The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-23
NgY LADY pRllNROS

ICopyright, 1894, ny Mary E. Hysilkins.
Everybody in the village wondered
about My Lady Primrose She lived with
an old woman who had green eyes like
a cat and was reported to be a WITCH,
in a little peaked roof cottage on fhe.
edge OF The willow woods. "A brook ran
in front Of the cottage. indeed the brook
was really the trent yard. and there
was a little bridge across it to The front
door.
Ny Lady Primrose with her old nurse
had lived in the village about sShree
years, and no bone knew whence she had
come nor anything about her past life
All anybody knew was chat one morn
ing in December, about CHRIS ImaS time,
smoke had been seen curling out of the
cottage chimney. a little later a girl 5
beautiful fair head had appeared at the
window, and the old woman had
crossed the bridge with a basket4on her
arm, and gone to the village store for
milk and eggs, and butter, and money.
People questioned her, but she only said
in repIy:: 1T is a fair day., and that
was all she would ever say People
suspected that that was all the English
she knew. Whether that was so or not
she never made them any wiser and the
mystery thickened-
The beautiful girl was never seen
abroad, except occasionally on a cloudy
day, never when the sun snone, and
nobody knew her name even, but Ileo-
pie called her. My Lsdy Primrose. = ley
fancied an odor of p iInroses came from
her garments when she passed by, then,
too, she wore silk gowns Of primrose
yellow and pink, and white, ruffied soft
around her feet, and a scoHoped green
hood that looked just like a primrose
leaf.
She never walked, but rode a beauti-
| full white donkey wieil silver balls on
his bride and green r4bJon for reins,
and she carried a green whip that look
ed like a spear of tail marsh grass. It
was said in the village that My Lady
Primrose never could set on the ground
her delicate feet which had been seen
to be clad in a little green pointed shoe
when she mounted her donkey on the
bridge, unless some awful fate would
befall her.
Nobody in the village had ever heard
My Lady Primrose speak at all. If any
one accosted her when she was abroad
she smiled gently and rode past on her
white donkey with a tinkle of silver
bells; and if ladies went to her house
to call, in their best ibonnets, with
their parasols and card cases, the
said with "a bow, 1T is fair day."
then shut it again, and shot the bolt,
and the callers went away in a pet.
However, although the village people
did not know it, the old nurse did
sometimes speak a little, even at
length, to caller. Now and then a
traveller would pass along the brook
side and catch a glimpse of My Lady's
sweet face at the window, and all his
heart would go out in love toward her.
Then he would disnount and cross
the bridge and knock at the door and
the nurse would open the door. But
| in addition to, cit is a fair day" she
would say t"'Do priinroses grow in
your country?" And when he replied,
YES" as they all had for three years.
she would sigh, and shake her head,
and shut the door, and the lover would
ride away with a sore heart.
However, one spring, in the third
year, a handsome young man was rid
ing by very fast on a, great black
horse, when he saw My Lady Primrose
at the window and stopped short "She
is as beautiful as my mother" said
he, land if 1 cannot have her for my
wife, I will never we'd"
So he dismounted and crossed the
| bridge and knocked and My Lady
Primrose ran away from the window.
When the old nurse opened the door
she bowed and said, 1T is a fair day.
| Do primroses grow in your country?"
The young man looked at her with
surprise. No said he, 'Fthey never
grow in my country; the gardeners
cannot raise them there
Come in. then" said the nurse, and