The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-01-28
THE LITTLE BROWN BOWL.

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There were big bowls and little
bowls, bowls with beautiful gold bands
and bowls over whose sides clambered
rosebuds so beautifully painted that
theylooked as though they were grow
ing. There was bowl that wore
violets all around its brim, like lit
tie girl wearing violets on her hat.
And there was one broad, shallow
bowl tinted with such colors as are in
the sky when the sun is going down
and on this bowl was the prettiest lit
tie shepherdess She wore broad
hat and a blue dress, and her eyes and
lips always laughed.
So it can be seen that there were
bowls of every description, only that
all were beautiful except the little
brown bowl, which could never be
anything but a plain, thick ttlebrown
bowl, with not even daisy to wear.
She was so shy among all her beauti-
full companions that she did not often
speak but one day, when the maid,
who took care of the china, set pref
ty little pitcher so close to her that 1t
touched, she gathered courage to ask
why the shepherdess always smiled,
and why all the other bowls were tax
en- out of the closet at times and then
brought back again, but she was al
ways left.
The little pitcher told the little
brown bowl that the shepherdess
smiles because she was happy for
every morning she was carried to the
big sunny breakfast room, where
Clarita ate her bread aud milk from
the shepherdess bowl.
Then the little brown bowl grew
bolder, and said so loudly that every
body heard, "And why don't they
come and get me sometimes, as they
get the shepherdess bowl, and the vio-
let bowl, and all the rest 7"
And the little pitcher answered-for
l have said the little pitcher was al
ways kind-."They have not needed
you yet. Perhaps some day you may
be needed. Then the maid will come
and get you"
"And shall l see Clarita then 2"
cried the little brown bowl, in great
happiness. But, before the little
pitcher could answer, such laugh
arose from the mouths ofall the bowls
that they ratified on TIE closet shelves
and the maid said: ''How the wind
blows p
"Ah," cried the rosebud bowl,
"you foolish thing, you will always
stay on the closet shelf! You are too
ugly ever to be needed. Do you see
the big rosebud on my sidesf Clarita
loves them. Once I sat for an hour
on little table and held bonbons for
her."
"And T." said the gold-banded-
bowl, "have been near her at din
ner, and held water where she Dip
ped her rosy fingers" And the gold
banded bowl laughed scornfully.
"But she loves beautiful things. She
would never look at you"
"No, indeed !" said the violet bowl.
"I wonder that you were ever put
here. Once, long ago, for an hour,
was carried to Clarita's own room
and held violets for her."
eyes, and you were upset." cried
a tall vase, (which showed that you
were never meant to hold flowers. I
wonder at Clarita's ever taking you."
But the little brown bowl sat quite
still and very sad. She knew, at
last, why for so long she had stayed
in the closet, never taken out, and
never needed. Ifonly she, too, could
have been beautiful And she wish
ed she might go away and never come
back, since she could never be loved
and never be of any use.
She must have wished it aloud. in
her sadness of heart, for the shepherd
ess bowl, to whom all the others al
ways listened, spoke to her very gen.
tly: "Do not grieve, little brown
bowl. CIarita loves beautiful things,
but she loves useful things, and, if
she ever sees you, she will love you.
Only be patient and wait.
And the little brown bowl grew
very quiet. Her life had never been
very bright one. She had wished,
sometimes, that she might be needed
and used, as all the others seemed to
be; but she had never known whatit
was to be unhappy.
Today, for the first time, she had
been panied by rude, unsriendly
words but today she had learned to
hope, and it was the best thing the
little brown bowl had ever known.
So the days came and went. Each
morning the shepherdess bowl was
carried away and came back, looking
brighter than before and one by one
the violet bowl and the rosebud bowl
and the gold-banded bowl were taken
out, and brought back-I am sorry to
say-haughty and vain, and saying
scornful and unkind things to the lit
tie brown bowl.
There came one morning when the
maid came in and hastily set the little
pitcher down and the little pitcher,
who always heard what was going on,
was quite breathless with eagerness.
It was Clarita's birthday, she said,
and Clarita was eight years old, and
eight beautiful hyacinths were lying
by her place at the table; and Clarita
as soon as she saw them, would sure
ly be looking for something to hold
them.
ooh, DEAR" sighed the shepherd
ess bowl. Perhaps, fl were not so
shallow, she might take me, since she
loves me. Think of the joy of hold
ing Clarita's birthday flowers r
''Are the hyacinths purplel" asked
the violet bowl. Indeed. I stand a
good chance, with my lovely shape and
color, of being chosen at once.
"You, indeed p cried the tall vase.
ssNro.,< <,f x,oss ara f,f RI hold flowers