Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-20
THE MISSION OF A ROSE


There II stood In beautiful vase on .
small ebony stand in. the front window
OF the drawing room.
The satin draperies swept down On
either side OF 1t. and all around ght'ereu
rare aud costly brio -a-brac. yet that rose
was the fairest OF them all.
But the sunlight that .streamed through
the window revealed something fairef
Tran the rose. Reclining on couch and
intently engaged with book lay "na'
seemed. indeed, to be the living counter
mart ~ the rose. The fair face so tuli
~ Thought fulness. and the expression Oh
the beautiful mouth seemed like the
,t.,,ra I'm a dream. Helen! Helen
called a musical voice In 'an lmpa,le.s
tome. "What are you going 70 90 WIZ VIZ
vonr net rose when you go 10 Ne" III F.
I'm sure [ can't take care OF IL Ior YOU
Make Yourself easy about that, SAID
t4eIen 81 have found an asylum TOT my
rose" 30. who Is TO nave 1t, you nave
60 few intimate friends mere! Wen,
Ethel YOU remember the niue paisrrs,so :,
girl TO whom we give sewing W. ~, y
Mary Seavernsl what an iuea' &c,
con neople in her circumstances "dh'
OF flowers! do D,
osor lust the same reason as l 40
said Helen Have you never noticed
how wlstfully Mary always looks at tne
opening buds?' 80. 400
ives but Helen, just think OF that rose
an a table With ham. cheese ana piea"'
ond stiaed i'm the little. close room where
Mrs seaverns washes and irons.
,.WelI Ethel. If 1 was obliged 10 hVe
IN such a room / think eeauuiui roSo
would make me happy. 800,
90. Helen, you are 100 sehtiilen'", =.
Poor people have no time Tor sentiment.
you will see. Ethel, that my pe' los~
will be Just as happy In Mrs. SeaVeiii ,'..
kitchen as i'm our parlor. l 90 not sup
49, roses ever inquire II their owner L
r,cb or moor. wish sou could have seen
no., bannv Mary seemed when oHeied
her my rose" 80 h,,, !
"Weil. Helen. that may be true, pu'
ro,,er ,housht OF It before. In lace'
never thought those poor people La" 90
;daa ~ beauty and never before thous
~ giving TO the poor anything Dut "h"'
they really needed.
:, dav or two Helen carried the
,oautifuI rose TO its new nome ~ ""
.'saoad in a small room on stand heai
,na onlv window. AS she came into VI
,n,,,, a male. sickly-looking woman ""7
a
leaning back in her chdlr' r,.,o,, -.
So n,otber. what Miss Helen ha.
.-o,,,,hI ms her beautiful rose tree; thero 2
one in full bloom, and two puos,
Har mothers face Frightened, as sns
said: How kind Miss Helen Is
I know YOU will feel 80, mother sai'
| Mary. "She has given us so MO,
| things. yet this seems to De '"e 'sS' 80
| ALL" ,,.. ,.bo, a.,
oave the rose to Mary Of the invisible
| sst.a.d which was twined around II.
| one day in spring a gentleman cai''u
at the humble home of Mrs. Seaverhs or
an errand, and his eye rested on lN~
beautiful rose, and he stepped up TO II a"-
! n,iringlv THAT was given to US san"
Mary. "by a young lady as sweet ana a.
beautiful as that" ,,,.,
and how came she to give 1t to youF
said the stranger. 49,.
J 80 because we are poor said MARY
, "ord do not have many pretty things 50
Miss Helen gave me that" "Helen' saiu
the stranger. MAY 1 ask her other
name? ,r., noor
son" .Is she here now?' asked the gen
tleman. eagerly NO" said Mary Du'
Won can md out all about her ny IN
ouiring at her aunts house, Mrs. Montd-
que. No. - street.
A. a result Of this, Helen received
letter in a well-known handwriting. pu-
ring a number OF years spent abroad she
had well learned the writing, and hao
loved the writer. but there had been
Fad separation, and she had believed hsr
lover dead. but his letter told her that BE
still lived and loved her dearly ana the
rose had accomplished it's mission.