The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-08-29
A BRIDE ROSE.

Che lived in little country town.
Such a very little town that, after you
went up the dusty street, on which
there was line of low, squat buildings
bearing legends on their several
weather-beaten fronts of Family Gro
ceries," Drug Store" Post Office" and
General Supplies Sold Here"-why,
there remained no more town to see.
The rest of the old place just trailed
off into scattered buildings, some &C.
cupied, but many falling to ruin for
want OF the repair of occupancy.
But il you went swiftly along the
quiet country road after awhile you
would come upon fair white cottages,
trim and neat, set in the midst of
broad acres of cultivation; and there
would always be space reserved for the
eet-smeling blooms of old-fashioned
flowers, such as country folk have time
10 thrust into the soft, brown loan.
In one of these white cottages she
.- lived. A little fair "old maid" as peo-
pie called her. A maidenly soul, TO be
sure. looked out from her sweet eyes,
and perhaps certain gentle precision
in her neat attire. and an adherence to
WAYS which Miss Floribel Rose had
proved to be good, might have earned
for her the epithet considered so unwel
come. But to me she looked the very
essence Of youth and purity and UNI
conscious innocence.
BE all that as il may, as started out
BY saying. she lived in the country. and
in pretty cottage, with bright green
blinds and broad surrounding fields.
and the prettiest flower garden in the
whole village.
Miss Floribel had a perfect passion
for growing things" and il was popu-
larry believed that should she elect 10
bid the town pump return to it's orig
inal wildwood condition there would
at once appear those little nibs and nobs
of green which show the beginning of
growth!
Miss Floribel wrought no miracles,
however, save those needing great pa
tience and constant care. But il was
fact that, under her gentle care. flowers
seemed to become sentient things and
appeared to develop consciences of their
own, which obligated them TO certain
amount of bud and bloom, in return
for her ministrations.
We will peep at her as she walks
leisurely through the small gate which
divides the flower from the kitchen gar
den on a balmy May morning. She is a
tiny woman--small head small hands.
small feet and delicate features, with
fower-like ripples and lines along her
gentle fairness. Her hair is soft and
brown, and waves away from sweet.
placid forehead i'm smart. crisp little
ripples, which necessitate frequent APP
plications of Miss Floyibel's small pink
palm in series of subjugatory pats and
pressures. Her eyes are of deep and
shadowy blue, and they look straight
out into this workaday world with an
expression of pleased surprise at find
ing it so good" Her figure is all soft.
warm curves; and she has many
dimples which come and go in all man
ner of unexpected places. For instance.
who would ever expect to see little
quavering dimple set up for itself high
on the delicate bloom of an 'old maids"
cheek? Very high up, so that when
she smiled at you, which she very fire.
quently did, there it was, provoking
piece Of prettiness, near to the sweep
Of the curling lashes, and in nest Of
soft rose-color, which was the flush on
Miss Floribers sweet cheek.
On one side of the long, deep gallery,
or vcranda, that ran all across the front
OF the white cottage grew tall rose
bush, with long, delicately-futed foil
age and buds of pure, suow-whiteness.
cleaning in the midst of all the pale
greenness of the bush. This rose held
strange place in Miss Floribel's life.
Twenty years ago there had gone
from the village a gay, rollicking lad,
with a reckless record back of him and
all sorts of possibilities fronting him.
He was beautiful, to begin with, with
the beauty of slim, graceful lines, high
spirited and clear-cut features and deep
and rich coloring. He was gifted;
learning all that the grabbed old scholar
who taught the village school could
teach him, in the time in which the
other lads had just begun to compre
bend, and assimilatipg all of outside
Information that came his way. He was
q favorite with all who knew him, ns
much for his lonely. solitary existence
as for his charm Of person and man.
ner.
About his mother had clustered the
village romance. An undutiful daugh-
er--a runaway marriage-and the in
svitable sequel; the return to the state