Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-04-27

bow yumg shoulders and TO silver young curis
without hs intcrfcrcnce
Bebcc had always tbsught Il quito Q flne
thing to have been born Of water nlics, with
the sun Tor her father, and when people n
BRUSSELS had asked hcr Of her parcntagc, sco-
ing her stand In tho market with certain
look ON her that wss not like other children,
had always gravcly answered in the purest
good faith.
my mother was flower"
"You arc . flower, at any ratc," they
ways quite content
But now shc was doubtful; she was rather
pcrplexed than sorrowful.
These good friends Of hers seemed to se some
new sn about her. Perhaps, after all, thought
Debec, u might have been better 10 have
had a human mother who would havo taken
care Of her now that old Antoine vas dead,
instead Of those beautiful, cleaning, cold
water lilies which went to sleep ON their green
velvet bczis, and did not certainly caro- when
tho thorns run into her fingers. or the pebbles
Got into her wooden shoes
In some vague way. disgrace and envy-thc
twin discords Of the world-touche,l her inno-
cent check with their hot breath, and as tho
evening fell. Bebce felt very lonely aud a
little wistfuL
She had been always used to run out In tho
pleasant twilight tiino among the flowers and
water them, Antoine filling the can from tho
well and tho ncighbors would come and lean
against tho little low wall, knitting and
goSsiping, and tho big dogs, released from
harness, would poko their heads through tho
wicket for crust; and tho children would
dance and play Colin Maillard on the green
by the winter, aud she, when tho flowers wero
no longer thirsted, would Join them, and
romp and dance and sing the gayest Of them
all
But now tho buckets hung at tho bottom Of
tho well, and towers hungered In vain, aud
the neighbors held aloof, aud sho shut to tho
hut door and listened to the rain which began
to fall, and cried herself to sleep In her tiny
kingdom.
When the dawn camo tho sun rose red and
warm; the grass and boughs sparklcd; lark
sang; Bebee awoke sad in heart, indeed. for
her lost old friend, but brighter and braver
Each Of them wants to get something out
Of me-" thought tho child. "Wcll, ! will live
alone then, and do my duty just as he said
The flowers will never let any real harm come,
though they do look SO indifferent and smil.
ing sometimes, and though not one Of them
hung their heads when his coffin was carried
through them yesterday"
ina' wah' Vi sympa'ny In tne flowers
troubled her
The old man had loved them 50 we'll and
they had oil looked as glad as ever, and had
laughed saucily In tho sun, and not even a
rose puu turhen tfe paier as tho poor still
stiiIened limbs went 10y In tho wooden she'll
suppose God cares-but ! wish they
did," said Beocc, to whom the garden was
more intelligible than Providence
IL, H.
pinks, shaking tho rain drops of their curled
rosy petals
The pinks leaned lazily against their sticks,
and seemed to say, why should we caro- for
anything, unless slug be eating usf--that Is
real woe, If you like"
beDee, without hor sabots on, wandered
thoughtfuily among the sweet, wet sunlight
cncd iapyrihths OF blossom, her pretty knro
tcet treading tho narrow grassy paths with
pleasure IN their coolness
HE was so good to you," sho said re-
proachfully to the great gaudy gillyaowers
and tho painted sweet peas "He never let
you know heat or cold-he never let the
worm gnaw or tho snail harm you-he
would get up In tho dark to see after your
wants-and when the Ice froze over you, 10
was there TO loosen your chains Why do
you not care, any one OF your
"llow silly you arel" said tho flowers
"You must be q butterfly or a poet Bebee
TO DO as foolish US that. Some ono win do ali
he did We arc of market value. Won know
Care, indeed when tho sun Is so warm. ond
there Is not an earwig In tho place to trouble
us"
Tho flowers wcro not always SO selfish as
this, aud perhaps tho sorrow In Bebees heart
made their callousness seem harder than n
really was
When We suffer very much ourselves, any.
thing that sriiles In the sun seems cruel-a
child, a bird, a dragon fy--nay oven a flut