The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-18
BLUE ROSES.
BY Eusene Wood.

The very beginning of the story of Yetta
Goldstein and the blue roses was when she
met the strange little girl in Tompllins
square while she was minding the baby.
They sat side by side on the bench and the
strange little girl cast admiring glances at
Benny asleep in mis- sisters lap, his golden
curls crinlzlug tight up against his pink
and white skin.
How old is her asked the other little
girl unable to restrain herself.
-Four MONTHS answered Yetta,' and
he has two teeth already"
My" marVelled the other. How big
for four months l had now a little brother
but he has died last year already. My pa
pa aud my mamma they have got only
me-"
Il got me six brothers and sisters"
boosted Yetta land been eight I'd lars old
since the last time it was fifteenth III teo-
ruary. My papa is pants presser and my
mamma she is now machine operator On
how fast she runs that machine! Just IKE
il was going to rain and was all fun
of thunder. She must go fast so we could
have enough to eat. And my papa, all the
times what he is standing up he works,
only when Shobbas comes. SO hot II Is
by us when the stove is heating the irons
for pressing! Something fierce. So should
"All the way from Suffolk streetT
Sure He should get plenty of fresh
air. Miss Perkins told me it stands In
the book so. Miss Perkins is my school
teacher. I just love her so l could mug
her. I love her most so much what
love Benny" Then as if stricken with
remorse she strained the sleeping child
to her bosom and kissed him passionate
~. The other little girl looked wisttuHy
at her, following every movement as
hungry dog watches a morsei in hiss mas
ters hand. She felt that she must boast
a little too.
"Theys nicer parks as this" she said
at length
"Oh, yes. that now Central Park" as
scented Yetta Il heard about that,
But it is far away. Most mile or maybe
a hundred miles, 1 amt never been on
that park. My papa so soon what he could
get that money, he is going to take me-
1t cost a lot of money 10 ride US all up to
that park"
Il been there" Dragged the other little
girl. "Theys whole lot of roses red and
yellow and white and blue and every KIND
OF colors. And they's elephants and bears
and monkeys, just like as if it was a cir
Gus already"
Zach, my!' gasped Yetta. Don't they
bite?''
MARI declared the returned explorer.
"They wouldn't be let"
Il like the roses best" decided Yetta.
"Theys a lady in our block and she has
roses in her window and she let me look
at them. She's got strings to box fun
of ground and the roses grow up ana
twist round the strings, oh, just beautl-
fulr'
"I know. Them's sweet pea roses"
Il wish 1 could go to Central Park"
pinned Yetta.
"Theys park over by Broadway yet"
asserted the feminine Marco Polo
you could walk it from here.
pretty flowers, so many that they dig
them up and throw them away. Honest,
they do. My uncle he seen EN-"
Other marvels the Travelled child mar
rated, but they were as words unspoken
so bright an air castle had Yetta built
for herself. In her poor, starved soul
there was an intense but ungratifed love
for flowers. The spindlng plants that
languished in the pale light trickling
through the school-room windows she
adOred with an affection that seemed to
Miss Perkins colder Occidental nature
some thing like hypocrisy Once the teach
er. pleased at Yettas eagerness to learn
it runs like fire in the veins of her race
gave her a spray of geranium blossoms.
How long that poor gift was cherished in
a bottle full of water, l dare not tell,
but great was Yetta's grief when at last
it had to be thrown away. Her favorite
| day dream was of a beautiful prince rid
ing up to her house in a gold wagon all
full of blooms which he heaped at her
feet So poor a companion did she be-
come that the strange little girl soon babe
her goodbye. Once she was out of sight,
Yetta shoudeTed her burden, and, filed
with the spirit of Columbus, set out
Strange countries for to see"
Benny was getting to be pretty heavy,
! and her legs were beginning to tremble
under her, when Union Square in all its
glory broke on her vision. The gentleman
riding on the iron horse she knew was
| Washington, and another time she would
| look at him, but just now her eye was
| filed with the beautiful trees SO shady!
| Much nicer than Tompkins square. How
| green the grass was, and yes 1t was
even as the strange little girl had said:
| There was a great ring of flowers around
a fountain, and there were flowers in the
| fountain itself, so that the little birds
! could sit on the leaves and splash them
selves in the most delightful way. Round
| and round she walked, intoxicated by the
| profuse and gorgeous display of flores
| cence As she swayed the baby to and
| fro on her hip, she realized that it was
| no travellers tale that the little girl had
! told her but the truth, for here came
the gardener thinning out the superhuous
| plants and tossing them out on the con-
crete walk The lust of possession burn
ed in her bosom, and before she knew
what she was doing. she clutched at a
! bunch of the uprooted flowers.
Here! Get out of this! Skip now'
scolded the testy gardener, making feint
| as If to catch her. Shreking in wild terror.
| but clinging fast to her treasures, she fed as
| If for her very life. At safe distance, she
yentured to look at her find They had
| earth clnging to their roots. Maybe If she
| planted them they would grow Balancing
! herself with her burden she crouched
| down and picked up a rag of crumpled
newspaper. This she wrapped carefully
| around her prize and soaked all in water
| from the drinking fountain. Home then
| with freight more precious than any ship
| of Solomon bore from Ophr. Weary but trl
umphant, she staggered up the tall stairs
! of the tenement and burst in upon the
| family at the noon bread and tea like a
| joyous whirlwind.
"Oh, mammal" she shouted my roses
what 1 found. See once how blue they are.
And such a yellow fringe they have on
| their insides niddler' Rachel and IZZv and