Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-04-05
DAILY SHORT STORY
Father and Mother of the Flowers.
lOriginall

Papfnta was the daughter Of4a Span
ish grandee, Don Miguel Rebera, and
lived with her father midwaytbetween
VaIladond and Salamanca. Papinta
was absorbed in flower culture. In the
early spring the flowers that had been
kept in the conservatory during the
winter were carried out for her, and
she planted them herself. Then while
they were budding she cared for them,
pruning and watering; them with her
own hand. At times she would talk
to them as if they were children.
AHA. my fine fellow" she would say
to a tiger lily. ''yO1 are magnificent,
and 1 admire you very much. but you
are too Independent of me. You could
get on as well without me. My little
violets here, nesting down chose TO the
earth. need all my care. and they are
the rivals most TO be dreaded by you.
What, Jack. are you going to open SO
soon? May the Virgin keep the frosts
away that you may bloom in all your
crimson Splendor."
One day while she was thus talking
to her flowers she looked up and there,
leaning on the low garden wall, was Il
young man. Papinta had been so alb
sorbed in her pets that for moment
she saw the face of the stranger
through them. The features seemed
contained within the encircling petals
of rose. which in twinkling faded
into a lily. then into other flowers in
the same rapid succession. In her ia
theirs house We're marbles of ancient
gods and goddesses. and the strangers
head and shoulders to Papinta reSem-
bIed a bust of Apollo. The face was
certainly very beautiful. and the eyes
looked at the girl with an expression
of marked approval.
You love your flowers" said the
young man.
Indeed l do
Il call them my children" = =
so do /. How strange
"Will you give me OneY"
Papinta plucked q budding rose,
went to the wall and gave it to him.
He took it, enjoyed its beauty and its
fragrance, then, turning his eyes again
on Papinta, said:
ut is very lovely, but there is n
flower in your garden far lovelier."
"Wbich?' asked Papinta, looking
aside.
1T has u blush in its cheek that no
other flower has, for it comes and goes
within Il few moments"
Such natural love making in Spain
has never been permitted, but it was
some weeks before Don Miguel discov-
cred that his daughter, every day at
tending her flowers, met young stran-
ger, and when he learned the secret II
was too late. Papinta's heart had gone
into the possession OF the father of the
flowers OF course her meetings were
stopped, for she was not allowed to go
to her plants again. Whether it was
that she mourned the separation from
them OF from her lover, or both, she fell
i'll and passed rapidly into Il burning
fever
While delirioUS Paplnta saw vision.
She was in heaven and in that part of
heaven TO which she was assigned to
dwell. the heavenly gardens. The flow
ers there seemed endowed with life.
some lifting their beads erect as if con
scious OF possessing a supernatural
strength for good, others mOdestly
bowling as If in a sanctuary, while
some crept on the surface as If con
scious Of unworthiness. On all there
shOne light of heavenly splendOr
Presently they raised their heads and
turned them in the same direction. Ia
pinta looked, and there coming she
saw the father Of the flowers. He was
smiling upon her, and when he drew
near he said:
Welcome, Papinta. Here we shall
care for the flowers untrammeled by
the ills of earth. They will not be
blighted by drought or storm. These
have endured and died to be born
again in this heavenly kingdom
Changes there will be, but not the
changes through which they have pass
ed. The transitions will rather be from
one delight to another. Come. mother
Of the flowers let me show you our
heavenly children"
He led her along paths that sparkled
with crystals and shells and pebbles
The flowers as they approached turned
toward them. breathing upon them as
they passed such fragrance as Papinta
had never known before. There were
the rich flowers of the tropics, wild
flowers both of mountain and of low
land and tiny bits such as violets and
lilies Of the valley.
These" said the father Of the flow
erS. pointing to the larger ones, ''are |
our grown sons and daughters; these, |
the smaller ones. our younger children. |
and these. the tiny ones. our babes"
From her vision Papinta passed into |
a Consciousness Of her real surround |
ings. Her father and mother were |
standing looking down upon her. and |
there between them was the mortal |
father Of the flowers.
When Don Miguel had seen that he |
must lose his daughter or bring the |
stranger TO her he went out for the |
purpose and found his guest waiting |
without the gates. Don Miguel brought !
him in. and he stood with Papinta's |
parents over her bed. waiting till she /
should regain her faculties.
The young man had come from Mad |
rid His life work was the study of |