The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-09
Ashes and Roses.
BY F. H. LANCASTER.

The society reporter awoke on the morning of Ash Wednesday feeling flag ged and forlorn. Mardf Gras festivities are hard on society reporters. Even her sleep had been tormented by the tinsel and tang of ball dresses.
 I'm more tired than I was last night" she groaned. But 1t was tune to get up and go to work and she yieid- ed grumbling submission to the inevitable
 A cup of coffee in lieu of breakfast did not help her jaded nerves and the society reporter went out feeiin9 ready to fight her best friend. She had, now ever, already quarreied with her best column. so there was nothing for her to do but report to the city editor as civilly as she could.
 He ran his quick eye over her tired body. and he answered briefly:
 Nothing doing for yon today. Better 20 to church." he added satirically. and she turned away refiecting that there was no reverence left in the heart of man. A letter or two and a box. She opened the box and stared stupddly at it's con tents. small bunch of red roses sprin- kled with ashes. There was no card ana no need of one. There was only one man in the world who would have dared to send her such a challenge. Ashes TOT humiliation and red roses for love. She understood at on:e. He had given her the choice.
 T suppose I was sharp with him." she reflected. But he deserved it all and more. Love that has to be paid for with humiliation isn't worth having. though 1t is what most people get. WeH. bet ter for it to happen before than after; Life is failure any way you take II. She dropped the cover of the besprinkled roses and went out again into the Feb ruary sunshine.
 The great city seemed paipitating with ,,t,~ q ,{rtI. af day. Tired voices. jaded eyss and lan- guid limbs. The churches were filled with kneeliny figures. Newsboys snar1ed at each other on the corners and the dray mules Tapped their long ears more more de terday hummed with life and rung with merrfment looked bare and disconsolate. Most of the business men were already in their offices; the church goers In church-onIy somber-clad figure threw a shadow now and then across the pale sun shine on the pavement The bells had stopped tolling: the squares were empty. The society reporter walked on, feeling sadly in keeping with all this gloom and desertion.
 Ashes to ashes she muttered. Aye. and ashes to roses.''
 She crossed Jackson Square and en- tered the great cathedral. For half an throngs ahd thought she prayed, but when she came out she was still saying ashes to roses and death to love"
 Well, let it die! She was not the first woman who had found life blank and she would not be the last. The grayness settled on her until mocking-bird burst ing into full song brought her rudely hack to what might have been. Pain stung her into restlessness and she thought of the levee with a sudden de- sire to be there. On the river there would he activity even on Ash Wednesday. Compared with the wild jubilee that had welcomed the mock king the river also seemed silent and lonely. It was down by the sugar-sheds that she saw the first sign of eagerness and activity. Men were cro.wding around and peering over one