Evening journal., 1899-11-09
A SPRING MEMORY.

in momentary content. She drew in
deep breaths of the soft wind, laden
with perfume from gay beds of hya-
cinths and wallhowers, and felt re-
freshed as with wine after the close
atmosphere of the small garret in the
narrow back street where her ewes
rested on chimney stacks that appear
ed on all sides through a thick haze
Of smoke, and her ears were assailed
by harsh voices Of poyerty-cursed NOR
tails. 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-hecked here
and there with soft baby clouds. the
trees just bursting into leaf, their buds
of freshest green, the grass so smooth
and trim and restful to eyes wearied
with work and tears and dotted about
with waving daifOdils and blue hya-
cinths There was a suggestion Of ma
ture untrammeled and free in the flow
er-scattered 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
fiOWer-wreathed windows. She was es-
pecially interested in one of them, for
it 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 strong yearning to be for
an hour or two as near to him as possi-
a
woman there was a memory green and
fresh and fragrant after long years
the memory of a short-lived romance,
of signs, of parting and tears. That bit
of her life stood out in strong relief
the rest was not pleasant to remem-
Der. for 1t had been filed with sin aud
shame, and latterly with broken health
and grinding poverty. But that time,
so 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 a cherished memory, and for
its sake she had come to watch beside
him, and to breathe out in the spring
sunshine a 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 half-conscious desire that he
should always think of her as she had
been then, and not as she became later
Besides, men forget; it is only women
who remember.
There was a sound of carriage
wheels; she looked up. The vehicle
stopped at the house, a foOtman APP
peared with rugs, and presently a lady
got in and was driven away
She remembered that he had been
married about year ago to a rich and
beautiful girl, and there were rumors
/ 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 50 i'll"
Then she gave little scornful laugh
| as She spread out her coarse, red
hands on her lap Once they had been
so fair and soft, aud he had praised
them.
"a pretty girl l was them" she
thought sadly, hair like ripe corn and
eyes like fOrget-me-nOts. l remember
| him saying so the day we went TO the
/ picnic in the country. and he painted
me sitting by the brOOkside with my
1 lap full of flowers. Good Lordl who
would think il to see me now? and yet
J. somehow l feel as if thinking about
him makes my soul come back to the
likeness of that time long since. II
only one could get rid of this old
4 Faf.s n.
Il never told n soul about him and
me-" she thought wistfully; 1T might
have done him harm, for they would
/. not have understood. It's strange I've
thought so much of him lately, but now
!, I'm old. and poor and tired, and nc
/ manor woman, either-Will ever ever
| pretend to care for me again. 1t seems
to make q happier look come ovel
everything when / picture him as h'
was five and twenty years ago, brigh
and gay and loving, and eyes tina
looked at me so kindly, and such a diff
ferent look tO-ahl God have mercy
on him. help him in his trouble. If
i could bear his pain for him l would
oh. so gladly-for he is the only man
4 ever loyed--and I think he loved m,
I once"
rhc sunlight was fading, angr!
| clouds were coming up and cold
4 wind bent roughly the tender stalks O
the dafOdil The woman suddenly
shlvered and looked paler than before
for she had looked again at the win
dows. and one by one the blinds wer'
being pulled down.
1t was an hour and a half later, az
the warning bell for the shutting o
the garden gates was ringing. that thl
carriage containing the pretty yOuns
wife returned. The shabby woman
paid no attention TO either sound, fo
She seemed asleep her head sunk OF
her chest. On of the attendants Of thi
, gardens came along and roughly lai,
his hand on her shoulder. She wa
dead
"where is the paing asked the ply
sician.
"Oh, / don't know. doctor.' groane,
the patient, 1T hurts so | can't tel
r ,vhor, IL isl"