The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-04-12
TWO EASTER LILIES

Therei What did l tell your Tne
stem is broken; now 1t Is of no use
in the world. Sarah Lane you are
just as mean as you can be- You did
1t on purpose, and you needn't say
you didn't"
girl. AS she spoke, she flung from
her in disgust "a beautiful Easter
lily, which in the excitement OF the
moment had been broken from its
stem, leaving but a tiny bit of stem
to take hold of. I'm awful sorry.
said Sarah. looking dolefully at the
lily. jamie pushed me- she didn't
mean to, / guess, but she was In a
hurry and / didn't mean to spoil your
lily 1 wouldn't for anything. See
mine is broken. too: when we bump
ed together mine snapped right off.
I'm glad Of It," said Mamie Potter.
ut served you right. I just know
you meant to break mine because II
was handsomer than yours, and Miss
Kate said she would give a lovely
Easter card to the one in our class
who brought the prettiest lily. You
thought you could get the card, but
YOU won't now miss, A broken lily
isn't worth anything. Here. throw 1t
on the floor where mine is. She
snatched at the broken flower az she
spoke, and flung IL in the corner
Sarah looked after it with swelling
heart. you are very mean she
said slowly. II wouldn't be so mean
as that for anything. | don't care
about the flower, because OF course II
ia spoiled; but to say that / broke
yours on purpose is the just the same
as telling me / have told lie. and
you know / wouldn't do that for a
million Easter flowers l wouldn
be you for anything, I think"
"My daughters" interrupted low
voice near her. Well. mamma
said Sarah, "she Is saying awful
things; / told her ] didn't mean to,
and / was sorry, and she doesn't be
iieve me. She says but here Sa
rah began to cry. AS for Mamie
Potter, she tossed her head contemp-
tuously and walked off.
Mrs Lane tried to soothe and COM
fort Sarah and finally sent her on ar
errand, as the quickest way of help
ing her TO self-control Meantime
little Pearle Lane trotted around the
gheat church speaking sweet baby
words to the flowers that only she and
they understood. Mrs. Lane was help
ing to arrange the potted plants
around the altar. Old Uncle James
the Scotch gardener. was helping
Why! what have we here9" he asked
coming across the two great lilies ly-
ing In the corner. Some of the chill
dren have spoiled two of the prettiest
lilies we have had here. Here. little
pearle, these must be for you" He
set the wee grille on a table and heid
out the two lovely blooms to her
Pearl considered the matter few
minutes She was very shy, even with
people whom she knew, and could not
at first get courage to take them. but
they were very large, and she loved
flowers, so at last her chubby fingers
closed about the short stems and held
them fast
When Mrs. Lane finally finished her
work and signalled car that passed
the church door, Pearl still held the
short stemmed lilies. Her mother
smiled at them a little sadly. She
knew how carefully one had been
watched and tended for Easter Sab
bath. and how particular Sarah had
been that little Pearl should not even
touch the leaves. and here she Rugged
close to her all that was left of IT.
The car was very full A gentleman
Pearl on her lap. Rows and rows oil
men, most OF them with tired. anxious
faces. were on their way home after
a long days work One young man
sitting In the corner, partly shadfne
his face with his hand. looked more
worn and troubled than the rest. His
eyes. when occasionally he let them
be seen, had hard look Tor sach
Young eyes. and there was about him
a general air OF recklessness, wnicn
Mrs. Lane, noticing. sighed. He was
some mothers dear son and he was
going wrong, she feared. Her son was
such a noble young man, How dio
mothers live whose boys went wrong
As they went farther up town the
crowd thinned little, and Pearl slip
ned from her mothers lap to the
floor. She seemed studying the races
of the strangers. Suddenly she NOV
ed softly through the aisle quite to
the end of the car and held out one oil
her lilies, the largest and whitest. Sa-
rah's own, to the hard-faced young
man. He looked down at her. startled
and shook his head, though something
very like a smile glimmered for a
moment on his drawn face. Peari
who was not given to noticing people
and who was afraid OF strangers, sun
held out her lily with an angelic smile
on her sweet face. and almost plead
ing look In her beautiful eyes, the
startled mother watched In surprise
and doubt. Had an angel taken Pear
over there and whispered what to do
The young man bent to her and muir
INJURED a few words, something ahou,
her mamma not wanting ner 10 give
her flowers away. but Pearl resoluteiy
haid out Abe bloom, smiling stall
Then the young mans eyes caught
the mothers and she smiled. she
wants YOU have it." she said. and
he reached Ior 1t and held 1t to his
face, covering his eyes with the bios
som. Instantly Pearl turned and
moved back To her mother with q
satisfied air. holding close to Mamie
Potters lily.
20 mamma. sobbed Sarah Lane
that evening 1T has been such mean
day and / meant it to be so nice
did not want to speak so to Mamie:
don't know why did and'1 wanted
to do something beautiful with my
lily. 1t wasn't the Easter card that
I wanted, for the incest lily, 1t wasn't
truly, mamma. I prayed about my
iily. i asked God to let 1t do some
thing beautiful. why do you suppose
He let 1t get broken and spoiled?"
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