Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-07-05

she might have. The flowers were
to be picked before sunrise, and
sent to a grocery near her home,
where their wagon stopped at six
a. IN. with vegetables. They gave
her two small wooden boxes prom
ising to leave more at the store,
and to exchange them every day.
81 see you want to make a little
money, ma'am, and its a mutual
benefit, so if you pack 'em tight,
and put in plenty of leaves, tie up
in punches of twenty-five each,
they will come all right. But no
sun-picx 'em early; better do 1t
overnight than let a sunbeam on
'em." And promising her a dollar
and a halt per hundred, and the
same tor lilies and heliotrope, the
florists went on with their work,
and Mrs. Crosby returned to her
home, content to be able to earn
the dollars she had that morning
coveted apparently so hopelessly.
No plan ever succeeded better,
and this mine of flowers in the
shaded dell lasted for ten days,
and then dwindled away. But the
lopg.fiowered white lilies were in
bloom, and they needed a larger
box and more careful packing.
When the first of them was sent
away they looked so very dingy
and forlorn that Mrs. Crosby had
misglvings that all was not right,
and in the afternoon her fears were
realized by the appearance of one
OF the Bayne Brothers at her front
door.
"Then lilies amt no good,
ms'am," he said, "you must break
off them yellow centres, or all that
pollen dust will 60 over the flow
er," and he went out in the garden
and dexterously detached the top
from the stamens. "There now,
send 'em clean and white you lost
that lot, but it needn't happen
again.
When the summer was over and
only the shrubs Of Hydrdaged pan
iculata stood in the garden, to be
shorn as late white flowers, except
border OF sweet alyssum that was
cut every day, the little woman sat
down to count her profits. 1t had
been quite an effort to tell Mr..
Crosby, as she did long before, but
he only took it as a joke and
thought no more about it.
Now the returns were dwindllng
down, and soon all would be over.
Sac had sown pansy seed early in
the season and the beds we're full
of purple and white bloom, the
new white pansy showing conspic'
uously. "Put your old hot.bed
ashes over 'em, and if you water
and air EN- regular they'll flower
till Christmas" advised Mr.. Bayne,
aud this she determined to do.
Many comforts for the children
had been purchased. and she had
balance Of $40, with which she
intended to treat herself to new
cloak. While she unused over it
before the fire, and tried to decide
If she would get a cheap suit OF all
wool, or only a cloak Of heavier
material, her husband came in
looking jaded and harassed.
"What is the matter 7" she asked
timidly.
"Oh ~ was his peevish reply,
"the butcher came to the Office to-
day, and left his bill right before
all the clerks. l haven't anything
to pay 1t with, and he said be
would call tomorrow. had nc
idea it had mounted up to forty
dollars.
Her heart gave a sudden leap
and a wave Of generous impulse
took possession of her.
81 have that amount. lin
tended to get a new cloak with it
but 1t doesn't matter, if you neeC
, it,
He knew how niggardly he haC
been to her, and knew also th'
prlce of cigars OF the finest brand
OF which she had no suspicion. S,
> he turned to her in sudden amaze
] ment.
"Where in thunder did you ge
=. it?7
t "IIush " she answered $50
t kHO,o how it is. made it sellln
!. flowers. It's regular business
a and a good one, only It's oyer now
g for autumn has come. They onl
g take white ones, or pale blossoms
b but l got the children shoes an
1 hats, and have been able TO get tn
q winter fannels made before "
n needed to wear them. 1t may saw
I Lena from that bad group she ba
Y last year" Here she paused, an
?. took from an inner drawer fOu
I ten.dollar bills. "Take them
4 never mind the cloak"
). "DO yOu take me for brute
n he roartd, 30 scornful rage, "to L
s you sCrape up money in this wa
e and then take it from you 2"
"It was pleasant work." she saiC
Y gently, "the children and l like !
r and am going to have pansies
I sell at the holidays"
9 "Well, you are woman wit
L I 4 - a.