The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-11

who was dearer to our hearts than Lara.
yette. Such a time as We MATT. hho
how everybody-big and littie-was .Iy-
ing to think OF something to do him hon
And did you really see him. grandma.
asked Polly, Interested in spite OF herself
in this bringing to life OF one OF tne pee,
the covers Of United States history.
mo, dear" she answered, Il didn't
sea him. after all. That's what ! was
song to tell town T hs anS grand
dinner. But the part was most inter-
ested I'm was this: There was to he
big arch of vines and flowers up at the
head Of the street, and four of the school
girls were to stand under 1t as he rode
1p. and they were to hold flowers that
were to be offered to him. But we didn
have so many gardens and greenhouses
In those days. People couldn't go up 10
Brooks and order carloads OF flowers
hlll's Pond. just as you girls are going
to-day. Violets and arbutus and ground
pine grew then as they do now. Just
before the other girls called for me,
though, mother had to go out In hurry
/ suppose she forgot all about us chill
dren: but. anyhow. I was left alone
with little Sally. and when the girls came
didn't know what better to do with heI
than to take her along. Mother hau
said no when Sally asked to go; Tor she
ways wet and DOGGY In Springtime, and
she didn't think IL was prudent.
But Sally was too little to be beft
alone in the house. and thought / was
quite able to take care of her. so she
came with US, laughing and chattering,
and perfectly delighted to be going with
the big girls.
'As for my staying" gradma continu-
ed, that seemed quite impossible. l was
one OF the four girls. chosen. and my
white dress had just been freshly IRON
ed, and i had new blue ribbons to wear.
1t would never do. thought. to be left
out of the flower gathering.
1t vas late In the evening before we
got home. and we were all OF us pretty
tired. But poor little Sally was hardly
her shoes were all wet and muddy be-
sides, and / knew mother would blame
me for having taken her.
"She was waiting for us at the door,
and the look she gave me as she picked
Sally up i'm her arms made me feel about
as sorry and ashamed as / ever felt in
my life. She did not scold me or punish
me, but just took no notice of me in
way that seemed harder to bear than,
any punishment could have been. while
she undressed Sally and bathed her poor
tired little feet before she put her to
bed. l went to bed myself pretty early.
and the next thing | remember was
mother coming to my bedside and wax
ing NE. NE: ,,,.. co. noo,o. po..rnan
she said. Sally is so sick I dare not
leave her.
II dressed myself as fast as I could.
and went out / had never been In the
street so early before. but things looked
so gray and ghostiy that / was frighten-
ed. and ran up the street just as hard
az / could. II seemed forever before |
could wake any one up but suppose IL
really wasn't SO very long before we got
back
Doctor Rossman shook his head and
looked very grave when he saw Sally,
and j went off in a corner and cried as
IL my heart would break, when | heard
mother telling him all about the long
walk and the wet feet. I'd always said
my prayers every night and morning,
Polly. but / never prayed as I prayed
that morning, for my little sisters life.
mo one thought of the procession or
Lafayette's coming. you may be sure. and
my flowers were all forgotten In the tub
where had placed them to keep fresh
over night.
"The flowers had cost me dear. for
all the morning, while the town was alive
with people coming and going and max
ing ready for the great doings in the
afternoon, we sat in darkened room
and watched the little flushed face on
the pillow. and listened to the hoar&se;
croupy rattle that choked and surocated
her"
20 gradma, grandma" cried Polly, her
own tears flowing by this time. "She
didn't die then. did she?"
Gradma took off her spectacles and
wiped them slowly. 1t all happened very
long ago. yet to this day II was hard
to speak of 1t without a lump In her
throat.
at was just at noon" She said. brok-
emily. I'VE heard the drums beating.
and the fifes playing. and the tramp Of
horses out In front OF the house-the
old house In Warren street, Polly. You
know II? But had no thought OF going
to the window to look: for Just then
Sally raised up in bed and cried out, %,
Lafayette's musicr
''She was a little thing, and could hard
ly speak plain" Grandma's voice failed
for a moment.
:. when We laid her down on the pillow
IL was all over. Lafayette's music had
passed by. and II was growing fainter
and fainter az they marched up the
street: but little Sally was deadv
Polly ran across the room and put
both arms around her grandmother's
neck: Hire tears choked her so that sb.
could not speak. and for Dew moments
the dlyer locks that had been brown
as Polly's own when LAFAYETTE came
TO Hudson. lay very close beside PoIly's
rough little mop of curls, though no word
was spoken between them
Polly! Pollyr' called the school girls.
stopping In front OF the open window
are you ready? Hurry up?"
I'm not going" she answered.
Ruf grandma In. e..r,,,tuI