Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-10-23
How Nod Did the Marketing.


than of anything else in the world
excepting his mother. Whenever he
could get chance to do so he'd spend
hours before the hower-stands in the
market, near which he lived, or in the
lighthouses of the good natured florist,
with whom he had managed to strike
up a friendly acquaintance, which
were few blocks further away. He
was never tired of admiring the beau
tiful roses, praising the graceful lilies,
and wondering at the wonderful or
chids. And he went into raptures
over the sweet-scented violets, the
pink-tipped daisies and the elfish pan
sizes. Indeed, there was no flower too
tiny or too humble to be loved by Ned.
But this love, admirable as it was,
got him into trouble one day. It was
the day in early winter when his Aunt
Marion, his fathers sister, had come
from some street away up among the
hundreds, down town to visit his
mother, and, her visit being entirely
unexpected, there was nothing in the
house for company dinner.
So, while she was taking off her bon
net and cloak, Mrs. Rodman, who, by
the-way, was as fond of flowers as her
son was, took Ned aside and said to
him: Ned, you must go to market.
Here's 30 cents, all the money [ have
in the house. Take it and do the best
you can with it. You might get some
nice mutton chops, some sweet pota-
toes, some bananas, and a pumpkin
pie And don't be any longer than
you can help. II is half-past IL now.
and [ want to have dinner by 1, sure"
eyes, ma'am," said Ned, and he put
the so cents in his pocket, swung the
market basket on his arm, and started
off. When he had gone Mrs. Rodman
and her sister-in-law sat down to chat,
and they talked until II o'clock. Then
Mrs. Rodman got up and busted herself
setting the table, but there was a big
wrinkle on her brow which grew deep
er as she went to the window to look
for Ned. But no Ned was in sight
Another half-hour passed and still no
signs of the boy, and the mother, as
mothers will, began to fear that some
terrible accident had happened to him,
when, just as the hands pointed to
quarter of 1, merry whistle was
heard, the door was pushed open, and
in rushed the truant with fower-pot
in which grew fourishlng rose-bush.
bearing three lovely crimson roses,
clasped tightly in his arms.
Look, mother" he cried, joyfully:
isn't it beautiful? And it only cost
so cents. Smell the roses
But here his mother interrupted him
to ask: "But where is the market bas-
ket ? Where is the marketing? Where
is our dinner?
Ned stood dumfounded for mo-
ment. Then he said while his face
became as red as the roses he held,
"Oh, mother, forgot all about it. The
butcher wasn't quite ready to cut the
chops so I left my basket and ran
round to the florists to see if the bud
on that queer new plant he's got had
opened yet, and it had and it's lovely,
and then I saw the rose-bush, and the
florist said it was only fifty cents to me
but seventy-fve to any one else. and
knew how you loved crimson roses SO L
bought it and forgot all"
His mother interrupted him again.
Take that rose-bush," she said in
stern voice, back to the florists Then
bring me as quickly as you can, my fifty
cents and the market basket After
that you may go to your own room and
remain there till tomorrow morning"
Ned turned away without a word and
Mrs. Rodman set out the boiled ham
aud pickles, and bread and cheese and
apple-jelly and homemade ginger
bread upon the dining table. "Fm
sorry to give you cold lunch instead
of warm dinner" she said to her sis
ter-in-law, but you must blame your
thoughtless nephew for it,
But to her surprise Aunt Marion,
burst out laughing. at is one of the
funniest things L ever heard of in all
my life," she said, "and as for the cold
lunch it's just delightful if you'll only
forgive Ned. Why. bless your heart.
his love for you was at the bottom of
whole thing after all. And then, too"
she added with a merry twinkle In her
eyes, you've saved your fifty cents"
And Ned coming back at that mo-
ment with the longest of long faces,
his mother burst out laughing too, and
that lunch was one of the merriest
lunches that three people ever sat
down to-Detroit Free PI.ess