The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-18


after day. Dozens of them carry din
morning they go by with bright faces and
sprightly stops, many of them wearing
fresh flower on their breast In tho
evening they return, not few of them
weary and worn, and wonder who,
beside the Great Pitier of US all. waits
for their coming with welcome of
love. All day long they have been busy
at office, store, factory and mill, and
the thousand and one places whore
duty has called them Work, work,
work, hour after hour, day in and
day out. And while hands are
delving; minds arc busy with the
thoughts of fading yesterdays, earnest
to-days and brighter to-morrows. How
many of them will ever realize the hope
that is sustaining muscle and mind?
How many Of them are performing n
labor OF love for those who are worthy
OF tho offering and the sacrifice? Day
after day the lunch boxes 90 and come
while the hands that are carrying them
are building city, copying the books
and documents, and are mingling all
the checkered thoughts and deeds from
which the mighty weaver, Time, is
making the worlds history. What in
significant, and yet what ail-important,
parts these humble toilers playI Down
in dingy Easements, up In towering
office buildings, everywhere amid the
busy marts of trade they perform the
work that fate or fortune has brought
to them. AS watch them go and como
l try to imagine what hopes inspire
their hearts, what love sustains their
hands wonder if the aged laborer,
homewnrd bound, still loves the old
wife us he did long years ago when
they together dreamed sweet dreams.
He was to BIO a prince of men and she
his loving princess. l am sure the COR
geous palace in which they were to
dwell has faded away, and in it's place
is an humble cottage or rented flat
And the coach and four has mover, new
er stood before their door. Neither has
any other conveyance designed for
pleasure. Only the wagons belonging
to the grocer, the baker and the milk
man have ever stopped there. Or it may
be yet one other vchiclo-the symbol OF
death-thc hearse.
But If tonight they can greet each
other at the door and call back tho old
love light to fading cyes-if he can
hold her worn palm in his, or press
against his cheek the one whose touch
once brought such exquisite pleasure
If the fire in the heart still burns, fate
has been kind to them, and their paths
have not yet led them out of Paradise
Sometimes there passes my window
face that awalkcns in my mind more
than usual interest and / watch its
goings and comings with q deeper
thought than that born of curiosity.
l remember very distinctly the first
time l saw blossom" pass my win
dow. She wore pink dress and hat
trimmed with ribbons of tho Same
color; She looked like fresh spring
flower Her real name I have never
known; to me she will always be "Blos-
SON." Her face was as bright and prct-
ty as dew-washcd clover mead on q
June morning, and her neatly-fittin2
dress and very becoming hat added TO
the winsomc ness of her appearance.
The street in which dwell is by no
means the most aristocratic in tho city.
1t is what some would call plobcian
neighborhood. There are saloons on
the business corners and all about is an
air of arrested growth that for some
shadowy reason seems to DO sadly sat
lstied with the present state of things.
All the people who go by my window
do not possess bright, happy and intel
llgcnt faces. l always watched FOR
blossoms" coming Her presence was
refreshing and reminded De of sweet
rose growing among the palmer grasses
Her step was elastic, her manner
sprightly. fancied she had recently
come from Il home in the country,
where the odor of apple blooms and the
songs of birds filled the air. One morn
ing l saw her going toward the sub
urban station. carrying lunch-box;
then knew She was member of the
great company of tcilers- Thereafter
She went and came regularly. BY and
by sturdy young mechanic, whom l
had often seen pass my window alone,
walked beside blossom" one evening
on her way home. He had a frank.
manly face, but his working clothes
were soiled and worn and his hands
were rough. After that I saw them
pass by together quite often. He seemed
to bc very happy in her society, but
"Blossom.N with her pretty pink dresses
and pink ribbons, often looked far
away as though she were trying to dis
cover some one whose appearance was
more in harmony with her ideal.
Near the walk at the side OF the
saloon that stood at the corner was q
large maple tree. Men used to bring
chairs from the saloon and sit in the
shade of the tree during the long June
afternoons and smoke, and chnt, and
laugh boistcrously. Some of the men
who used to meet there became familiar
figures to my eye. Among the number
was q young man who dressed splen-