Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-06

will do you no horn TO go to the door and
look out 1t is mild morning. And
aud there is little surprise for you.
a surprise for heri She had had q
good many surprises since she came to
this North country. She wondered what
new one there was. Nothing pleasant,
she was sure. And then she took of her
green shade and looked out.
A surprise, indeed. There was no
snow to be seen. 1t was all soft world
of russell colors and the bare brown earth
of ploughed fislds. The sky was dazzle
of blue and gold and the birds were
darling across it aud IN among the stems
and sprays CT the elms that looked like a
wilderness Of fine purple lace-work; as
she gazed she thought some great purple
coral fans must look that way to the
fishes in the sea below. And then Sc
rena came dancing down the stairs
in her new bonnet. Haven t you any
thing new on for Easter, Florids?" she
said, ooh, seeI There is something!
You shall wear thisI'' And the next
moment she was stopping, Florida beside
her, over the last bit of snow bank left,
just beneath the edge of the plaza,
where a little green lance of leaf had
parted the way for 8 white blossom
whittier than anything but snow itself, a
flower, the spirit of a flower, the
promise of all the flowers to oome-a
snowdrop! "'You see!'' said Serena,
with glad triumph.
Florida looked up at the blue sky, be-
wildered, as little Serena pinned the
snowdrop blossom IN Der gown for her.
"I don t understand, - she said. ''The
earth has been dead. And here it is
alive again. Oh, if my dear father,
too
She stopped, for two arms were put
around her. "What about your dear
father?'' said voice she had known.
And there, Drowned and bearded, like
one just off some long voyage upon the
sea, oh, it was all like that wild, i'm
possible hope of her mothers, she
thought that dream come true! 1t was
that dream, that hope, come true, she
learned afterwards-the ship, driven Off
her course, had crushed through his
yacht, had carried him off to the South
seas; he had made all haste back;
the Sunday train had just left
him at the station. She tdrned look
ing up in his face now, saw the old
luminous smile, the dark eye, the white
brow. 'Oh! it is my father!' she
screamed, throDbiug and trembling so
from head TO foot that he could not have
released her if he would. Her mother
had stepped back for a wrap the moment
before, and Hubby, who had let the
bearded stranger in at the side door, had
detained her there with some artfal con-
versation, that she might not be too sud-
denly made glad.
NOW, - said Florida's father, ''we
must control ourselves. For my little
daughter shall go and break it gently to
her mother that almost a miracle has
happened to US all. -
''Isn It it beautiful, - said Serena, by
and-bY, as the carryall went along,
that it happened upon Easter day2 Just
as if one really rose from the grave, you
know. - And although the old aunts
and little Serena were unprecedentedIy
late at church that day, yet the clergy
man had a note from Aunt Priscilla,
asking him to give thaaks that ''this my
son was dead and is alive again.
And, if you will believe me, when
there was mention made of going home
to the island OF palm trees and orange
flowers it was Florida who pursuaded her
father and mother to stay till the leaves
should be red again in the North.