Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1899-11-10
A SPRING MEMORY.


In midsummer. The ill-clad woman on
the bench shut her eyes and lay back
In momentary content. She drew In
deep breaths OF the soft wind, laden
with perfume from gay beds of hy0-
cinths and walltiowers, and felt re-
freshed as with wine after the close
atmosphere OF the small garnet In the
narrow back street where her eyes
rested on chimney stacks that appear
ed on all sides through thick haze
OF smoke, and her ears were assailed
by harsh voices of poverty cursed NOR
talsP whining children and the whistle
Of the railway hard by.
Now she opened her eyes and drank
In the beauty of the scene before her.
the sky clear and blue flecked here
and there with soft baby clouds, the
trees just bursting into leaf, their buds
OF freshest green, the grass 30 smooth
and trim and reStful to eyes wearied
with work and tears and dotted about
with waving daffodils and blue hya-
cinths There was a suggestion OF ma
ture untrammeled and free In the flow
erscattered sward that pleased her
better than the symmetrical beds with
their carefully arranged, blue-hued
blossoms; yet these were lovely, too,
and, oh. the scent
Just opposite where she sat, and fac
Ing the park garden, was row of
houses, tall and commanding, with
high pillars and carved balconies and
lower wreathed windows. She was es-
pecially Interested In one of them, for
II was the home Of the lover of her
youth and he was dying. She had heard
this the night before, and had come to
the gardens that bright afternoon,
moved by Il strong yearning to be for
an hour or two AS near TO him as posi-
BILE. For in the heart of this palefaced
woman there was u memory green and
fresh and fragrant after long years
the memory Of shortlived romance,
of signs, of parting and tears. That bit
Of her life stood out In strong relief
the rest was not pleasant 10 remen-
Der, for II had been filled with sin aud
shame, and latterly with broken health
and grinding poverty. But that time,
~ long ago when she WAS beautiful
and pure and sweet, and he was still
youthful, and only beginning to give
promise of the fame that came later
that was cherished memory. and for
its sake she had come To watch beside
him, and to breathe out In the spring
sunshine prayer for the passing soul.
Some parting words OF his came To
her mind and she murmured them
half audibly:
Dear little Loo, remember. If you
are ever In any difficulty or trouble,
write to me. and IL | am able | Will
help you"
Something had always kept her from
taking advantage OF that promise
some hnlf-cOnsCiOus desire that he
should always think of her AZ she had
been then, and not az she became later.
Besides, men forget; 1t Is only women
who remember.
There was II sound of carriage
wheels; she looked up. The vehicle
stopped at the house. fOotman ap-
peared with rugs, and presently II lady
got In and was driven away.
She remembered that he had been
married about year ago to II rich and
beautiful girl, ana there We're ruinOrs
that the domestic relations Of the two
were not happy.
IF had been his wife | would not
have left him alone to hired people
when he was 10 Ill"
Then she gave little scornful laugh
AS she spread out her coarse. red
hands on her lap. Once they had been
80 fair and soft, and he had praised
"A pretty girl l was then, she
thought sadly, hair like ripe corn ana
eyes like fOrget-me-nots. | remember
him saying 40 the day we went to the
picnic In the country, ana he painted
me sitting by the brookside with my
lap full Of flowers. Good Lord! who
would think 1t to see me nowf and yet
somehow | feel as II thinking about
him makes my soul come back to the
likeness OF that time long since. II
only one could get rid or this old.
tired, ugly body ana start falr again.
Il never told n soul about him ana
me-" she thought wlstfully; 1T might
have done him harm, for they would
not have understood. It's strange I've
thought 80 much OF him lately, but now
I'm old, and poor ana tired, ana no
manor woman, elther-wlli ever even