightens the ever-increas-
ing I.umher OF small boys with his old
+ energy; while on the florists counters
f are seen large. glowing heaps of the
f Lucy Rose. the favorite of the world OF
fashion and wealth.-Agnes Il. ormsbee.
F. in y. Y. Independent.
q
a bundle Of spider-webs not larger
/ than a buck-Shot and weighing less thar
one d-achm. would. If Strengthened out
/ and untaugled. reach a distance Of Sc