Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-06-13

ticipation.
Then she picked large bunch of the
hardy roses which the modest garden
grew, AZ d sitting down beside her moth
er began to arrange them.
When am a little larger and strong
er-=I anu good deal stronger than ! was,
am not, dear mother?' she lnterposed,
sitting up very erect for the moment. Not
waiting for an answer. she went ON breath
lessly: when am older | am going TO
spend all my time growing flowers. GU il
give me more beds, father, and will SOW
the seeds and tend and water them, on, so
carefully I'll have many, many roses
out here in the garden, and then In the
winter I'll have tea and hybrid roses DR.,
Packard's book tells about in the house
can grow many of then from few roots
which | eau buy for the first start, You
know
Then III 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 III give all the money to you, father,
and nplp YOU pay Mr. Browne the money
you owe him. When | have earned
enough. perhaps ! coulc 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 buging her
| face in the cluster OF roses said with sigh
of childish ecstacy: They are like
glimpse of heaven
The few hundred dollars which Lucy
! father had as yet been unable TO pay on
! their cottage, was source OF constant
worry ami 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.
ouent guests From little toddling child
I Iucv had shown sweet thoughttuness 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
F.. grave.
The summer days passed by quickly, and
/ Tucvs rose grew luXurlantly. The tall
stalks were covered with abundant leaf
age, but there were no blossoms. But
Lucy faith and care did not wayer, and
when the frosty nights of late October
came her father transplanted the rose
into a larger pot and brought 1t 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.
Its gentle caretcker did not thrive so. A
, slight cold taken in early winter could not
be shaken off. The sorrowtul father and
. mother watched her daily failing and slip
ping from their loving grasp. The deli
cate flush on the cheek deepened into q
crimson, the white skin grew yet winter
and the slender figure dropped like faded
flower Dr. Packard visited the house
daily and sadly shook his head,
Lack of vitality, joe Nothing to builo
o.. Too much soul, too little body. Il
cannot save her
But with Lucy, DR. Packard was all
: WAYS Jolly and made her bedside merry
2 with jes,s and bright with flowers. She
confded to him her hopes, her faith IN hei
rose. her visions and plans, which grew
2 lighter as her own sweet life ebbed away
To please her the doctor drew a rough
plan of a little greenhouse and made on
( a list of plants and flowers for her to be
to begin with.
The rose tree stood in LUcys room, anC
she spent hours gazing at its fresh green
boughs With the doctor help she cut
off many slips aid pleased herself trying
{ to root them in boxes Of sand calling then
e her roses little children
= Slowly but surely the end came. 1t wa
{ warm May morning The chamber wa
e filled with the song of birds and the per
, fume Of the apple-bossom foated IN a
: the window A light breeze futtered tn
leaves of the rose tree Suddenly Luc.
e rose up in bed exciaiming "Oh, father
y Oh. mother! See See the roses! NJ
r beautiful rose!" A slight gasp followe
e and the sobbing parents knew that tn
e soul of their child had blossomed into lm
. mortal beauty.
After Lucy's death life in the cot'ag
was outwardy the same. Yearly To-
. father went to his work more bent an
n crave in aspect Silently the mother per
{ formed her household tasks and t0gethe
T taey spent the summer evenings in thei
e garden. The flowers their child had lov
d ed were remembered one by one; but tt'
barren rose received the tenderest care. i
Y was as uxunant rs ever, but had cease,
e growing almost entirely, while the rose
children. the cuttings Lucy had planted
i took vigorous root, and grew 30 rapltd al
> that they babe fair to outsuip the mothe
plant.
e The autumn came at last and the rose
were again sheltered in the house. n
promise Of buds was given, but the lone
d liz father and mother could not part wit
L their child's rose.
< One evening in the early summer Of til
next year the father said with tremblin
e lips: Look, buds on Lucy's rose
Slowly the buds grew, and when at lengt
e the perfect rose unfolded, what a glorlou
e one It was. Deep. dark red with leave
velvet. and magnificent in size and trae
j. rance. Bud after bud perfected, until tn
Y rose tree was covered in radiant BEAUTY
d. =