Only A Bunch Of Violets

Seated in the corner of a Broadway car was a frail, little crippled boy, evidently an intense sufferer from a spimil dinea.se. E's kead md the upper part of his body were inclosed in a netwoi-k of steel and lo:;ther, aud an iron brace was tightly st rcpped to the side of om; of his legs. Poverty, too, seemedto be his misfortnne. His clothjng was of oheap material and boro the stamp of homemake, and in o. of the black cotton glovcs v.'i m by his 15-year-old sister, who accompanied him, thcre was a hole. Her dress was patched in several places, and her hat was a thin straw affair, trininied with a band of faded red ribbon, but withal she was wondrous neat and clean. At Thirty-third street a handsoniely dressed yonng womau boarded the cai and dropped int-o a seat dircctly opposite the pair. Tncked in the f olds of her coat was a big biinch of fresh, doublé violets, fcied with a long purple ribbon, and theii fragrant odor at once pervaded the car. The little boy caught the scent, and at once his great brown eyes were tlirown tipon the flowers. Then he whispered something to his sister, who blushed and fcold him to wait awhile. Tnrning his attention again to the violets, the lad gazed apon thom nntil his eyes grew bright and round, and every few moments he would draw an extra long breath, as if to take in all of the sweet perfume he could. Soon every one in the forward part of the car was watching him. From the look of admiration there grew in those browi eyes an exprossion of longing so earneat and deep that it made the heart tlirill with sympathy. The young wonian, with chauging emotions, glonced tuieasily at the boy at intervals, and soon the power of those eyes and the soul they reveuled overcame her. With a quick tug she drew the violets from her coat, and with a tear springing to her eye handed them to the boy, purple ribbon and alL Before the child recovered from his great joy she sought the platform aud was gone. Nearly all the meji sitting near by suddnuly resumed interest in their newspapei-H, iaid fome of them coughed. The women looked straight ahead through the glass, beyond the sidewalk and much f;lrther thun the obstructing show Windows and doonvays. It was not an earthly vie-w that pictui-ed itseh to them ; their visión was ttu-ned toward their hearts, into the tiny corner whoi-e fondest of all hopas and sweetest of sad memories were trca.-iured. Tho boy? Well, do I need to teil you of hie happiaess? And sister? Poor sister, islie feit so ashamed. But what oould tihe do? -