Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-09-23
Tlomth' q Column.
The Touch of a Flower.

ship builder, started from his seat at
his office-table as the tall clock rang
out the hour, closed the books that
lay around him and crossed the room
to an open window, through which
the breeze from the river came up to
cool the warm air. The noise of
clinking iron and of workmen's calls
foated up to him from the great ship
Yards below. His, all his-the piles
of steel and copper-the unfinished
hulks of many vessels-yes, even the
great iron steamer so near completion,
from whose sides resounded the blows
of hammers. The workmen-a thou
sand or more-were his also, to work,
to toll, to slave in winters cold and
summers sun that his wealth might
grow from great to greater year by
year. What matter to him the noise
and the heat? At the ship-yard gate
his daughter waits in the carriage,
and he would join her and roll away
swiftly from the tumult and insight
illness to the GOODNESS of the green
parks.
Some one came in to ask final Or
der; in five minutes thus consumed
Gertrude and the roses did their part.
s'Thomas, said she to the coach
man as she waited in the open ba-
rouche, fair and sweet to see in her
summer toilet with the bunch of roses
on her breast, 'scan the men down
there stop hammering if they're aw-
fully tired or warm?''
LA, no, Miss - answered the coach
man, with an amused smile. 'Its
work day in and day out steady, or
no bread for 'em.''
Just then a tired looking workman
came very near to the shining wheels
as he half staggered back to his place
among the others. Gertrude leaned
forward, and before Thomas could
enter vigorous objection, her clear
young voice was saying:
81 am so sorry you are tired !!
Would you like my roses %
The young girl unpinned the bunch
on her breast and held them, sweet
and fair, out to the bewildered man.
He took them with a muttered bless
ing.
s'Papa," she said a minute later as
they rolled away towards the boule-
wards, ''I'm thinking
Mr.. $. smiled back at the earnest
face raised towards his.
"When we go to Newport" she
asked, minute later, ''what does
Hays do with all the flowers?"
sI'm sure Gertrude / can't answer
that; l suppose they bloom and die.
He always has orders to keep up tue
house and grounds as well as if we
were at home. Are you thinking of
any of your pet-plants now?'
emo; 1 was thinking how many
must be wasted in our garden. O,
papa, could could | give them to
the men? Not I, you know, for l
won't be here, but somebody. That
man was SO glad to get the roses to
carry home p
Then the whole little story came
out.
At first Mr.. S. laughed and leased
and called the whole thing impracti-
cable, absurd, and told Gertrude to
forget such nonsense; she need not
worry her brain about the workmen.
But the days went on, so did Cert
rude's pleading go on with them.
"Just let Hays cut the flowers he
don't really need, papa, and you get
two or three of those boys that run
the errands to give them now and
then to the men when we are away"
ga pretty story for me to be CIV
ing my men bouquets :" said Mr.. S.
Nevertheless, one day he did call
Tim and Chips and Ben, three of the
most reliable dock-boys in the yard,
and sent them up to the great house
on the boulevard with distinct orders
to carry out the wishes of Miss Cert
rude.
Twice a week all that hot summer,
as the tired workmen passed through
the gates homeward, the three boys,
with many smile and joking word,
"gave out the flowers for Miss Cert
rude" and many a blessing from lips
unused to blessing fell on the head of
the child away by the sea.
People said those flowers worked
wonders all that year. When the
mutterings of strikes and uproar ran
I1IC GlIC etll
ness and peace at the ship-yards.
Perhaps there foated the sweet in
cense of those summer roses to quiet
troubled hearts. The rich man him.
self learned the lesson as he watched
the men start homeward with the bit
of brightness they carried. He learned
that all men, great or humble, rich or
poor, can be helped to higher and
nobler living.
1t is easy to be nobody, and the
Wotchnadao tells how to do it. Go to
the drinking saloon to spend your lei
sure time. You need not drink much
now, just little beer or some other
drink. In the meantime, play domi-
noes, checkers, or something else to
kill time, so that you will be sure not