The Washington critic., 1890-02-26
A LATE BLOSSOMlNG LOVE.


worn thin with much usage. 1t did not
take Emma Smith very long to clear away
her breakf0sttable.
"lt docs seem,n said she, speaking aloud.
presumably TO the cat, las If ] grew
poorer and poorer every day had q
little butter with my oatmeal yesterday
To-day ] haven't any. There's only
handful of potatoes left In the bin, aud
four apples and q few carrots. And I've
no money. Yes, it's come TO that. I've
got to sell Aunt Desires old blue Canton
china ~
As she uttered the words, moisture
came into her eyes which made the white
crocuses along the garden walk waver us
II n high wind had swept over them.
No one would have believed that Emma
Smith had once been the prettiest girl in
Norvalton. Now and then a blue light
would sparkle into her eyes, faint flush of
color would rise to her withered cheeks,
which might recall the days of yore. but
these came seldom she was dress
maker by trade, but she had somehow gone
out of fashion. People looked astance AT
her Paris plates, and doubted her ability
to hang u skirt or cut n "surplicc waist
The dashing "Madame" from New York
got all the local custom. And there were
times when Emma heartily wished that she
had accepted Asa Hopper, instead OF ieer-
| ing at his suit.
She had scarcely packed up the blue Can
| ton china set in dilapidated spliut basket
| when the sound of creaking wheels was
| heard, and Old Ma'am Perkins, seated on
| an aerial perch amid bristling array of
crockery and tinware, driving a patient
old horse, who paid no sort OF attention to
shaken reins or belaboring whip, came III
view. Emma ran out to intercept her.
want to buy anything, EmmaY'
! Emma Smith shook her head, tMrs
| Perkins, said she, "I'm wantin' to sell.
"The land! TO sell what, Emmay"
"Aunt Desires old set o. china. Real
Canton. Flown blue. The hull set per
feet and not a chip nor a crack in it!''
"What ye want for ity'
~ haint no idea what it's wuth, sighed
Emma. "Anything it'll bring.n
oval, hand it up here am I'll dew my
level best for ye," said Old Ma'am Perkins
1'm going down Bedford way this trip and
some one may take a fancy TO it."
1t was late in the April twilight when
the crockery cart once more stopped at the
door. Emma ran out to greet the cheerful
old woman who sat on it,
"Wal,n cried Old Ma'am, ~ sold it's
"Did your" Emma bad cherished an
Illogical, lingering sort of hope that the
blue china might prove unstable, and thus
come back to her after all.
"And who dye guess bought it? Asa
Hopper, up TO tle DrOOk arm.
CASA Hoppergn
''Folks say he's going to be married" ;" said
Old Ma'am Perkins. "Anyhow, he's fur
nished up the house real slick, with a new
red store carpey In the best room, and new
wall paper, and Nottingham lace curtains.
Had property left him from the Fairfield
County Hoppers," added Old Maam.
"Says he; Seems to me that china looks
sort o. naturalr And says l. Il wouldn't
W fYgf nnt fon g,Gf hafr
1t belongs TO Emma Smith, the dressmaker,
down in Norvalton,' says I, 'and she aint
so well off as she was-and she wants to
sell it, Says he: How much'll ye take for
itN Says !; Twenty-Five dollars (for
thought there Want no use a-seliu' it for
nothingl. Says he: III take IT. An here's
the money all In gold, in a shammy leather
purse, in the bottom Of my pocket"
And away she drove, chuckling to her.
self
Emma Smith went back into the dreary
room, lighted her candle and set herself to
work to apportion this unexpected win |.
fall to her various debts and deficiencies
and through it all her heart was as heavy
as lead
''Its nothing to me that Asa Hopper /.
going to be married." said she to herself
"He's real good fellow, and rm sure
hope he'll do we'll But-but didn't spo'sC
he'd have forgot me so soon.'
And big round tear, like a miniature
soap bubble, splashed down on the little
heap of gold pieces.
AS Miss Emma Smith reached up to put
the money away in cracked tumbler, al
the back of the dresser shelf, she saw
standing there, n stocky little cream
pitcher with the inevitable Chinese on th
badly foreshortened bridge, traced in flow
ing blue lines on its apoplectic sides.
There y said she, 81 forgot to send
that cream pitcher with the rest. I'm sur
don't know how it ever came here"
Just then there came n knock at tn,
door. Miss Smith had nearly dropped tn,
pitcher in the start'she gave. She went t,
the door, and there stood Asa Hoppe
himself.
"Good evening, Emma ~ said he, jus
exactly as if ten years had not eapse,
since their last meeting.
GOOD evening, Asa ~ said the dress
maker 81 know what you came for. 81
down"
"You do, ell ?n Asa turned very red an,
, diligently busted the inside of his hat witt
his silk handkerchief.
you've come for that blue pitcher tina
belongs to your set, and here il is.''
'No, haint," said Asa Hopper, payin,
no heed to the article Of household war
extended to him. "rve come for you
Emma"
"Yes, just that Asa Hopper laid hi
hat on the table aud put his handkerchie
back into his pocket in business-lik
way. "Now look here. You're alone Il
the world-so be |. Aud all these year
since we were young together I've been
thinkin' OF you and no one else. im well
to-do in the world, and can keep my wifi
like lady-and for year back I've bee
sort o. furnishing up my house and sayin
to myself This ere carpets a patter
Emma would like, and Them blue -painte
cheers would match Emma's eyes to
chalm,' And the house is ready-and IN
ready-and when old Mrs. Perkins brough
along the Canton china set and said 70
wanted to sell it, ! knowed the cal
had come. BE yon ready, too, Emma Y
Emma colored aud still she smiled.
was not exactly the way in which she ha
pictured her future wooiug, yet there wa
/ genuine love in Asa's eyes, and a spirit G
: dead -in-earnestn breathing through all hi
, words!
yes she said. II am readyn'
"Then give me kiss, Emma said tn
|, iubilant lover, jumping up, ''just to SCI
the bargain
ooh, take care you'll break The creal
pitcher" said Emma.
"Ilang the cream pitcher" said Asa an
be got the kiss after all.
"Bnt did you really love me all thes
yearsyn asked Emma coyly. Didn't yo
never pay attention to no other giri?''
: "Never!" said Asa. "All my none
was laid up for you, and that there hous
was furnished for you. And If y0u hadn
come there to live no other woman shoulC
4 not until the day of my death.n
Emma Smiths heart gave little upwar
pulse He was awkward, aud loos
iointed, and red-haired, this swain of her
but among all the knights of King Arthur
Round Table there dwelt no more chiva
. rous spirit than his
And they were married, and Old Ma'ai
4 Perkins came 10 the wedding In a glistel