The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-01
Prom The Nelo York Times.

Brought of "Jack"-Earning 81 rs
Week.
From the Netc York Times
An old lady passing slowly I'D Broadway
stopped at a flower stand in the doorway of
a big store She was not an ordinary old
lady, but it was plain that she and poverty
had been for some tims very close friends.
She wore an old-fashioned bonnet Of rusty
black. 1t was made Shaker fashion, with
cape. A lace veil with cord run in il was
tied over thu TOP and turned back from the
face after the manner of fifty years ago.
From under the bonnet fell two thin gray
hairs. The hair was parted smoothly at tne
top and brushed away from the forehead
All this detail you took in at a glance, but
when you peeped under the bonnet at the
face glance was not enough. 1t was such
dear old face, aud yet it gave you a heart
ache, for the lines about the thin, sensitive
lips told an eloquent story.
They told Of loneliness, pItiful loneliness,
that was full Of helpless wishes and hopeless
yearning. They told OF bitter dlsappoint-
ments that had cruelty hurt that tender
soul, and they told Of a gentle love and
sympathy for any one who needed or would
accept it. The eyes were blue and kindly,
but there was a pleading look in them that
went straight TO your heart. Her dress fell
in straight folds TO her well-patched shoes,
and her thin old shawl had evidently been
kept for years. Her hands had been all
tOiled out of shape; you could see the big
joints underneath her dar led gloves.
She stopped at the flower stand because
she saw there great bundle Of mignonette
Sue looked at it with hungry eyes. Then
she leane1 timidly forward and smelled it.
What is the price of it, please?"
twenty-five cents for a big bunch.
ma'am," said the flower vender. holding it
temptingly near. The old lady hesitated
She wanted it, oh! so much, but 25 cents
Let me tell you how much % cents was to
her. She made paper boxes for a living at
cents dozen. When she worked steadily
she earned 81 70 week. Out of this 81
was paid for her room, aud a wretched little
place it was. So you see that quarter was
just one-third Of her weeks living. Her
room was over in East Eighteenth street.
The box factory was way down in Grand
street. OF course she could not ride, and
the walk with the big pile Of boxes was
often tiresome enough.
She wanted that mignonette, though. She
wanted it so much that at last she drew out
an old leather pocketbook and gave the man
a quarter
IN do without my suppers for week
for the sake of havin' 'em," she said to her
self. She had been alone so much that she
had fallen into the habit of talking to her
self. AS she passed down the street to the
east side the children ran after her, calling:
Tive me fowerp And like the dear old
soul she was she gave a little sprig to each
one who asked for it.
After she had toiled slowly up all the
stairs to her tiny room she fastened to put
the flowers in an old-fashioned china
pitcher. Then she took off her bonnet and
shawl and put them carefully away. She
sat down close by the flowers, drawing
them tenderly TO her as a mother does a
child whom she has not seen for years. She
buried her face in the creamy blossoms
How much is brought back! The old gar
den at home, with the bed of mignonette
close under her window. She stood there
one night in blue cotton gown while Jack
tucked spray of mignonette behind her
ear. A pretty contrast to the golden
brown" he said. Jack was the parsons
son and knew how to say pretty things.
1t wasn't long after this night that Jack
came to her with an angry look upon his
face, saying: Pm going away. Sally. |
can't put up with fathers harshness any
longer. If you never see me again you'll
try to remember me kindly, won't you"
She never did see him again, and she re-
membered so well that in all the years she
never had another lover From the time
she left the old home life had meant only
TOLL ana prlVatlon and loneliness. But to-
night, as she looked at the mignonette it all
came back to her. She was girl again,
and Jack was with her By and by she be-
gan to nod The perfume ad the pleasant
memories combined to make her sleepy. So
she went 10 bed, and, like child, she took
the flowers with her.
They're a sight of comfort and I'm glad
| bought 'em, she said to herself They're
a sight better'n supper, an anyway don't
feel hungry. Somehow l hain't been SO
comfortable for long time" And then
the dear old lady went to Sleep
The next afternoon the neighbors came
in to see why she was SO quiet. They found
her still asleep with a SATISFIED smile upon
her lips. The room was filled with the odor
of mignonette. She was dead.
''She starved herself, most likely, for the
sake of buyin' them flowers" said a hard
featured woman, with a touch of impa-
thence in her voice.
Later in the day little child who had
loved her crept timidy into the room. The
withered hands still held the bunch Of mig
nonette, and the little one. standing on tip
toe, said softly:
Wasn't it nice that Aunt Sally had the
posies"