The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-08-19
RtsCe tl;tlieums
LILLY BELL.

OH please will you buy my violetS
Poor little Lilly. She had wandered
for hours through the busy city streets
with that plaintive question on her
| lips. She had looked into all the
strange faces that passed her, and
had dropped her pretty shy courtesy
whenever she found one that she
! thought looked kinder than the rest.
| Her little feet were weary, and her
heart was heavy with disappoint-
ment at her i'll success. She had sold
| but one of her little punches, and her
| trembling fingers closed tightly over
| the solitary coin. She thought with
swelling heart, not of her own hun
ger, though she had taken nothing
| since breakfast, when she saved half
of her bread and milk for Charley
She thought of her poor sick mother,
stitching all the bright spring day at
those tiTesome fine shirts, which al
| ways gave her that cruel pain in her
| side, and for which she got so little
money.
1t was this that made Lily stop and
| look tearfully into the tempting store
| windows. She wondered for the
twentieth time if nickle would be
enough to buy for her mother any of
Glle nice iIllllSS Slle sd" lllGTS.
Poor Lilly! this was her first days
experience. 1t had taken great
| deal of coaxing to get her mothers
| consent. she was frightened at the
! thought OF her going out alone. But
Lily was full of hope and courage III
| the morning. when she tied her worn
straw bonnet under her dimpled chin
and hung her little basket proudly on
her arm Her violets looked so fresh
and sweet among their cool, green
leaves that she was quite sure some
| body would buy them.
Lily was lovely little creature, deli
cate and fair as waterlily, with
such IL sweet, pure face, and the soft
est touch of color on her velvet cheek,
| like he faint coral tint of sea-shell
| Her deep blue eyes might have stolen
| the hue of her violets; and the curls
| that waved round her shoulders were
| of rich dark chestnut, with golden
ripple here and there, as if d stray
sunbeam had lost itself in their folds.
| The sweet, shy violets were not more
| out of place than she was with her
| tender, fragile beauty, i'll the noise
and hustle of the crowded streets. 1t
seemed such = pity that she was not
| away in the country, weaving daisy
chains in some green meadow, and
| helping the merry birds to sing, i'll
stead of sitting on that cold doorstep,
| YEARLY leaning her cheek against her
little hand. 1t was pitiful to see such
wistful, unshared sorrow. III any child
| ish face.
The step on which Lilly rested be-
| longed to large, handsome house,
but it looked gloomy with its heavy
curtained windows and half-closed
blinds, AS she sat there Lily wonder
ed if the people in the city were al
! ways in such hurry as they had
| seemed that day. She was sorry that
out of so many people there should
| be so few who loved violetS. Then she
thought of her disappointment and
| tried to keep hack her tears, tor fear
her mother should think she had been
crying. She had just made some
\ resolutions that were very brave for
a tired little girl, when she was
startled to her feet by the sudden
opening OF the house door, and the
sound of a quick, impatient step be-
| hind her.
Lily was too frightened to run away =.
She saw stern-looking. gray-haired
! gentleman, carrying a silver headed
cane. She always wondered how it
| was that she so soon overcome her
awe of him. She had that day passed
many a kinder face than his, with its
hard mouth, and its deep seam OF
wrinkles across the forehead.
| please, sir, would you buy some
violets?"
The last word died on her sweet lips
in trembling culver of apprehension
the gentleman having frowned and
turned so sharply round.
"Eh, child, what do you think
want with violetsy There, go long
don't you see that you are i'll the way
Lilly had not Il word to say in de
Tense, but her sweet pleading eyes had
language of their own. She was
going away, but he spoke again.
And you go about selling flowers
Don't you know, child, that it is &
vagrant life? Your mother, if you
have one, ought to teach you to dc
something better"
Lily's eyes filled with tears, and hel
face flushed at this mention of hel
mother.
MY dear mother says my hands are
too little and that l am not strons
enough vet to labor" replied Lily
But | think sometimes that ] coulC
do a great deal if was only sure tina
! could earn some money for her ant
brother Charley. We are all hungr,
sometimes, and mother is so Ill that
am afraid she will leave us and go t,
Heaven, to our dear father"
The rich merchant looked at hi
watch, he had an important engage
ment in the city; yet he still lingere,
tO Question the child
What is y our name, little girl?''
Lilly Bell, sir. she replied.
Lilly what!n He stopped down
and looked at her with startled
troubled face.
Lily Bell, - repeated the child, hal
frightened at his manner.
Q And where do you live:n
She named u street ia an Obscur
part uf the city, and gave rhe numbe
of the house, and the merchant wrot
it down hastily in his pocket-book
J.. Have you any relations?" h
asked.
, The child hesitated, as she replied
None that l know of, except Ill