The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-07

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sake. The swar1ning children, black
with city moil and CRIME, never knew
the delight Of clean dirt in their lives.
Yet they run clamoring 10, the flower
bearers. "Give! give" is the cry, rs
twenty eager claws small hands are
thrust almost into tho basket.
"Clean faces first, Say their guardians,
smiling cheerily.
Instantly there is adash for the pump,
followed almost Immediately By re-
turn with faces where the skins true
color is discernible at the tip OF the
nose and on the cheeks. Each gets
posy. Then the round OF the houses
begins. In and out OF tiny bird.box
apartments, up and down stairways
half worn away with misery's constant
passing, the flower missionaries go. As
they pass an open window, two horribly
dirty small heads appear.
"Aly babies wants flowers. too" says
the mother from a dim background OF
stove and tubs.
Eyes; here they are. Flowers go best
with clean faces" comes in to her from
the outside. In the next room clean
old lady sits quietly sewing. The place
is small and bare like the rest, but there
is rethan decent cleanliness all about.
A CLINT OF sunshine struggles through
the bit Of window TO fall on fading
nosegay set in widemouthed bottle.
"The ladies gave me them last week,
and they are right good now" the wo-
man says, with caressing nod to tho
dasies and mignonette.
Asked what she would like from the
heaped store, she says, Whatever
you'll give me-" Then utter minute,
lid like rose. I'm going out Sunday
and want to wear It then" Adding,
half shameiacedly: "Wc had roses in
England. That's my country. And
when was young | made artificial
flowers, and it always seemed roses
were sort OF company for me-"
Out in the alley again the infantry
charged in solid column, crying:
'"Flowers for me grandmother; fer the
baby" she mother amt had none"
aye skipped tho top floor" "Gi' me
er flower" "No / amt had none"
"a flower! ilower! 81 don't want
daisies." Change these for pinks."
~ love them blue ones.n Then, all in
chorus, "Som'thin' fer Tommy's gram
"Iiush! Where is she?" says the
missionary, holding her basket high
out Of reach.
an there" cry dozen, indicating a
dark doorway.
It frames her like n shrine, and she
might be indeed martyr OF toll. Tall,
pale, patient, with worn, lined face,
and smooth gray hair. She stands with
outstretched hands, the very moral and
pattern OF endurance.
ado you like bright fowers? says thu,
missionary, holding out n clump OF
dewy peonies that but yesterday were
nodding in n country garden. She has
never been in the court before. Her
comrade touches her, and says, very
low:
"Tommy's grandmother is blind; give
her roses as we'll"
The two leave her with both hands
full Of bloom, and 60 in where three
Italians are clbow-deep in suds. 1t is
dark, dismal, steamy, yet YOU see the
faces light MS by magic, and hear broken
words OF thanks as the givers Tit away.
Outside they find themselves again in
the rank OF small sturdy bcgyars, who
come with empty hands anl newly
smudged faces, declaring roundly,
1--WE 'ain't no flowers"
But there are cases OF conscience
among them. One dark slip Of Italian
girlhood looks covetously at cluster
Of scarlet peoples; vet when 1t is held
out to her with cordial smile, she does
not reach for ii, but says, II had some,
at the first" showing wee bunch of
pansies in the hollow of her hand.
Next moment she has kis sed the pop
pies, and rushed away with them to
her eyry on the upper flights. Long be-
fore half the houses are visited the bas-
kets yawn emptily, aud the bearers 20
back for fresh stock. Almost. every
where in the poor homes they have
been welcome rs sunshine. II Is no
mere lip thanks that has rewarded
their kindly effort. A few perhaps mis-
prize; but in how many rooms are
these flowers carefully tended and kept
long past their time Of beauty! More
than once yon see withered leaves and
stalks pinned against the wall under a
dead bahy's picture. And the tot who
wears posy on her frock plays daint-
lily, instead Of sprawling and kicking on
the dusty stairs, or maybe even keeps a
clean face half the day. Better than
even the uplifting wrought by flowers
is the kindliness OF this kindness.
Truly, it is more blessed to the givers
than to the receivers!
like chains Of silver seen through crystal beads,
| al lnvn fhFOuUh 0Onn dARuE HhnW.W
sings Edwin Arnold. Very many hands
help string this silver chain with crys-
talline good deeds. The mission, which
is separate from the regular Flower
Mission, and its rival only in good works,
is maintained by over three hundred
circles OF Kings Daughters. Flowers
come TO them irong rs far south rs Rich
mond, Va, Pennsylvania, Connecticut,
New Jersey, join hands with New York.
The blossoms given out to-day grew,
many OF them ii the Catskills. Most OF
them come ready tied in punches. II
they are not, there is never lack Of
willing fingers to group them deity, and
iasten to each card printed with some
text OF Scripture. Out on the Orange
mountains there Is a wonderfully hand
some house that is never without Wis
itors the summer through. Upon high
place in the grounds, where the outlook
is a poem, there stands summer house,
with big table in Its centre and rustic
benches all around. Just under the roof
You read, in Illuminated letters, "0h, all
4 sc green things upon the earth, praise
sc the Lord"
Flowers abound; the garden over
runs, the way-side is bespangletl. Every