The morning times., 1895-07-07

| there in the audience had sent her flowers
| every evening for Weeks, and had stayed
| on this side the water long after he was
due in political circles at home, waiting
| to take his fair girls promise back with
! him, but she delayed long in giving it,
She pulled a few dong blossoms
! from the bunch and held them in her hand
| looking at them. II had been long time
/ since she had held daffodils in her hands.
| They We're the flowers that hcdged the gar
/ den path leading down to the street from
! that little cottage III Dole When the last
! snow was melting urdrr The hcmlocks in
! the ravinc in the spring IT was time for
the "dafGys' TO be in bud tie little sharp
points of green that stand like Iances
| to grow and swell and burst into rich bloom
They We're the first flowers her childish
! fingers had gathered They We're the
flowers that always decked the table
on her birthday She remembered with
start that the day after tomorrow was her
| birthday. She had quite forgotten it
until now.
! There is something that comes to one at
/ times: one is not conscious OF its approach
/ until ii is an actual prese nee. Some
! call il sentiment, but Whatever it is if was
surely designed by an ali wise Providence
to touch ard redeem the heart when it be-
! comes WoFld-liardened, proud, self
! ish, and forgetful The hlasa man OF the
| world W i'll sneer at his fcllow-n men ard VIII
| pick up tramp on the corner and take him
| where he can get hearty supper. The
modern Shyock, holding his pursc-strings
| with fingers OF steel, VIII nut a coin into
| a Eeggar Chiid's hand because she has eyes
| like some one he once knew These yellow
| flowers, fresh as if Just plGcked IN the
| prettiest garden i'll Dale, brought back
| sweet memories to Alice Jewell and old-
| time acquaintances, as il she had met them
! face to face.
She remembered how the little mother
would say, when there We're guests at the
cottage:
"Alice, get some flowers for the table q"
| And on Sunday morning before church
! they always made a tour OF the garden to
see what roses Were in blossom, what
flowers Were budding, ana how long 1t
would be before the cups and SauccrS"
and emperor pansies would be in bloom.
Sheand WailerHaie the boy, wholiyedneXt
door, had sown pansy seed in the autumn
| under the north windows, ana had gathered
| the blossoms in the spring when they were
| children Walter was fond OF flowers and
of her Then when they were older he came
TO sing with her, and when she left home
they had written to each other often. He
| was student then in distant city but he
said in one of his letters LAS soon as my
graduation is over | am coming TO the city
| to hear you sing" He was a fuli-fledged
| NJ D., and he told her her mother was fail-
ing, and had grown very old in these past
| two years.
'Ithink it would do her good ifyou would
| go home once, Alice, he had said, and she
| had answered that it was impossible then.
She had promised to go with some one TO the
seaside.
He had looked very grave and seemed dis
appointed. He reE.inded her then of a
! promise she had made him, but he said.
do, q
/ Good fortune has come to you III such
way that you cannot leave ii to become
village doctors wife, but II was the hope of
/ my life and my spur in college days" She
/ felt rather piqued at 4zs giving her up so
easily, and when he left the city, and sent
/ her only formal note Of goodbye she had
! cried a little, and her eyes were misty now,
! Her dressing room was filed now with the
! peculiar odor of the flowers. The call-5oy
! had knocked twice. Infanother moment the
! stage would be waiting. She touched the
! flowers caressingly Observation-Disclosures
! and in the moment that she was crossing
J from her dressing room TO the stage she
made the grand resolve OF her Lifetime.
! There was a dark man in the audience,
/ who was deeply disappointed when he saw
! she was not wearing5his flowers He cilaed
( her a couuette and felt that she was trifllng
| with him She gave no glance in his direc-
| ton after the performance, and as She en-
| tered her carriage after the performance
note was handed her. The writer assorry
] he had made such a miserable choice or
! flowers this evening, al they Were the last
/ he would have an oppogtunity OF sending;
he must sail in a day ortwo. Would SHE
/ kindly honor him on the morrow with few
! moments time that he might receive
/ her definite answer. This, he thought,
would settle the matter. When she found
/ he was really going She would not let him
! slip through her fingers.
She read the note by the shaded light on
| har desk when size reached home. Her
white cloak was still about her shoulders as
| shatook up herdainty silverpen TO answerit
You never sent me flowers thattouched
me so much. " she wrote 'D-ffodilsaremy
| favortes. and l shall keep this bunch al
ways am sorry that / VIII not see you
again, for by the time you receive this shall
! be out of town. am going to take long
vacation. | wish you bon voyage and
goodby."
She felt that it was little to say, after
| he had been so kind but it was better so.
Another little note went to Mrs. Allyn
1T will be impossible for me to accept
your kind invitation to accompany you to
/ Old Point Another engagement VIII pre-
! vent"
Then she. read over again the letter begin
ming My Daughter" Between the lines
hecould readalI the longing and all thelove
! and the tenderness, and she kissed the page
! where her tears We're dropping, and she said:
Never mind, little mother, am coming.
| She would not let them know: she would
walk in upon them when they least ex-
! pected her, just in time for her birthday
dinner She wondered if Walter would be
there; she supposed he was busy. Then q
sudden resolve seized her and she took up
| her pen and wrote: My birthday Is the
day after tomorrow. / am coming home
for a while. do not know how long
shall stay-perhaps as long as you all care
| to keep me. VIII you help me gather Easter
posi"s for the table, asyou used to do?"
She folded the note and sealed it with
! her dainty monogram, and addressed it in
| her bold, dashing hand to DE Walter Hale "
! And then, when the maid had taken the
| letter to be posted, womanlike, she rested
| her head upon her desk and cried as if her
! heart would break. With those tears she
! washed away all the ambition, selfish in Its
/ intensity, that had compassed her round, and
| when she raised her face it shone with
! peace and humbleness as if 1.-The voice that
! braathed peace to the waves of the sea" had
| spoken to her and she had heard. Chicago
| News
|
New York's Cat Skin Trade.
Among the vast crowds that visited the