The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-02
Essence ,0tzR@!o33el.; ~ ~ S :; e.
Copyright, 1900.

you saw a face as sweet as a rose itself.
but q faded. wfthered rose. For Sally
Lavender. with the long pressure of her
troubles, had fallen into the sere leaf.
But II not much OF the beauty OF her
youth was left as I heard my mother
say. there had grown in her face an
other sort OF beauty that even 10 the eye
of a child was loveliness.
She used to come down TO the port
from the shore above. every now and
again, sometimes on the milkmans
wagons. sometimes In boat that CHANGED
10 be rowing by. and that gave her
breath OF cool refreshment on the slip
ping tide. with salf smells from the bar
beyond. and feeling OF remoteness from
oil her cares. making calls presently on
certain customers who rarely failed her.
The basket that she brought was always
q store OF delight 10 the children who
knew her gentle ways and loved the
odors that her wares dlffused When
Jerry Johns. the burly Scotch peddler.
numbered along with his iustres and
bombazines and smuggiei laces. naughty
children hid whore they might. lest they
should be sent on In his pack, but not
20 the naughties. child of us all, my
cousin Lester. for instance, would Sally
Lavendar's basket have been any sort Of
threat
There were wonderful things in that
basket. There were not only the 'dia-
volo'' Of the chick IN bone, dressed In red
and skipping across the table, and the
doll made of hickory nut, and boxes made
OF burdock burrs.. and choice bits OF
spruce gum, and tiny pitchers carved
from cherry stones and peach pits. but
there were the most deliciousiy perfumei
cordisls, and dried rose leaves ready for
Jars Of potpourri, and little glasses OF
strange jam made from the sea moss ard
winter berries. and there was candy.
connection Of sugar and cider. that maAe
~ -, 49, Hive
1T her side and peepinS into her basket as
she sat down with II on her knee, while
your mother brought her cup of tea.
was like making acquaintance with far
foreign countries. so rich and oriental to
the childish fancy were the scents.
OF them all, however, the rosewater
might be called her speciality: she had
the most OF her little revenue from that.
but she often gave use a tiny fash of II
that made our upper bureau drawers a
sort of garden Of Eden for months. and
We put drop or two of It on our hand
kerchiefs Sundays, or gave the flask 20
ono another on birthdays and received 1t
back when our own birthdays came.
II distilled II myself. man." said
Sally In her pretty breathless way.
Every drop. And It's fresh. And I
think It's swccter that so much of It's
from the wild roses of the wayside and
the new buds OF the sweetbrier leaf
that gives II tang you don't OFTEN ind
In rosewater. don't know what ia
do without my still. Twas grandmoth-
ers. and harm sfore me. I've used the
bottles you sive me. mann. And I've
mouth. an tho Ma OF the gloves you
give me. too--and K was kind OF YOU,
m'am-aAt I've tied II with little mIssys
ribbons. An don't you think II looks
real tastyf I gussa itii bring me In
quite q tidy bit OF money. maybe enough
-. 4 ..st<. 49, Is
man. cant expect-I can't let-O.
he's so poorly. But he's ~ quiet now
q baby. He's like dear child" And
she paused lifting her beautiful brown
eyes to my mothers face. And my
mother knew then that she was think
ing OF Polly. the little sprite who had
seemed more elf than child. and who II
she had not developed In her brief life
all OF Humphreys Madness had yet
shown something like tho ethereal fame
OF that strange insanity OF his and OF
hts mothers before him. | suppose all
the shore people thought. as 1 know my
mother did. that Il was fortunate for
Sally that her Polly was at rest But
Sally never left of missing those ardent
embraces Of the little arms. that pas
sion OF tears and kisses after the Wild
freaks, and she always felt as IL Polly
had been defrauded OF her share OF life
and IN some blind way as II shs had her
self dcfrandad her-perhaps In giving
her birth. since Humphrey was her
father.
Hut Humphrey himself was quite
enough In those days for Sallys hands,
with thu dlsordered blaze OF his brain
burned down into imbeciiity. Now. his
old RACES over, he followed hia wife
round like some houschoid animal for
getting 20 eat unlc& shs fed him for
getting his speech. forgetting every
thing but his love for her. He went out
Win her ON rambles through wood and
lane In quest OF her amples protecting
her from any chance trouble by the
mighty strength with which he would
have fallen liks wnd beast on any
one who annoyed her. reaching things
beyond her. and carrying her bags and
baskets Allied With tho berries and herbs
aad noNeEs that she used Ia her little
sfiii
1T Is like Tina and the ii0n." said ms
mother, when down a woody way one
Summer dag We met her aud her shaggy
companion But O, such a sad and
sorry. such an old and faded Una"
she had signed Cor us 10 pas her
Without notice. searinx perhaps an out
break from Humphrey, Tor shs had long
since experienced the hot pSnG % seams
that al, her little world knew 81 Hum.
nhrwys condition, ana. although the
paog had hardly grown duu with time.
yet she had ~ las, tho relief % % longer
"
i~sfs knows" che said one~ with sush
Of tears, Shen sbs ana my mcghar were
alone teseShor. 't'd have died 10 seep Il
darn"
''w1i wen said Try Hodge, as ne
sat at the op-n window ard saw thesn
Gcsnx home IN the warm sunset what
hfstifns yes hfetiias EFT sorrow.
as you may say, h~muhrsy Lavsuda Z
made fer sally when ne married her"
IA married hes beie' KNOWN 20 u. =
sa4d Ann.
knowin' 90 WHAT sAid Nttfn NAfher.
~ namea b. neha asfeazo ta a preAe-
ce~or. the boy fkviEk t.t ceme Ia
fram fFiviaG home a Cow
"kne~ NJ Ma nethers sen hadn't no
risat - npArTy no enc
ANY eHes NV dear That Is 70 say
Any n@e OK ps oNe. SIS an tha came
thinf There. str~, AZ run afcug' u
yoa wasn't Anus sskin' aues tcns yea 4
kno~ Ne much a. your father sonaa
day
'ne;- al Ns sana," continued In.