Year: 1879

There she sat, staring into the little
fire on which their last atom of wood
was burning, and seeing in the red ashes
into which the light wood dropped so
quickly, pictures of the past. They had
never been rich people, but always COM
Portable.


Her father was a seafaring man-iirst |
mate of an ocean vessel-and her moth
or tidy housewife, who made every
thing bright and coy. How he used to
sit telling his adventures to them when
he was at home. 20 6l
He would not have been q sailor had
there not been sea serpents and mer-
maids in them, but nothing was too
wonderful for those loving young folks
at home to credit; and, indeed, he Hsp-
badly believed them himself.


The rooms had been pretty with shells
and coral branches, and bright parrots
in swinging cages and pictures of ships
upon the wall.


1t had been so different from this
wretched place in which the two girls
now lived.


But that was not all; the love was
gone, the tender care that parents have
for their children.


The mother lay in the green grave in
a far off cemetery; and who can point
the place of q shipwrecked sailors
grave?


Sue remembered 80 well how he sailed
away that last time; how they looked
after him, her mother and herself; how
they waited for news, and waited in
vain, until at last there came to them
sailor saved from the wreck of the "Fly-
ing Scud," who told how she went down
in mid-seas at the dead of the night,
ablaze from one end to the other; and
how Roger Blair, the first made, was
among the missing.


After that, poverty and sorrow; de-
parturc from the dear old home; toll in a
strange city, sickness, friendlessness,
and crowning woe of all, the mothers
death.


The girl had done her best for the lit
tie sister ever since, but she was not a
very skillful needlewoman, and could
not earn as much as some others; and
now work had given out altogether, and
she, pretty and sweet and good, and
helpful in daughterly way about the
house, was not quite sure that she could
win bread for two in any way-brea(
and shelter and fire.


She was only seventeen, and frai
little creature, with very little strength
in her small body, and now that matters
were so bad, who can wonder that sh'
almost despaired 7


81 suppose it isn't quite supper TIM
yet W said little Jane again. She hat
been on her knees behind the bed for ;
long while. l wonder whether HI
knows how hungry amp


'What shall / do ?" said Millicent t.
herself as shelooked about the room. "
have sold everything-the clock, th
books, even mothers work-box and tn
parrot. There is nothing left The chil'
will starve before morning. Oh, wha
shall doN'


She arose and went to the window
and looked down into the street. 1t wa
dirty and narrow and swarmed wit
filthy children.


Opposite was little drinking shop
about which blind man with fiddl
drew a proftless audience.


Nothing sweet or fresh or pure me
her eye there, but between that seen
and herself sudden breeze blew beau
tiful screen, and there was waited t
her through the broken glass an exqu
site perfume.


On the sill without stood q rose in
broken teapot.


She had picked up the slip among til
rubbish cast ont by neighboring ga1
dener, and it had grown well in il
handful of earth.


To-day it had bloomed; perfect ros'
exquisite in shape, perfume and colo
dropped from the stem, and beside it
half-blown bud gave promise of anotht
flower as lovely.


Until this moment Millicent, in hi
anxiety, had forgotten her own Treasure
But for a gentle shower tsat had fallc
that morning it might have withere
where it stood, for she had not eve
watered it.


Now bright thought fitted throug
her mind.


She had often seen children sellir
flowers in the street, and ladies and ge
tlemen seemed glad to buy them.
She would force herself to be cour
geous. She would go out into the sire
with this rose and it's bud, and some ol
would give her enough to buy loaf
broad, or at least roll for little Jane.


She would do it-she would. u
would give her strength.


She tied on her hood and wrapped h
shawl about her, and plucking the flo
er and a leaf or two, and that brig
bud that seemed perhaps the fairer
the two, bade Jane be good and wait
her, and went down stairs and out fro
the dingy cross street into Broadway.


There every one save herself SCENE


,,d bonnu ,nd yvel1 dressed 81