Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-04-01
SPIRIT OF SPRING.
BY EDITH SESSIONS ruPpER.

nAftf.
She walked languidIy about Central
Park, idly watching the children who
with loud slri'iekS Of delight ran wild
y about on the green turf. intoxicated
with the joy of spring. Overhead the
birds We're discussing their plans for
spring house-mIiding. Through the
faint golden-grcen tints of the trees
and shrubbery soft breeze was STIR
ring 4 still. small voice breathed
rather than spoke: Spring is here,
spring is here"
She cared very little about it. OF
course. II was much more agreeable
to have warmer weather. the winter
had been SO vile She shivered bit
aud drew her furs u little closer about
her throat
As for spring. All well all seasons
were alike 10 her now What did 1t
matter whether spring arrived or not :?
What did anything matter! She was
so tired of everything and everybody
tired Of sorrowing and suffering: of
SHINING, of disappontments and heart
aches: tired OF living. tired of the
whole wretched business. She walked
on. bored. disdainful. Disguised A
horror of herself seized her Certain
with accusing faces and pointed re-
proachful fingers mt her. She closed
her eyes as If to shut out the nnwel-
eom,, visitors. Hot tears forced the
lids apart and triclSled down her
checks.
She turned hurriedly into a small ar
Dor by the lake and sat down to re-
COVER herself. The sudden tears had SO
blinded her that She did not see that
there was some one sitting there be-
fore her. But the some one saw her
marked the proud. mutinotis face down
which the tears were ttclSlng and
fhe sad. dcsparng eyes. The some one
was IN old lady with Il gentle. serene
face. She WAS sitting with her thin
hand to her car as If listening for some
sound. She spoke To the new conner
and made room for her on the bench.
The younger woman sat down and
wiped away the tears. which the old
lady being very wise old lady
quietly ignored.
Il come here every spring" said the
old lady. n have been coming here
for years. | call this my arbor. but |
am always glad to have company l
come my dear. to listen to the chirp-
lng of the robins. the shouts of the
children and-now. don't laugh at me
1.-The croking of the frogs.
The croaking OF the frogs--yes.' re-
coated the old lady. you see, my
dear. was born and brought up in
the eountry-on Il farmland we used
always to listen for the frogs in the
early spring. And when we heard
their faint mournful cry far across
the meadows in the twilight we knew
that spring was coming at last after
the long, cold. terrible winter"
She paused. and the look of one who
remembers stole upon her sweet, old
face. The woman beside her did not
answer. Her thoughts Were far away
AZ in dream she SAW Il broad piazza
covered with vines She looked out
upon an old-fashioned garden. She
smelled the lilacS. purple and white.
How tall andstraight they grew. There
was one that looked in at her cham
Der window oh. the old home. the
old home! 1t was spring there now.
Were the WrenS building in the hollow
of the south porch? And the robins
IN the lane. She could hear them. And
that other sound across the fields. Yes
it was spring there now. But those
who had watched with her for spring
Where We're they
And 50 | come hert" the old lady
was murmurng. every spring to lis
ten for the sounds that take me back
10 the home of my childhood. You see.
my dear. laying Il delicate hand gen
tly OF the young woman'S arm. lin the
winter we all get discouraged and
downcaSt. Troubles seem harder To
bear when nature itself suggests only
sorrow. despair and death. But in the
spring ah, then. child, the whole
world takes heart again. Take heart.
too. my dear.
She paused and looked in the florists
window. What ii picture of spring it
was. There We're the great yellow
aai1odilS She remembered the clumps
that grew along the garden path. And
the ionquils. too. Mignonettes-ah,
that thick, rich. velvety bed that her
mother tended so carefully. Lilies of
The Valley-therc were masses of them
ST the west door. where. II little girl
she used to eat her bread and milk mt
sunset Hyacinths-a sob broke from
her lips Again she laid them over IL
still form in IFS last sleep. Violets-
always their perfume brought back
one face; only one face.
She went i'm and bought cluster of
yiOletS, as she always did when she
saw them. Her greatest extravaganza.
her friends said; her dearest memory.
her heart said. All the women on the
avenue were wearing them to-day, the
hower-royal of the gracious spring
The sunshine was pouring down from
the soft, turquoise skies: everybody
was out in dainty, fresh toilet: every
one looked happy.
The worn, haggard. tormented look
she had seen on the faces of so many
acquaintances this winter seemed TO
vanish as they bowed, all smiles. to
her. She wondered if her own face
had changed, TOO. She glanced at a
mirror in goldsmith's window. Yes.
she. too, was smiling. She looked pos
lively radiant.
What could it mean? Had the
spirit OF spring taken possession of
1erl She recalled the meeting with