Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-04-18
EASTER LILIES

BY FeIice Vaughn.

the whirling buZZlng mist which mad en-
veloped Marjorie Wilton ever since she
had taken her place on this bare, wooden
platform. She arose somewhat INSTEAD
lily, and took a step or two forward. The
open music in her hand trembled so that
she could not have read the printed words
had she looked down upon them. But she
did not. She could not take her eyes
from those rows of eager, bOyish faces
turned toward her so expectantly.
Forty pairs of Shuffling feet had sud-
denly grown STILL forty pairs of bright
eyes were fixed upon her face and forty
little newsboys were waiting for her to
sing, not so much perhaps, that they
might hear her voice, as in admiration
for the pretty girl in white who had come
down to Newsboys' hall to sing to them
in words SO simple and sweet that even
they might understand.
One little song, though it breathed
sadness quite out of keeping with their
CHEEKY natures, they liked best of all, for
it told of angels welcoming a poor, weary
earth-child, and when it was ended there
came one breathless moment when each
beg sat staring straight ahead of him, and
in his heart echoed Tiny Tins wonder
ing whisper: dispose that means Johnny
Bell?" Then they looked up again-this
time in surprise, for the girl had put
away her music and her eyes were spark
ling at the thought of her beautiful plan.
1t was Marjorie Wilton's first and
last speech and she halted and STAN
mered many times under the steady gaze
of all those eyes, but no orator ever had
a more attentive audience than this which
sat and listened in silence to the story
she had to tell. 1t was the story of a
little blue-eyed girl, crippled and all alone
in the world now that her brother had
been taken to his heavenly home; of a
poor crooked back which grew weaker
and weaker till the child could only lie
still all day long in the little garrett room
which a kindly woman, though nearly as
poor herself, had shared with her; of a
girl who had found the little sufferer and
had told great doctor, who labored not
for gain; and lastly, of hope-the hope
of new life when she might run and
play with other little girls, and be well
and strong again.
land now she is going to take her first
step after all these years on Easter Sun
day. And oh, boys, shan't we try to make
it happy day for her, you and I?'
Quite unconsciously the girl stretched
out her hands to them. And the boys
would have gone through fire or flood to
please her, for in that moment they knew
that she was talking of Lily Bell, the
little sister that Johnny had loved 80
dearly and for whose sake he had worked
early and late. A perfect storm of ap-
xv+l,il oofi mol
than the rest, shouted out in question
whats she want?'
"She wants." said Marjorie, IAN Easter
lily. You see it is her birthday, too, and
she was named for the beautiful flowers.
/ thought that for Johnny's sake you
boys might send her one, for am sure it
would please her more than if anybody
else did,
Again the storm of applause broke out.
I'll give one! I'll give her one! Put
Gown my name - came in chorus. The
newsboys did not count the hours when
they must trudge YEARLY from house to
house, or stand upon street corners in the
rain or cold.
Marjorie smiled down upon them as
she said: "Well, l am sure the little
girl will have her hearts desire; but you
needn't each send one, you know"
Long after the beautiful magician
tern pictures had faded from the great
white curtain, the last song was ended,
and Newsboys' hall lay wrapped in dark
ness, the boys fingered about the door
talking it all over, and for days little
groups of very excited urchins might be
seen gathered on the corners Of some busy
streets, and there was much mysterious
nodding of heads and counting over of
grimy pennies, while a sharp lookout was
always kept for 1.-The other fellows" The
florists wondered much at the queer lit
tie delegations that came stepping eau
tiously in between the great swinging
doors and went wandering among the
beautiful waving palms and fragrant flow
ers, yet always coming back to gaze with
wide eyes at the great banks of Easter
lilies. Perhaps these same smiling clerks
might have told of other such delegations,
and other slender stalks, topped with pure
white blossoms, which were ordered to be
sent to Miss Lily Bell'' on Easter morn
ing; yet there was always this same sense
of delightful mystery, and as everyone
had acted as though it were the most
precious of secrets, they said not a word.
Glad bells rang out to greet the dawn
of Easter day! The first sweet flowers
of spring had pushed their way through
the moist ground in token that winter
was past. Everyone was joyous, yet
none more so than the little blue-eyed
girl who lay watching the sunbeams dance
across the rude garrett floor, for she had
the promise of new life, too.
"Oh, Auntie Murphy, won't my Mr..
Doctor ever Gomez" asked Lily Bell, for