Year: 1873

Mays Flowers for Decoration Day.


May Wells sat by the window, watching
Der moss.rose-bush. The buds were swell
ing, and one was almost ready to burst into
flower. May was quite sure it would be
open by Decoration Day. She had been
hoping for this because out in the quiet
cemetery slept a brave soldier boy who was
her dear and only brother, and Mays Sab.
bath school teacher had given her the rose
bush, saying think you will have bios
SONS on it by Decoration Day, and then
you shall ride out to the cemetery in my
carriage to put them on Wilie's grave"


A greater pleasure than this May could
scarcely imagine. 1t was long distance
out to the cemetery, and she had never
been there since the funeral, for her grand
mother was old and could not walk so far,
and was too poor now to pay for a ride,
and May could not 20 alone. 1t seemed
very pleasant to sit by the open window,
that lovely day, aud May thought the rose.
bush enjoyed it as much as she did 1t is
true the window looked into a back yard,
and she could see little that was pleasant
except the bit Of blue sky overhead.


Aragged boy stood at a window opposite
II was Nat Becker, May did not like Nat
Becker. He was neither good nor hand
some. a pair Of sharp blue eyes, looking
out from a wilderness Of freckles bullet
shaped head, crowned with a mop Of carrot.
eolored hair, rude, dirty, disagreeable-
that was Nat. May turned her head away
She would not look at him.


Oh, ho Big feeln' thing, you Won't
look at feller hey See here, now
Aim--6re-bang ~ aud an ugly black rag.
doll whizzcd through the air, and crash
went the hower-pot off the window-sll Oh
the floor and was broken into dozen
pieces. May gave a loud cry and was on
her knees beside it in a moment, carefully
/ drawing the rose-bush out from the earth
that covered it, She examined it carefully
One bud was broken off. Otherwise it ap-
peared uninjured She FASTENED to find a
box in which to set it out again. Till this
was done, she had no time to indulge the
anger which was swelling in her heart.
When she had done the best she could
I 1
shade to recover from its rude uprooting,
she looked out of the window for Nat. She
did not know at all what she should say or
do to him in her anger, but she longed to
punish him in some way But he was not
in sight. He had disappeared.


:" AT least, this ugly, dirty thing shall 60
into the fire. | suppose it is little Bessie's
but | don't care I" and May opened the
stove door, and tucked the doll in upon the
Goals.


1t wasn't half a revenge, but such as it
was May had it. But it didn't make her
feel any less angry with Nat.


The next morning the rose looked little
dropping. 1T will not die" said Mays
grandmother, " but you will lose all your
blossoms. The buds will not grow any
more"


Mays tears fell fast aud she was in no
forgving mood when she was called to the
door, that afternoon, to see Nat Becker.


Mother sent me to say that I'm sorry
| broke your hower-pot, and ask your par
don, and I've got to save all my pennies till
get enough to buy you another and will
you please let Bessie have her doll She
cries for it all the time Nat said this as
if it were lesson he had by heart, and no
doubt it was. Mays checks grew crimson
with fresh anger.


an neger forgive you, Nat Becker
It's killed all the buds, and don't want
your old Aower-pot. It's likely | shall let
my rose-bush wait, cut of the ground, dy-
ing, till you can earn enough to get another
| burnt up the nasty, black rag-baby, and
I'm glad of i! ! so, there !" and Nat found
the door slammed in his,face.


May was almost sorry for her last words,
even while she spoke them, for Mrs. Becker
was kind-hearted, neighborly woman, who
had done May many kind turn, and Bes
sic was a gentle, fragile little girl, who had
few pleasures, aud May knew her doll was
very precious to her.


She sat down by the open window, only
to be confronted there by Nat, who had
been waiting his chance to say his say"


=" toaS real sorry about the rose.bush
when | said it, but | amt ao,g. 1t was
just good enough for such big-feeling spit
fire as you are. only hope your teacher
won't let you 90 with her at all !"


May banged down the window SO hard
that the glass ratified Nat made a face at
her, and ran away, crying at the top of his
lungs, " Pretty Christian you are! Pretty
Christian you are!' May heard, though
the window was down.


1t was quite true that May had thought
herself Christian. She would have Joined
the church mouth ago, only that her
grandmother said, "Wait"


Mats last words had shamed May. AT
first, only that. She was just as angry as
ever But sitting there beside the closed
window, she began to think, and her anger
began to cool, aud she came to the con-
clusion that she must do one of two things
forgive Nat Becker, and make Bessie a
new doll, or give up all idea of being a
i Christian.


1t seemed impossible to forgive Nat when
she looked at her rose-bush. 1t was quite
evening before the struggle in her heart
was over, but at last she decided for the
right As Nat was going in at the back
; door with his hod Of coal, after supper, she
opened the window and called to him.
al want to take back what l said this
afternoon. | will forgive you, Nat, and do.
and tomorrow LII make Bessie new doll. y
That makes me believe May is Chris.
tian," said Nat, telling his story to bis
mother. "lll walk four miles out into the
country, day before Decoration Day, and
get her market-basket full Of wild flowers
J for Wille's grave


He was as good as his word, and when
the day came, May rode in the carriage
with her wreath Of anemones and yioets
on her arm, which she hung on the modest
J headstone that marked Willie's grave with
as much satisfaction as she would have hung
wreath of the most costly flowers.
At the next communion season, May
grandmother did not feel il necessary to
bid her "wait." o. For | think" said she,
" the blossom Of forgiveness and patience
looks as if good seed had taken root in an
honest heart"