The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1919-08-21
THE VIOLETS
By MILDRED WHITE.

Through the long futile weeks III the
city her bright optimism had hetd
sway; but now, with no promise OF
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
| laCe home with Its simple daily tasks
which left her untitled for any other
| The concerns of the business worlu
perplexed her, and the fingers nimbIe .
! in household duties or In the work OF .
| the garden. were unframed 10 the .
service Of a typewriting machine. Mol .
lie could not qualify.
She wished wistfully, as she trudged ,
the city streets, that she might re-
turn 10 teach school in the home vii
lage. But even that was denied her.
Ssle had been obliged to leave school
before her time of graduation In or
der TO care for her invalid mother.
Now MoIIIe was alone; that Is why II
had been necessary to give over 10
| strangers the home which had Deeh
her own.
The small amount Of money she
had been able to save after the DEBTS
were paid was exhausted after ner
weeks of labor seeking in the CITY.
MolIie, questioned by stern employers
as to her ability, could only coh1ess
blushingly that her knowledge hau
been confined to the home. SO her
hone of earning a livelihood among the
, office workers seemed reaching an I'M
t successful end.
l Her pretty color which had glowed
3 ike a reflection of the flowers she
tended in her garden had faded now ~
the Wilderness of the pavements she
trayersed. Mollie longed for the com
panionship of her flowers, she lOngeu
for the sweet smell of them above the
moist ground. And Mollie was Won
| dering with pang Of inconsistencies
| what she was going to do when that
i last dollar was gone, when, WIN lhe
u recklessness of the desperate she de-
cided. pausing before shop WINDOW
| upon making a purchase, the utterly
useless purchase Of bunch OF vlolets
| The yIolets were fastened into
tempting bouquets and were uarkeo
down to 80 cents. Mollie felt thai
she must have them Her heart nun
gered and yearned for the fragrance
which would carry her back in mem
ory at least to the remembered shei
ter of home. If she could she woulC
have purchased the windowful o.
Il fowers-glory roses, pink ana whit'
| carnations. She would have filled ne
arms with them all and carried theh
! back to that dingy room where sn
was obliged to sleep and where sh
'u spent as little time as possible.
4 flush Of excitement dyed ne
>e' cheeks rs she entered the shop
'o' pleasing young man hurried forward.
'syiolets?" he inquired. Certainly
will find YOU the freshest bunch"
He thought, as Mollie pinned IN
bouquet to her corsage, that he ma
never seen eyes which so prettily RI
Is sembled the flowers. Even there wa
err n hint of dewiness about Mollie's eye
~ as though tears might not be far lroi
their surface. The violsts were dew
too.
NY "Td like to carry an armful OF you
beautiful flowers away" Mollie sal
impulsively, and the young ma
smiled.
81 Perhaps" he suggested you wou
n like to go through the greenhouse VII
me and look them over"
Mollie, with an eager glance WI
! VERY sure that she would"
As they wandered up and down u
fragrant aisles together, pauslng ne
or there to admire an unusual plar
the young man naturally mentions
his ownership OF the shop. dwellil
upon its growing success ana col
planning because of his lack OF help.
1.-THE people / can hire are aiwa
making mistakes" he said, "and
n have o let them go. One really has
" understand flowers think, love the
VI In other words, In order to make
~ success of the business"
~ Mollie was enthusiastically ayr
n able.
1Ib "I know what you mean" she sa
TX and she told him about her gard
+ How the rare flowers had thrived W
!. humble ones under her devoted care
N And the young man listening 81
- regretfully at the ending Of her stol
"If | could only find some per'
with YOUR interest and admiration
flowers, who would be willing to II
me out here In the shop. what could
we make Of itT'
MollIe looked at him across
crimson roses.
"Oh!" she breathed. II would be
glad 10 come II you would be pat
at first with my learning"
So that Is how the extravagant
chase Of a bunch Of viOlets led Nc
to the means Of earning livelih'
for which she was peculiarly fitted
.vo And later when she entered
aged pretty home near the cohsei 'a''i
WOE its owners bride Mollie wore a
e. sage of purple violets on her
, his gray suit. And her husband tho'
h at again joyously Of their likeness to
49, happy eyes.
o' tcouyrish,. 1919. western Newspaper Oh