Villanova Digital Library - The Girls' companion, v. VIII, no. 24, June 12, 1909.

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Full Title	The Girls' companion, v. VIII, no. 24, June 12, 1909.
Contributor	Martyn, Ruby Holmes.
Date Added	5 February 2016
Format	Journal
Language	English
Publish Date	1909-06-12
Publisher	Elgin, Ill. and Chicago : David C. Cook Publishing Co.
Source	Dime Novels and Popular Literature
Alternate Title	The roses in Grandmother's garden / by Ruby Holmes Martyn.
Topic	Children's literature > Periodicals.
About	More Details Permanent Link
Disclaimers	Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement

OCR Cupyriyllt, 19119, by [lurid 0. Cook Pubhshmp Company. You. VIII. No. 24. i',;‘;‘,f-gf,‘-‘D DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING C0,, ELGIN, IL1.1xo1s, AND 36 W.as1n:x'c"rox S1-., Cnrcaao. June 12, 1909. HE lovely old-fashioned garden lay twinkling in the early morning light the sun lifted his rotund face" over the distant Natic Hills: here and there on rt patch of sward a spider's web glisteued white against the green; the sweet moss-pinks spread a delicate pink carpet over large areas, their tiny blossoms lsparkling with the lieavr dew, and clumps of gorgeous red and white peonies lifted ronnd,.fnll-blown heads to greet the new- born day, the day that was to be their last, for by nightfall they would lie scattered on the ground, little heaps of faded petnls. lut amid all the June-time beauty the rose were supreme, filling the soft morn- ing air with their sweet perfume: bushes of deep yellow roses were massed tliit-kly in one corner of the garden: up the side of the old-fashioned house which dunked an end of the garden climbed great sprays of slnnlod pink prairie roses loaded with open- 'ing buds; and scattered throughout the lietlge-enclosed plot were buslies of white roses, and pink roses, and yellow ro rs, until the whole garden seemed brenlung into an elysium of roseate beauty and per- fume. llelcn Craven opened the swinging gate and stepped into the garden, then she stopped abruptly and drew a long breath of delight. ’ " Oh!" she said softly. “Oh, what a lot of pleasure grand- mother znve to her children when she plnnted her garden!” she added. Tlien the ;:irl's bright face went sudden- ly sober. ' ' " I cannot seem to hear leaving it all !" she cried out, thrusting out her hands with a quick gesture of hopelessness. “ I cannot hear to think of leaving it nll! The old house, and the garden, and gr.'iml- mother's roses! And yet father fears it. The morning wind blew softly among the bnslms, and a shower of glistening dew- drops fell to the ground from every shrub: it stirred lightly IIelen's hair and roused the girl from her misery. “ If only I could think of some way of helping: father!" shelcried. IIer young ln-nrt filled with a. lending to share her fntlit-r‘s burdens. “ IIe's discouraged. Tiines are hard, and-well. he's nlwnys fear- in:: ht-'ll h.-ire to sell the place." Ilelen did not understand the details of her father's business, but she knew the burdens of the year were heavy on him. “So now," she said, standing there among the roses, "if I could only make him feel that there was sonn-one helping: push!" The half-opened buds of snoxwwhite roses by her side nodded their heads to Helen, and the girl noticing, gasped. “ Do you mean that you would help me, you dear white roscbudsft" she said. The gentle morning breeze stirred the air again, and the rosebuds gracefully bent their lovely heads. “Grandmother's roses will help! They long to help us! People pay money for roses, I know, and they shall pay money for grandmother's beautiful roses!" - A woman put her head out of the upper window of the house and saw the girl standing there in the midst of the lovely old-fashioned garden. , “llelcn Craven!" she called, and her voice broke harshly through the soft Jnnc shook herself slightly and looked up with a bright smile. "Coming, Mehala!" she replied. “Gardens nin't made for dreamin’ in!" said the woman. II:-Inn's bright face went instantly sober, but she made quick answer. “Perhaps it‘s dreaming in grandmother‘: 3'5 THE tosisl l . garden that's going to win theidny-who owsl" Mehala Bates shook her head: she was a tall, gaunt woman of some sixty years, and had taken charge of the Craven home since Mrs. raven died. To Ielen, Mehala was all ‘the mother the girl had ever known, and she loved the woman with all the intensity of her ndectionnte heart. “ Come into the house and set the table for breakfast. child," said Mahala from her upper window. “ Coming!” dashed back the girl. But first she bent over the white roscbuds for a moment and spoke softly to them, "All together we'll help keep father's courage up-we will!” she said. And the roses gave of their sweet perfume in silent 2 m sent. “Mehala, the roses want to help--I want to help, tooshelp father, you know." The woman looked up from the bacon she was trying for breakfast and said: ' “ What are you at, Ilelen?" “I want to sell the roses and have money to encourage father with, Lots of ! HOLMES .3 W xi-=.7.=.-.5... " I people buy roses not half as fine as ours.” “Where he the folks?’ asked Mahala. “That's what I haven’t thought out yet, just how to find the people that want the flowers." “That”s one trouble in this world: folks don’t poke around until they hnd the folks an‘ the things that go ’longsidc! It don't seem quite in reason to me that them roses your grandmother (‘raven planted when she first come here a bride, are worth much in money, but if you was smart enough to put two an‘ two together, I-" Ilelen interrupted her quickly. “You wi help me nfler breakfast, won't you, lilehala? And we'll help father. He just needs someone to stand by him. There are some splendid buds ready to open. “'e’ll lill as many baskets as We can, and drive in with them. And I know how to pack them. I learned that of Aunt Mary." Mehala set the frying-pan over the fire again and spoke with vigor: “If you’re bound to do something with them flowers, it won't be me as stands in your way. Flowers bring money, that's There ain't :1 bit of harm in trying. As you say, there ought to be someone pushing on this place besides your father." But during the five-mile drive to the city, Helen lost some of her courage, and so did Mehala, though this Helen did not The woman holding the lines sat of harboring doubts, yet wondering where “the child," as she al- ways thonght of Helen, was to find the right one for their precious load. But when they had reached the f1orist's they had decided upon, both occupants braced themselves for the encounter. “ I have fresh garden roses." Ilelen said, looking in the florist’s face appealingly. The fiorist looked ncrss the pavement to the Q3.l‘l')‘11ll, but the rose baskets were carefully protected from the sun. Ile stepped across and lifted the canvas. then he nodded his head approvingly. “They are fine roses, Miss." ‘.‘X'es," said Helen. "They are from my ;zrandmother's gartlt-n.” “ I'm sorry, but I 1111] full to-day‘ But maybe%’’ he stopped and looked up the road. “Come in. I'll tell you where to take the roses." A moment later he came back from his desk and placed a card in IIelen's hand. “There, that young lady is the one who will buy your flowers, if anyone buys them to-day. She is great on old-fashioned roses. I often keep mine out for her. She‘s taken a.good deal from us‘ To-morrow is Rose Sunday,“-and shefis hclpin: somewhere. I think she'll’ take yours. t'a the Cumber- land place. ,Yon will find Jreasy." “Oh, yei,“I‘knoxv‘Col::rivl Cumberland‘: place," said Ilelon, gratefully. and her heart sang for pludliws. llut she stopped to say to the ilori. “ “'ill you he so kind, Mr. Saunders, as to tell me what you think those Ilowersare worth 7" The florist stepped to the carriage and raising the canvas made a careful esti- mate of the baskets. "“'ell. you ouglit to get ten dollars for them. You're pm-kml them well, and they are in fine condition." With courteous thnnl-rs Ilelen got up be- side Mehala. and they drove to Colonel Cumberl:1nd'r4. The big: brick house looked slightly forbidding to Helen. “ Do you sup ose Illiss Cumberland will want them, Meli:iln'."’ she asked. Then the bit from door swung open and Alice Cumberland ran down the stone steps to meet them: “Mr. Saunders just telephoned that he had sent you over to me, and how lovely your roses were!" she said, and it seemed to Helen that she had never seen anyone more lovely than this slight young woman in white. Mehala drew back the covering from the roses. , “Oh !" said Alice Cumberland, as she bent her fair head above them. IIelen's eyes grew big, and she went close to Alice. “You love roses. You love them some- thing as I do," she said softly. “Yes. dear, I love them," replied the older girl. from the tips of my tons to the crown of‘ my head. I am helping the girls down a the mission for Rose Sunday to-morrou They're come just in the nick of tini dear." " ‘ When the roses were resting on,‘ the dining-room table, Alice Cumberland -I stepped back and surveyed them with de- light. - “ You are an nngt-l in disguise," she said, “I am filled with love for them , ' 41.‘... .e......I.