Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-06-11

know.
Then I'll sell them and their blossoms.
| have heard so many people say that they
wish there was some place IN the village
where flowers could be bought, and Mrs.
| Browne, you know, sent to Boston for
roses for her party. | could sell roses for
such things and make up lovely bouquets.
Then I'll give all the money to you, father,
and help you pay Mr.. Browne the money
you owe him. When | have earned
enough, perhaps I could have glass
house here, and then / could grow more
flowers, and we three would live together
always in this little house and be so happy,
and my roses would help you both. | am
| sure my new rose will blossom, and with
| it am going to begin helping you
| Lucy smiled to herself over the rose en-
powered castle in Spain, and burying her
face in the cluster of roses said, with sigh
of childish ecstacy: They are like a
glimpse of heavenr'
The few hundred dollars which Lucy s
father. had as yet been unable to pay on
their cottage, was a source of constant
worry and trouble to both her father and
mother. Industrious and saving, they
had always been burdened too heavily to
succeed. Narrow means had always been
their lot, and illness and grief their fire.
quent guests From little toddling child
Lucy had shown sweet thoughtfulness for
them, and had been companion and COM
forter in measure far beyond her years
She was full of childish delights
and games, yet the visions of caring for
her parents in the coming years were
often before her and made her sedate and
grave.
The summer days passed by quickly, and
Lucy's rose grew luXuriantly. The tall
stalks were covered with abundant leaf
age, but there were no blossoms. But
Lucy faith and care did not waver, and
when the frosty nights Of late October
came her father transplanted the rose
into larger pot and brought it into the
house. Lucy daily watched and tended
it, and the rose tree spread its green leaves
and drank in the sunshine and the
warmth all through the snowy weather,
but gave no grateful response of bud Or
flower.
It's gentle caretaker did not thrive so. A
slight cold taken in early winter could not
be shaken off. The sorrowful father and
mother watched her daily failing and slip
ping from their loving grasp. The deli
cate flush on the cheek deepened into a
crimson, the white skin grew yet whittier,
and the slender figure dropped like faded
flower. DIR. Packard visited the hous e
daily and sadly shook his head.
Lack of vitality, Joe. Nothing to build
CO. Too much soul, too little body. II
cannot save her.
But with Lucy, Dr. Packard was al
ways jolly and made her bedside merry
with jests and bright with flowers. She
confded to him her hopes, her faith in her
rose, her visions and plans, which grew
lighter as her own sweet life ebbed away
To please her the doctor drew rough
plan of little greenhouse and made out
list of plants and flowers for her to be-
to begin with.
The rose tree stood in Lucy's room. and
she spent hours gazing at its fresh green
boughs. With the doctors help she cut
off many slips and pleased herself trying
to root them in boxes of sand calling them
her roses little children.
Slowly but surely the end came. It was
warm May morning, The chamber was
filed with the song of birds and the per-
fume of the apple-blossom foated in at
i, the window. A light breeze fluttered the
leaves of the rose tree. Suddenly Lucy
rose up in bed eXciaiming: "Oh. father!
Oh, mother! See! See the roses! Ny
beautiful rose!" A slight gasp follove ed
and the sobbing parents knew that the
soul of their child had blossomed into i'm
mortal beauty.
After Lucy's death life in the cottage
was outwardly the same. YEARLY the
father went to his work more bent and
grave in aspect. Silently the mother per-
formed her household tasks and together
garden. The flowers their child had low
barren rose received the tenderest care. 1t
was as luxuriant as ever, but had ceased
growing almost entirely, while the roses
children, the cuttings Lucy had planted,
took vigorous root, and grew so rapi diy
that they babe fair to outstrip the mother
plant.
The autumn came at last and the roses
were again sheltered in the house No
promise of buds was given, but the lone
ly father and mother could not part with
their child rose.
One evening in the early summer Of the
next year the father said with trembling
lips: Look! buds on Lucy's rose!'
Slowly the buds grew, and when at length
the perfect rose unfolded, what glorious
one it was! Deep, dark red, with leaves
velvet, and magnificent in size and frag-
rance. Bud after bud perfected, until the
rose tree was covered in radiant beauty,
as if all the love and care that had been
bestowed on it had turned into garland.
Mr.. Carter joyously cut some of the
largest flowers to carry to DR.. Packard. AS
he went with them hard featured man
stopped him.
ooh, say, Carter" said Mr.. Browne,
you'll have to pay the rest of that mort
gage soon; think I've been pretty pa
tent; it must be seven years or more that
it's been running Business is business,
you know, and | want the money to
use.
The sight of the bunch of roses was now
like a stab to the fathers heart.
How to raise the money he knew not.
Blinded and benumbed, he stumbled into
DIR. Packard's door.
Lucy roses" he said brokenly, and
sank into chair and hid his face In his
hands.
'Those roses grow here?' demanded a
hearty voice. They are magnificent!
Such color! Got any more ike 'em?''
Good! must see Them" and before
the amazed father knew it he was leading
the way home with DR.. Packard, and the
stranger following.
This is truly wonderful" said the
stranger, who was friend of DIR. Pack
ard and city florist. Il want to buy it.
How much will you take for it?''
Il cannot sell my child rose," an
swered the father.
IF our child were here and could speak
she would be eager to sell it," said the
mother who had stood silently by.
EIVo,, how