The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-12-06
Rose Il irne
.....BY......
MARGARET RICHARDS
Copynsht. 1905, by MeC!ase, Philip. & Co.

Coming, Aunt Martha" YOU said.
Then You anchored your fairy boat
(Which WAS really Il hammock under
the big old elm and scampered down
the path. Your light braidS hohbing be
hind yoa.
Roses for dnuer. Aunt Martha;"
You asked ioyfully.
Always the same. Though She called
You every morning and though YOU
saw the little white basket on her arm
You had always 10 ask the same ques
ton. Roses for dinner Aunt Martha?"
She lust stood smiling Mt You. and
You took the little white basket proud
~ Very straight and proper you were
as you walked down the garden path
shoulders back. toes out. light braids
bobbmg Serenely.
DO not loiter." she had said and you
did not. although Guy. your huge New
foundland rluyfellow. raced after you
down the path.
Nut now, Guy" You said primly. and
he dropped his stick and followed you
sedately Down the wide path between
the hollyhoeks you went. across the
bridge below The lawn. stopping Il min.
ute by the water to cool your flushed
face and watch the ripples sparkling
IN the sunshine Guy looked at You ex-
peetantlN, all ready for II plunge, but
YOU shook Your head reprovingN. No
sticks III rose time. Guy Then along
the wide sunny road and IN ut the
other Aunt Marthas' through the lit
II. ..at,t H.
for YOU
The "other Aunt Martha" WAS the
most wonderful person you knew.
Even now. sometimes. when your own
little girl brings You Roses aud You bury
your face IN their fragrant depths and
close your eyes. you can see the other
Aunt Martha" AZ YOU used TO see her.
her little cap on her gray curls. stand
ing among her roses in the golden sun
light of that long ago The bees hum
med among The blossoms. II little breeze
stirred the bushes and IL shower of pink
petals dropped silently. You walked
softly down the narrow path between
the r9ses Il where. her arms full of
fragrant pink blossoms. She waited.
smiling. for YOU
But there came days when you did
not 20 after the roses, and you hid In
the long grass when Aunt Martha call
ed YOU That was the awful time of
your great diSobcdience and its dread
full result
When il WAS afternoon and you We're
tired of playing with Guy or sailing In
flK.a E.li Ia,
slanting golden beams through the
twisted branches, you sal on the porch
in your little chair Your frock was
the color of the little white clouds; your
sash was as blue ms the sky. You were
very clean and proud and beautiful as
You rocked and rocked and rocked
Aunt Dora stood IN the open doorway
with n letter IN her hand and eyed you
doubtfully.
Let me take 1t, Aunt Dora" you
cried, springing up from your little
chair. II was fine for little girl to
walk down TO the postotiice all alone,
just as though she We're grown up.
Aunt Dora still looked doubtful. at
X Il very important letter" she said.
and then all her face went pink like the
roses IN her belt
You looked and pondered.
'Why do peoples faces 20 Ike
roses" YOU asked
"Do they she asked and laughed
and then she laughed again and kissed
you. and You went down between the
hollyhocks carrying the letter proudly
Iii your hand
Aunt Dora was not married like Aunt
Martha. She was a beautiful princess
and some day fairy prince would
come and she would 20 away with him
In Il golden coach
over the hills and Ear away
Beyond their utmost purple rims
That was from the book she read
you ON Sundays. You had looked and
looked, but you had never seen the pur-
pie rims All the hills you knew had
trees On them and were green. Per
haps they might look different from
The river You were usually good
little girl. and You knew that good lit
tie girls minded their aunties, and you
had been forbidden to go down by the
river but you suddenly felt that you
must see those purple rims.
Down you went, along the close crop
ped grass, Out on the large, fiat, slip
perry rock, and then It happened-how
you never knew-that you were In the
water, and then Guy was In the water
too, Juggling at your frock; then you
and Guy were both all wet and safe
and dripping on the shore.
THE important letter-get that, too,
Guyw you cried, pointing to white
speclI drifting down the stream. But
Guy only leaped and barked aud licked
your face with his great rough tongue
RetrIbution had come swiftly, fasten
Ing its grim hand on you and shadow
Ing all your little world. What woul
they say" you wondered numbly dral
ging wet, heavy little feet across tn,
lawn and up between the hollyhocks
and through the slanting golden bars
OF sunlight on the porch
Bless me-" cried Aunt Martha
"Wbat has happened to the childT
And yol stood with shamed, bowed
bead while the water from your frock
urlppeu IN llttlc Drown fivuletS across
the golden bars and Guy leaped and
barked around you and confessed the
story OF your dlsobedlence.
Suddenly, swiftly, Aunt Dora bent
and ciasped you tight in her warm,
loving arms and held your little wet
head against her breast, and as she
kissed You and ciasped you close you
felt hot tears dropping on your cold
face.
How you loved her. Later, when you
lay all warm and dry and comfy Ia
your little bed, she came again.
"Did you mail the letter, dearf' she
whispered softly, and because you
loved her dearly and because she might
be unhappy II she knew about the I'm
portant letter you nodded your small