Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-23
Only a Rose.

A few years ago lady living in the city
returned one evening from the country,
where she had been spending the day, with
a large basket of roses. As she approached
her own house ragged, dirty boy followed
her with such wistful eyes that she gave
him rose. Before her door was opened
he was beside her again with two other
grimy boys.
"Ef you place, mem, yell not be havin'
one to spare for them ?" pointing to his
companions.
"If they had been hungry and asking for
bread" she said afterwards, "they could
not have watched me with more eagerness.
When handed them the roses they all
gave shout and darted away. In fifteen
minutes the steps were almost filled with
children pale, ragged, starved little crea-
lures. | do not know where they came
from; they seemed to swarm out of the
earth. l gave them the roses and all the
flowers in my little garden, ashamed to
think how many l had and how little l
had valued them, while they were such
priceless treasures to these children. Most
of the children ran home with their
flower as if it had been rare level.
slater in the evening another poor little
waif rang the bell to know If this was the
house where they gave away flowers
determined then that, with Gods help, ii
always should be-"
Out of this chance gift Of rose grew the
flower mission of one of our great cities.
No one, who has not carried flowers or
growing plants into the slums Of our cities,
can know the delight which common
field daisy or bunch of clover can give to
their wretched inmates.
A little incident which occurred this
summer has certain significant pathos OF
its own. A young girl one day bought
from an old negro on the sidewalk lunch
of purple water-fags. Going into small
trimming shop, she observed that the sales
woman eyed them intently.
"What are those flowers, miss" she
asked II never saw them before, but ]
think they must be the flags my mother
talks about that grew on the creek near
her old home in Delaware She's never
seen any since"
"Give them to her." said the customer
kindly.
The woman tried to thank her, but the
words choked her. "She's old and very
olCh, SUE salu dt idSt. one MOl NC mere
long"
A month later the young girl went into
the same shop again. The shop girl
dressed in shabby black, came to her.
"She kept them flowers by her for ter
days-as long as she lived" she whispered
"She thought they came from her ole
home. When put her in her coffin
laid them by her. There was little
color in them yet. They had given her
SO much pleasure / thought I'd like tc
have them go with her STILL"
1t is not necessary to belong to club or
organization to join in this beautiful char
ity. ANY child who lives IN the country
can send box of field flowers to her friend
in town, and these, if taken into the near
est court or alley, will become mission
airy charged with Gods message of good
will and love.
Flowers are his free gift to man. Food
clothes, even knowledge, we must work fol
and buy, but flowers grow for the beggal
on the wayside. Shall we not carry his
gift to our poor brother imprisoned in city
walls, who has not received it?- Youth,
Companion