The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
A O'"' ROSES.
How a Woman of Tact Prevented
the Feelings of a Village Priest
From Being Hurt
From he French.

About n month ago when my friend
t.ra do B. left Paris to go shooting
rth one of his cousins he said Just before
,is departure:
.uorri. will YOU be kind enough TO go
-rico n week 10 the florists and send me
dozen of his finest roses2 It's the only
rsv Of seeing that they are fresh. II
,ou order beforehand they're sure TO be
Eihcrcd,
Accordingly sent the roses as he asked
md was somewhat astonished after the
econd box had been forwarded to receive
I,cl"Glam saying:
aplca.e discon. inue roses. Many
blanks"
knew it was useless TO write letter In
,nswer 20 he despatch, for my friend is
mo Of he poorest correspondents; but l
,romi.cd myself 10 find out the details
4 his rudc!y interrupted idyll as soon as
should nee, him again. Yesterday / met
No. R. ar he club and after we had dined
o.e,hcr / haaarded an allusion over our
trar- 10 The roses. Had they been re-
used?
YES" Rene replied, after a pause. they
,e-e refused old man, though I'm eternally
obliged 10 YOU for sending them. And
,ou will doubles find IL hard to believe
.ben tel! you hat this same refusal Of
nv flowers has inspired me with the great
IS, respect and affection for the lady to
rlcm hey were sent. my cousin, Amelie
Ie b,
There is no mystery in the story, and
twill 'cll il 10 you If you like. 1t could al
nos bc summed up in four words: exquis-
he dehcacy of tact, group of words not
n used IN these modern days.
sRu must tell you first of my cousin.
Ne were children together, though she Is
4 few years my senior. When l was 20
he married brilliant diplomat and with
lin visited all the larger courts Of Europe,
,laying a cent raj part wherever she lived.
"Twenty-fve years later, as q widow,
found her again in Paris leading quiet
iie surrounded by a circle of friends chosen
rom the best of our we'll known men, writ
rs, artists and actors. Each year she
,oes nor h for five long mont his 10 a beauti-
hi cha eau in the midst of an unbroken
puntry. where she is adored and respect ed
" every soul in he tiny village.
1T is there | go to see her, ostensibly
shoot, although there is no game in the
lelds. In spite Of this the days pass very
quickly, the hostess is SO chraming and
b. evenings so delightful in the large salon,
nth its wide fireplace, where a fire is con-
santly burning. There are never fewer
han three guests nor more than six, so
here is always an intimate conversation,
shere one can talk seriously as well as of
fitles.
Flowers hold a strong place in my
pusin's life. She agrees with Nine. de
frardin that there can be no conversation
o room where there are no flowers and no
Ire, and in spite Of the northern climate
YER vases are always full.
Her gardens are beautiful to see, and her
,asson would have been quite satisfied II
he roses only doomed luxuriantly; but
hey do not. and here my story properly
egins Knowing her fondness FOR them
was always In the habit Of sending her a
bouquet Of roses every week, and was not
Zone in this custom.
Every Sunday the good cure OF the
title parish is invited to dine, and at Z o'clock
recisely he never failed to enter the alon,
arriving a large or a small cluster Of roses,
ccording to the sunshine during the week
The parish garden is celebrated for it's
oses, and tho good cure spends there all the
line he can spare from his parishioners
nd his sermons.
1T is the one great luxury OF his existence
livery sunday a happy discussion of the
eauty of his flowers formed an invariable
relude to the dinner, and these few mo-
This year I reached my cousins on a
hInday, and great was my establishment
see Monsieur the euro enter without his
ouquet
why, your roses7 exclaimed, but my
pusin interrupted quickly:
-'Oh! Rene" she cried, did not tell
,ou? cannot bear the scent of roses now.
hey give me headache
she blushed slightly as she spoke, and /
ecognized the remark for preteyt, but It's
euse l could not imagine.
81 did not know l said, and turned
speak to the cure.
The evening passed quickly, for con-
ersation never languishes with my cousin.
Ne has the rare gift Of drawing out the best
b the people who surround her. while
hlking very little herself.
AS soon as the good cur5 had said good
tght and we were left alone together, !
fastened to question my cousin as to the
pses. She hesitated for a moment before
be- replied.
You guessed, then that what I said
vas mere subterfuge. Without meaning
/ my dear cur5 has caused me more en-