The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-09-18
The Touch of a Flower.

The Touch Of Flower.
One, two, three fourl Mr.. Sheppard,
the shipbuilder, started from his seat at
the 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 June
air. The noise of blinking iron and of
workmen's calls floated up to him from
the great shipyards below His, all his,
the piles of steel and copper, the I'M
finished hulks of many vessels-yes,
even the great iron steamer so near
completion, from whose sides resounded
the blows of hammers. The workmen,
a thousand 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 shipyard gate
his daughter waits in the carriage, and
he would join her and roll away swiftly
from the tumult and unsightliness to
the GOODNESS of the green parks.
Some one came in to ask a final or
der; in the five minutes thus consumed
Gwendolen and the roses did their part.
Thomas" she said to the coach
man as she waited in the open barouche,
fair and white to see in her summer
toilet with the bunch of roses on her
breast, "can the men down there stop
hammering if they're awfully tired or
warm?"
d" La, no, Miss Gwenl" answered the
coachman, with an amused smile.
"They're Just like machines them
selves; it's work day in and day out
steady, or no bread for 'em."
Just then tired, haggard-looking
workman came very near to the shining
wheels as he half staggered back to his
place among the others. Miss Gwen
leaned forward, and before Thomas
could enter vigorous objection her
clear young voice was saying:
"I'm 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. But
he took them with muttered blessing.
Papa" she said, minute later, as
they rolled away toward the boulevards,
''I'm thinking"
Mr.. Sheppard smiled back at the
earnest face raised toward his.
" When we go to Newport" she
asked, a minute later, "what does
Hays do with all the flowers?"
Pm sure, Gwen, l can't answer
that; 1 suppose they bloom and die.
He always has orders to keep up the
house and grounds as well as if we
were at home. Are you thinking of
any of your pet plants now?'
No; / was thinking how many
must be wasted in your garden. O
papa, could I-could / give them to the
men? Not L, you know, but some
body. That man was so glad to get
the roses home!"
Then the whole little story came out.
AT first Mr.. Sheppard laughed and
leased and called the whole thing i'm
practicable, absurd, and told Gwen to
forget such nonsense; she need not
worry her brain about the workmen, so
long as they put money in her pocket
But the days went on, and so did Ovens
pleadings 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
errands to give them now and then to
the men when we are away"
GO A pretty story for me to be giving
my men bouquets!' said Mr.. Sheppard
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 Gwen.
Twice 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 Gwendolen,"
and many 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 NUT
terings of strikes and uproar ran rife
through the land, all was quietness and
peace at the shipyards. Perhaps-just
perhaps-there floated the sweet in
cense of those summer roses to quiet
troubled hearts. The rich man him.
self learned his lesson as he watched
the men start homeward with the bit OF
brightness they carried. He learned
that all men, great or humble, rich OF
poor, have souls that can be helped to
higher and nobler living or driven
down to degradation and despair
Selected.