The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-02-29
PEAS BLOSSOM.
By MARTNA MoULLo0H WILLIAMS.

ICogyFight, 1895, by American Press Associa-
ton.
You never saw such a nosegay-
winged blossoms, all paly purple, all
tender ping. blue gray, clear white,
bIackish crimson; lavish cluster too.
The sman fingers holding it could
barely encompass the TENS. The breath
Of it filed the crowded Il" car with a
sweetness that Brought n 'emory Of coun-
try gardens and singing irds and long,
level lances Of summer sui shlne
The woman who held it was as fresh,
as dainty, as blossorny as her flowers; as
generous too From the sestt opposite
another woman looked in longing ST
lBnce across at her treasures. The flow
er bearer caught the glance, telS the
wistful appeal Of its quick withdrawal,
smiled little, deity parted the cluAter
and laid the larger part in her neig b.
boris lap, saying:
ST am sure you have seen them grow
ing
Then she passed out of this chronicle |
forever-as an actuality, that is; to the |
end she is potential. The other gave /
half gasp over this sudden largess She !
tried to speak, hut only broken muir
muir got past the lump that had risen in
her throat at sight Of the bright bios
SONS.
Pea blossoms Had she not seen them |
acres and acres Competing Carolina
cornfelds, making delicately faint all
the fine, summer air?
On their painted wings she crossed in
one small minute the thousand miles be-
tween, and saw in clear sunlight the
wide, low plantation house, the sigking
Pine woods, far in the distance bike
mountain rim. Sunshine lay over it all,
sunshine that stole into and somehow
TRANSPORTED her face.
Oftenest it was a. pale face, thin, too, |
with Swallowed eyes and tense curves
about the mouth. When she pinned the
flowers at the throat of the black gown
that would have been shabby had it not
been SO we'll brushed and well fitting, it
seemed as though the heat and burden
of her dreary life were lifted, a free soul
left to walk upright and thank God
1t was binding summer. White hot
glare filed all the streets, with nc
breath of air to stir the loftiest flag up
on its staff. Yet the pea blossoms held
their heads up cheerily, SO cheerily in
deed that their wearer, unconsoi ously
bathing her soul in their freshness, gave
back its radiance in her face. Presently
she turned into a big doorway, climbed
flight after flight Of dark, winding
stairs, all a-quiver with the throbbing
of huge presses, and at last came out
into an airy region of comparative peace,
where many men in shirt sleeves sat
about at many desks, with lurid litter
of paper, pencil, paste, scissors and
small boys peryading the intermediate
space.
Most OF the men were writing, a few
gossiping in whispers, one or two down
right loafng. One single individual
was industriously doing nothing-that
Is to say, he had a full inkstand, a new
pen. a pile Of fair, white paper before
him and withal an air of intense occu-
patton, though he had not moved fin
ger since coming in two hours before
He was tall young fellow, we'll made,
though rather stoutish-quite the stan
member Of The Evening Blazers staff.
He knew his importance too Word
went about freely behind the backs OF
hands that nobody else would dare thus
sit lmnlobile through two precious
morning hours, especially with the cold
MANS humor On edge and the devils
all bot foot bowling for copy. The 9th
ers enyied bat dared not initiate him.
bennington had conquered following
several thousand strong. Tie old man
realized that The Blazer would much
better pay him to do nothing for it than
risk forcing him 10 work for a rival
sheet.
He was an odd fish, was Pennington.
as full Of quips and cranks as Of genius
and good fellowship Toward woman
kind his habit Of mind was feudal
Women were to be defended, protected,
worshzped-"in their place. When
they came out Of it, especially into al
newspaper Office, what word could sum
his misIking?
He was, however, fair minded enough
to admit that some women have really a
message for their kind. To such he
flung wide the gate Of pure literature
he readily allowed that genius had no
sex, though he was apt to add that Peg
asus abhorred a sidegaddle. That which
made him emotionally resemble the
1retfpl poTcupine was the woman Of
poor, small talent who sought to make
market for it in the daily press.
Pennington sat full face to the door
AS the lady with the pea blossoms came
in he gave the ghost of start, then fell
froWningly to furious work.
A little way off one of the envious
ones said low to another: fSay, the old