The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-07
A LONDON STORY.

MzMrAILLY was the poor little sonPs name; no
ENEg one had ever called her anything else
IyI only sSa M msSs her ,e,D,v living by en-
bI0ldeIy, residing in a iorlornooking dark and
narrow room that yet fortunate enough TO
boast one small window on the street. Aye. that
window was Millys glory; the JOY ana delight of
her existence. The street was a dngy London
one. hardly a tboroughfare and therefore not
noisy; but gay and even delectably worldly In
The child's eyes. for she was not much more than
q child az yet. Though worn IN face ana serious
looking she was young In years, scarce II surely
at most. while In character she was very childish
still. London bred she was, shrewd and quick
In many thugs, keenly alive 10 the necessity OF
daily work, thoroughly expectant OF the money
ing ways OF her employers, and astute with
regard to life generally; nevertheless fund OF
freshness ana innocence In Milly'S soul was
wont often 10 burst forth Ike sweet pure
spTlug of water coming from depths unknown.
ready 10 gladden. and solace The ard hearts OF
her neighbOrS. She was friendly 10 those neigh
b0rs, who some OF Them befliended her. But she
had always been much alone. She was almost
like prisoner, tins II tie lame and feeble bodied
seamstress or rather em0roideress, who spent
her uDcared-foT youth bending over frame OF
needlewoTk, carrying out the ideas and designs
of others; only occasionally, as a rare luxury,
allowed 10 WORK her own Will aud her own Tau
cieS INTO the threads OF SILK and pieces OF linen
satin left over" If a boys will be the
winds will. what shall be said of glrPSP Is II
light, tphemeral, like the seafoam? Or stronger,
llhe bndWeed In gardens? Or hrm and brave
and shiny, Ike the marble that makes the coping
stones OF palaces? / know not.
Milly cared little for the vehicles that some
times went IumbliDg down her street, nor for the
sad-lOOkiDg, poorly dressed pedestrious who
were The only freQuenIers of that neighborhood,
nor for the lUud-vOiced vendors OF cheap goods
in baT0ws II was tie corner OF gray skye
casOnally palld blue-which she liked, and
which (by squeezing well in between heavy
table and the wlndOw-sili, and cranlhg her neck
painfully she could see and greatly rUjOy, IN
contrast TO the dingy atmosphere OF her lodging
But what she loved best of all to gaze ON from
NAnNF In n
glorious, SO lovely, so comforting ana yet heart-
stirring that the child could never be satlaled
with looking and wondering at 1t. ,.
A flower shop II was. What are flowers made
of and how do they come? ask the LondOners
How are they gathered aud brought together In
their Infinite beauty OF tone and color, III their
DTilllancy and freshness, in their tenderness aud
sweetness. Flowers In pots, flowers III punches,
flowers in sprays, Struggling groups OF flowers
and stray single bloOms-all these filled and
deeked the window panes OF the shop opposite,
all these gladdened The eager, beating heart OF
the lille lame embrodeless. IL matteled not
wleu her eyes were delighted with this dream OF
fairy color, that she was lame; nor did she re-
member her many sorTows when, with hot ITEM
bling hand, she threaded her needle and piled
her loVelle>t silks, glancing up now and then TO
gam from beyond the narrow street
new draught from her source OF inspiration. Fast
flew her fingers, fast grew the flowers beneath
her tOuch like yet not like the originals; pretty,
perchance, yet dsappolntingy different TO ex.
pectatioD, thought the little artist, who realized
without knowledge OF the Why or WheIefore)
his failure Of great Intention.
For she wanted TO copy nature. Nay, who that
has once seen nature can be readily content with
q counterfeit?
Every now and then, at sparse intervals of
time when she was thoroughly disheartened and
disguised with her own bandiwork, Milly would
fetch her old hat and cape out of The cupboard
her cupboard where sne Kept everything, from
piece of dry bread TO an empty backing bottle
and old BiOle-and dress herself laborOusly
and crawl 10 the other side OF the street, ana
stand there. her face pressed against the panes
of he fiower-sbOp window, till she couldn't stand
ritrg,f No mn 70 her pr
slender form shivered under the thteadDaTe
black cape, her face grew more plnched aud blue
than before; but she held her place DTaVely,
studying The form, the make" OF The flowers,
I'LL SHE knew them so well that she could shut
her eyes and reproduce them on that wonderful
canvas which we all possess as free gift TO
paint our beautiful visions upOn-the clear white
page of our mlnds.
There was one thing that troubled her. The
flowers died so quickly. Mly had neither time
nos strength to pay frequent visits to The flower
shop, aud consequently never might she hope TO
see her favoritrS quite close q second time. She
studied them, she loved them, she strained Der
eyes 10 see them. Good. But few days later
they were gone from their accustomed places,
and Others, new cOmers-neW, graceful, fairy
things-weTe displayed where the old fliends
had slowly dropped or been hastily removed.
That was the way Of the world, doubtless, but
there some people who never get used 10 the
ways of the world. Milly was haply one OF these.
she had one friend though L should rather
say one acquaintance, for he was scarcely more
and that was The little crossing sweeper, the
poor boy Jim.
Their mlsfortunes were bond between them
perhaps; they were both crippled though
slightly from infancy. He was humpbacked she
was lame He was swift OF foot ana OF eye, ana
could pilot her dextrousIy over Tue muddy way,
safe from horses feet or splash of wheels; she,
The girl, was stronger Of hand, brighter Of face
aud Of courage. She had more than once taken
the bosom from Jim's land, and swept away the
mud Tor pedestrians blthey aud cDeerlly so
That SHE earned more cOppers for him IN leu
minutes than lie knew how 10 gain In a weary
mornings work. His hands were SO weak and
delicate; hers, used TO activity, were positively
muscular by contrast.
There was one drawback-he never seemed to
comprehend about the flowers. He would stand
on one leg by the brilliant shop window staring
plteously, taxing OF his ragged cap aud putting
1t on again with a gesture OF perpleXty, scratch
Ing his lead sometimes for greater doubt.
'You see, Jim," lilly whispered TO him one
day, II love them so-the flowers. They are so
beautiful, SO very, very beautiful. 1t guile gives
me pain, an odd feeling here IN my throat, only
to iook at them"
Then l wouldn't have nothing 10 do with
'em," returned lie boy deeisyely. III they hurt
you, what's the go0d?"
It's The hurting that brings me lack to them
somehow" stammered Milly who couldn't ex-
jim gazed at her with his wide-opened, long
dashed eyes.
- You are a queer 'un, and no mistake" he
said at last iii, look out you were almost
right under the van This time. Mill: | wish,
wish l was dock, that l do-Pd give you
flowers and grand things every day; wouldn't L
just W
Thank you, Jim. dear; oh, thank you. That
makes IL 1usl tlle same as u you ulu.
"Why, how can that be 2" asked the boy lean
ing on his broom aud staring at her harder than
ever.
Miy, TO whom defntions seemed almost the
greatest difficulties Of life.
There are some people who have so little to
say That they spend their days In trying 10 make
the scanty substance more; meanwhile the
thoughts OF others surge tempesluously against
their lettering speech, and these people must al
ways appear ignorant aud dull.
One day-lt was bright May mOrning-Milly
had come TO an end OF all her commissioned
work. Nor had she any ideas for the future;
she was tired, oyerdOne perchanee-she had
beer working both early and late this last week.
The colOrs Of The many-petaled flowers in The
shop opposite seemed 10 flash more brightly
than usual; The sun was strong aud hot; the
three c0rnered piece of sky overhead was pcsi-
lively blue. From its cage on nail outside OF a
Deighbors window came the sweet song of
captive thrush. Some cffelvescence Of spring
time rose and dubbed in The girPs young veins.
She could not stay within her dark and squalid
room; she rose TO her feet In Impotence.
moment later she had reached the street.
She stood outside the door of tue house, gazing
there; be was nowhere in sight. Well, he would
soon return, doubtless. There were few vehicles
to be seen; she might cross safely Now the
deed was done; Jim should presently hear of her
prowess.
And surely the reward was worth the effort.
The fOwer-shOp had never seemed so beautiful
Bunches OF lilac, Iaburnum and hawthorne were
blooming on one side; on The other were posi-
lively stacked pink. red and white peonies.
woods, while marsbmalows and cowsllps shone
more golden than the sunshine.
Milly knew 10 names or properties of flowers;
in Der eyes there were no common oues, aud the
ot-h0use geranlums ana ciueIaries were only
by color more glorious than The penny punches
OF wallflowers and field daisies aud Struggling
ioiget me-DOts that were specially provided for
weary Londoners.
TO her ii was all beautiful dream; there was
just hard. lmpassabe wall between her and |
such luxuries, like the glass against which she
hattened her pale, little pinched features. She |
could sec through the glass certainly, but she |
could get no nearer; no, nor yet touch or smell.
She could only Sigh, ard The sigh complaint like)
made matters worse, for II dimined the clearness
Of the glass Tor moment.
Two ladies' came out of the shop; one passed |
on, the other, seeing the girl, paused The |
hands of both ladies were filled with punches OF |
flowers; possibly My's eyes were more hum
grlly watching lhan she knew.
g You poor little gill !" said the lady who |
stood IN The doorway. She held out bunch OF |
something bright.
" Would you like these flowers? Yes, you may |
take them"