The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-07-28
THE VIOLETS
BY MILDRED WHITE.

Through the long futile weeks in the
city her bright optimism had held
sway; but now, with no promise of a
position, and with one dollar exactly
in her purse, the girl from the country
was justified in her sense Of failure
1t was the easy-going life Of the vii.
Iage home with its simple daily tasks
which left her untitled for any other
| The concerns of the business world
/ perplexed her, and the fingers nimble
| in household duties or in the work of
the garden, were unframed to the
service of typewriting machine. Mol.
lie could not qualify.
She wished wistfully, as she trudged
the city streets, that she might re-
; turn to teach school in the home vii.
lage. But even that was denied her.
She had been Obliged to leave school
before her time of graduation in or
der to care for her invalid mother.
Now Mollie was alOne that is why it
+ had been necessary to give over to
strangers the home which had been
her own.
The small amount of money she
had been able to save after the debts
were paid was exhausted after her
weeks Of labor seeking in the city.
Mollie, questioned by stern employers
as to her ability, could only confess
blushingly that her knowledge had
been confined to the home. SO her
hope of earning q livelihood among the
office workers seemed reaching an I'M
successful end.
Her pretty color which had glowed
like a reelection of the flowers she
tended in her garden had faded now to
the Wilderness of the pavements she
traversed. Mollie longed for the com
partnership of her flowers, she longed
for the sweet smell of them above the
moist ground. And Mollie was won
derng with a pang Of inconsistencies
what she was going to do when that
last dollar was gone, when, with the
recklessness Of the desperate she de-
cided, pauslng before shop window,
upon making a purchase, the utterly
useless purchase of bunch of viOlets.
The violets were fastened into
tempting bouquets and were marked
down to so cents. Molie felt that
she must have them. Her heart hun
gered and yearned for the fragrance
which would carry her back in mem
DRY at least to the remembered shell
ter of home. If she could she would
have purchased the windowful of
flowers-glory roses, pink and white
carnations. She would have filed her
arms with them all and carried them
back to that dingy room where she
was obliged to sleep and where she
spent as little time as possible.
A flush OF excitement dyed her
checks as she entered the shop. A
pleasing young man hurried forward.
"Vioets?" he inquired. Certainly
will find you the freshest bunch
lie thought as Mollie pinned the
bouquet to her corsage, that he had
never seen eyes which so prettily re-
sembled the flowers. Even there was
a lint of dewiness about Molie's eyes
as though tears might not be far from
their surface. The volets were dewy
too.
I'D like to carry an sTmful of your
beautiful flowers away" Mollie said
impulsively, and tie young man
smiled.
Perhaps" he suggested, you would
like to go through the greenhouse with
me and look them over"
Mollie, with an eager glance, was
very sure THAT she would"
As they wandered up and down the
fragrant aisles together, pausing here
or there to admire an unusual plant,
the young man naturally mentioned
his ownership of the shop, dwelling
upon its growing success and com
planning because of his lack of help.
The people l can hire are always
making Mistakes" he said, land |
have to let them go. One really has to
flowers I think, love them,
in other words, in order to make
success of the business"
Molie was enthusiastically agree
able.
II know what you mean," she said,
and she told him about her garden. |
How the rare flowers had thrived with |
humble ones under her devoted care.
And the young man listening said |
regretfully at the ending of her stoAy
IF | could only 1lnd some person
with your interest and admiration for |
flowers who would be willing to help |
me out here in the shop, what couldn't
we make of it?'
Molle looked at him across the
crimson roses.
"Oh !" she breathed, 81 would be so
glad to come if you would be patient
At first with my learning"
So that is how the extravagant pur-
chase of bunch of vioets led Mollie
o the means of earning a livelihood. H
or which she was peculiarly fitted.
And later when she entered the II
pretty home near the conservatory as |
is owners bride Mollie wore cor
age of purple violets on her new
gray suit. And her husband thought
again ioyously of their likeness to her
Happy eyes.
Copyright, 1919. Western Newspaper Union)
Obedience