Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-11-18
a1omth's Column.
What the Roses Said.

A wan little maiden lay with closed
eyes upon her pillows in the sick
room all was very still, and the roses
in the vase by the bedside had it quite
to themselves.
"You are crowding me very uncom-
fortably," said great, glowing red
rose, spreading out its rich petals
with gush of impatient fragrance.
"You are rubbing all the velvet off
my dress p
ooh, please pardon me- begged
the little pale rose, that had pressed
so near, shrinking humbly back as it
spoke amid its leaves. ''I only put
up my lips to kiss that pretty sun
beam. / love sunbeams.''
'sIt is not worth while blooming to
kiss such a paid little beam as that y
returned the red rose, contemptuous-
ly. 81 wouldn't so much as turn my
cheek to meet it. All, there is no
sun here like one that / have known
Such a fiery, glorious sun, shining
hour after hour up there in the empty
blue sky all for my sake, and throw
ing down passionate golden kisses to
me that set the green leaves of the
trees all a-tremble with envy as they
fell athwart the branches? Never
had rose such lover before"
ooh, tell me, tell me!' cried the
little pale rose, lifting its sweet head,
eagerly. 81 never had a lover yet,
tho many zephyr has told me that
I am fair, and a great butterfly once
brushed me caressingly with It's
wing"
sButterfies and zephyrs. Incon-
stancy and deceit" answered the red
rose, crushingly.
''Do not say that !" pleaded fair
white rose, turning up it's passionless
holy face. "All zephyrs do not de-
ceive."
"You do we'll to say so indeed!'
exclaimed the red rose. ''Pray was
it not zephyr who stole your per-
fume from you one fine day, and has
he ever brought it back?''
"Ah nay, nay" said the white rose,
meekly. s'He did not steal 1t. l
gave it him. 1t is his therefore to do
with it what he will. He did but ask
me for breath of my fragrance that
he might bear it with him to gladden.
a far-off fowerless spot, and | open
ed my heart frankly and poured out
it's whole treasure unstinted into his
hand"
'sAnd you have been scentless ever
since-a fine reward that" comment |
ed the red rose, exasperatingly.
'sDoes that matter?" asked the
white rose, gently. 'FThat which one
gives without reward is the only true
gift. To give with hope of return is
not to give, but to lend
''But the love story-tell us the
love story" cried the little pale rose,
drawing a deep breath of expecta-
ton.
''Pshaw, [ have had lover too,''
interposed brilliant yellow rose.
s'And not one, but many-oh, more
than ever rose had before! Why they
would sit in the tree above, and sing
and sing all day long just for love
of me, till it seemed as if they would
deafen the world with their melody
ooh, how beautiful p sighed the
little pale rose. "And | never had a
lover But what could you say to so
ooh, | cared nothing for them p
said the yellow rose, with pert toss
of its head. 81 just turned a deaf
ear to their sweetest songs, and never
said aye or nay"
"And they?" inquired the little
pale rose, anxiously, ooh, did grief
kill them? Did they fall dead at
your feet, and was there silence in
the world?"
ssOh, as to that answered the
yellow rose, rather stiffiy, "they-
they flew away
"Ah, ha My love was truer,
then !'' cried pink rose eXultingly,
'stho' he was dumb and said never
word to WOO; but he hung all day
overhead, pale and wan and sad, all
for love of me! Yes, never a word
he said, but he drew nearer and near
er to the earth and | saw him well A.;
for had not all my heart gone out to
him where he sailed so grand and
stately and slow above my head, and
did not | love my beautiful cloud
lover with all my soul? But pre-
tended not to see-I hung my head,
[ would not look-and it grieved him.
He wept. felt his warm tears fall
ing wet upon my brow, and yet still
[ would not look-still [ drew my
petals close and bent my head aside;
and he wept and wept all the long
lay for love of me. And when tow =,
ard night, relenting, at last I looked,
10, it was too late: he had wept all
his soul away. My lover was no
more he died for love of me-for