Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-08-12
! A BUNCH -
y OF LHACS.
BY CAROLINE LERow.

A RTHUR NORTHRIDGE was dis
N couraged. Sitting on the top of a
broken-down stone wall. he looked over
the rough pasture land to the little,
weather-beaten house beyond, and de-
cided that he had never been quite 30
much discouraged In all his life.
! 1t had not been very long life. It is
true, only IA years-but he felt that
morning as if he had lived a great while,
and to very little purpose. He wanted
so many things, and had so few! More
| than all else, he longed for an educa-
tion, or, concluding that that word ex-
pressed too much for him, for few
books, atleast- He could read, and think
over what he read even, without teach
er; but he certainly could not read
without books. As for buying any,
that was an absurd idea, under present
circumstances.
| Arthur and his mother could hardly
buy enough to eat, and had to pay in
terest, too, on the mortgage placed on
| the little house-a poor piece of prop
erty, but all Mr.. Northridge had left
when he died, six months before. Mrs.
Northridge took in sewing for awhile,
but the rheumatism In her hands was
growing worse every day.
Arthur had worked at very small
wages nearly all winter for machinist
In the village; but the machine shop
had burned down and the machinist had
moved away. To tell the truth, Arthur
could not feel sorry about either of
those occurrences, even though he tried
from a sense of duty.
He positively loathed machinery. He
loved birds and flowers as much as he
hated wheels and lathes and gearing.
Still, when the machinery stopped the
money stopped also that was the
worst of it-and apparently no way in
which he could earn more. He wished
the words from one of the pieces in
his old reading book would not keep
going through his head In that monot-
onous manners
I'll! find way or make I'll
! I'll find way or make it!'
Re could do neither, he was sure. And
80, what was to become of him and his
mother?
"Oh, Mortoni Morton! Look at that!"
Arthur gave start, coming back in
an instant from q visit to the great
trees of California. and saw carriage
rolling by. which, In accordance with
the wish Of the lady who occupied it,
drove to the stone wall.
She was not looking at Arthur,
though her eyes were shining, and her
| lips parted In Q sort of delight. Some
| thing on the ground had attracted her
attention. Arthur looked in the Same
direction. A bunch of lilacs, which he
had been holding in his hands during
his long reverie, had fallen unawares,
and the lady had seen it. He sprang
down, picked 1t up and offered it to
her.
They're good deal wilted." he said.
EFF you'll wait minute I'll run home
and get some fresh ones"
mo. indeedl" the lady replied. quick
ly.
She pressed the withered flowers
against her cheek There were tears
In her eyes, though only moment be-
fore she had certainly been smiling.
Her husband was smiling then as he
looked at her, seeming to understand
her mood. He put his hand into his
pocket, looked more closely at Arthur,
hesitated, and withdrew it.
my wife is not WE'LL" he explained,
"and the lilacs remind her of her old
home. She is very fond of them, and
they'll help her more than medicine.
It's the first time she's been able to
drive out from the city. We are very
much obliged to you"
Arthur only bowed. He was little
overcome by such display of emotion
over simple bunch of flilacs-half-wilt-
ed, too and watched the carriage with
interest as it drove away.
A moment later a sudden idea oc-
CURED to him, in so perfect and prac-
ticable shape that he did not even
stop-to consider it. He started OF on
run to q house which stood near by,
In q turn of the road
Farmer Sanford was busy building a
strip of fence.
"WiH you please lend me your old
Kate and the red wagon for the rest of
the day, Mr.. Sanford?"
"What?"
The old man could hardly believe his
ears, which, perhaps, was not so strange
after all, considering that he was grad
ually growing deaf.
I'D like to hire it il had any money"
he went on boldly. I'm going to try
to make some, and II I do I'll pay you
as soon as get back. II not, I'll work
it out on the fence. Will that do?"
Farmer Sanford heard plainly enough
this time.
That sounds more like business" he
said, in his peculiar rasping voice. 81
don't keep horses to lend, and old Kate
isn't so young as she once was. Mind
that when you're a-drivin' her"
Arthur's next trip was to his own
home, little further on.
'Mother, I've borrowed Mr.. Sanford's
horse and wagon, and I'm going to take
/ q load of Hlacs up to the city and try
70 sell them"
And while he spoke he cut away large
clusters OF them, putting them into q
couple Of pals Of water he had placed
In the wagon
"Why, that's . crazy idea, Arthurlr
his mother replied. Paying money
for Hlacsl What made you think OF
such thing9'
IN tell you when ] get home, moth
crater you've helped me count the
money I'm going 70 bring with me-
| And he laughed for the first time
that day. He was too busy and too ex
cited TO explain just then.
| Arthur's eagerness. combined With