A London Story

Millywas the poor little soui's name; no one had ever callecl her anything else - ouly Milly. Slie niade herscanty living by embroidery, residiug 'm a forlorn-looking, dark and uarrow room that was yet fortúnate enongli to boast one sinall wlndow on the street. Aye, that window was MHly's glory ; 'the joy and delight of her exMstence. The street was a dingy ï.ondon one, hardly a tlioroughfare, and, tlierefore, not noisy ; but gay and even delectably worldly In the child's oyes, for sue was not much more than a chiKt as yet. Though worn in face and serious-looking slie wasyoung in years, acaree seventeen surely at most, while in charaeter she was very childish still. Iiondon brcd she was, shrewd trad quick in many things, keenly alive to the necessity of daily work, thorouglily expectant of the moncy-loving ways of her employers and astute with regard to life generalij; nevertheless a fund offreshness and innocence in Milly's soul was wout often to burst forth like a sweet pure spring of water coming froin depths nnknown, reody to gladden and solace h; arid hearts o"f her neighbors. She was friendly to those neighbors, who some of them befriendcd her. But she bad always been much alone. She was ahnost like a prisoner, this little lame and feeblebodied Eearnstress, or rather einbroideress, who spent her uncan d-for youtli bendiug overa frame of needlework, carrying out the Ideas and designs of otherF, only nccaslonally, as a rare luxury, allowed to work lier own will nnii hor "■"" fancles into the thremls of silk and pieces of lineo or satin " Itft over." If a boy's will be the wind's will, what shall bo saia ufagirl's? It is light, ephemeral, like the seafoam? Or stroujrer, like bindweed in gardetis? Or (irm and br iye and shilling, like the niarble tb at inakes the coping stones of palaces? I know not. Miily cared little for tlie veliicles that somethnes went rnmbllng down her street, nor for the sad-lonkinjr, poorly dressed pedestiiaiis who were the frequenters of that uvighborhoori nor for the loud voiced vonders of cheap goods in barrows. It was tlie corner of a giay sky - occasionally a pallid blue - wliinli she liked, and whiih (by squeeng well in !etween a heavy tabre and the svlndow sill, and craiungher neck ptiiiifiilly) shecould see and greatly eDJoy, in contrast to the dingy iitmosphero of her lotljiiujr. But what she loved best of all to gZ8 on froin her window was the shopoppuslte - a shop so glorious, so lovely, so comfortloji and yet heart-ütlrrlnjt that the child oonlil never be sattated wltb looking aul wondering at it. A llower shop it was. What are flowers made of and liow do tliey come? ask tue Londoneis. How are they gathercd and brought together in llieir Infinite beauty oí tone and color, in tbeir l.rillianc.v and fresliness, in their tendernesa and sweetness. Flowers iu pot?, ünyrerf in bunclres, flowers in sprays, htrafrülinj; groups of llowersand stray single blooma all these lilled and decked tlie window panes of the shop opposite, all these ji'mldened the eager, beuting heait of the little Iameembroidercf8. Itmattered not, wlien her eyes were delighted wlth this dream of fairy color, that slie was lame; nor did she remember her many gorrowa wben, with hot treniblinK hands, she tbreaded her needie and pDed her loveliest silks, glancing up now aml then to gain from beyond the narrow í-tieet a new draught f rom her source of inspiiation, Fast fl;w her lingcrs, fast grew the flowers beneath lier touch; like yet not like the origináis; pretty, percunnce, }-et di8appointlii2ly different to expectatlon, tbought the little artist, who realtzed (without knowledge of the why or whaiefore) this failure of a trri'at Inteutlou. For she wanted to ccipy nature. Way, wUo that has once seen nature c in bi; readily content with a countei feit f Every now and then at sparse intervals of time when she was thoroiuhly disbeartened and disgusted with her own handiwoik, Milly would fetch her ol'l bat and capeoutofthe Clipboard - lier clipboard where she kept every tliinjr, from a piece of dry bread to an empty biaoklog bottle and an old Bible - and dress lieiself laboriously and crawl over to the opposite side of the streef, and stand there. her face preesed against the panes of the flower shop window, till she eould staod upright no more. If the weather were cold, her sleuder form shlvered under the threadbare black cape, her face grew more pinclied and blue than before; but she held her place bravely, studylng the form, the "make" of the Uowers; till she knew them so well that she could shut her eyes and reproduce them on that wonderful canvas which we all posse-s ai a tree gilt to paint our beautiful vUions upon - the clear white page of our own minds. There was one thlng that trouliled her: The flowers died so quickly. Milly had neither time nor strenjftli to pay frequent visita to the flower shop, and consequently never mlght slie hope to see her favorites quite close a second time. She studied them, she loved them she strained her eyes to see them. Good. But a few days later they were gone from their accustomed places, and otliers, new corners - new, graceful, fairy tilinga - were displayed where the cld friends had slowly drooped or been hastily removed. That was the way of the world, doubtless, but there are somepeople who never get used to the ways of the world. Milly was haply of these. She had one friend- though I should rather say one acquatntance, for he was scarely tnore - and that was the little crossin? sweeper, the poor boy Jira. Their misfortunes were a bond between them, perhaps; they were both crippled thougb süfrhtly, from infancy. He was humpbacked, she was lame. He was swift of foot and of eye, and coiild pilot tier dextrously over the muddy way, safe from horses' feetor splasli of wheels; she the girl, was stronger of hand, brighter of face and of courage. She had more than once taken the be.-om from Jim's hand, and swept away the mud for pedcstrians blithely and cheerily, so that slie carned more coppers for lilm in ten minute thïin he knew how to again in a weary niorning's work. His hands were so wenk and delicate; tiers, used to activitj', were positively muscular by contrast. Tliere was one drawback - he ncver seemed to comprehend about the llowers. He would stand on one leg by the brllliant shop window staring piteously, tking oft'his ragged cap and putting it on again with agestureof perplexity, scratch"ing his head sometimes for greater doubt. "You see, Jim," llilly whisperedto him one day, " I love tliem so - tbe il'wers. They are so beautiful, so very, very beautiful. It quite gives me a pain, an odd feeline here in my throat, only to look at them." Tlien I wouldu't liave notliing to do with 'tm," returned the boy decislvely. ' If they burt you, whnt's the good?" "It's the burting th;it brings me back to them somehow," stainmered Milly, who couldn't explain. Jim gazed at lier with his wlde-opened, lonz-lashed eyes. "ï'ou are a queer 'un, and no mistake, he said at last. "Hi, look out! you were almo-t right under the van tliis time. Mili. I wish, I wish I was a dook, tliat I do - I' dgiveyou flowersand graud things every dny; wouldn't I just?" Tiiank you, Jim, dear; oh, tliank you. That ninkes it just the same as if you did." "Why, how can that be?" asked tlie boy, leauingon hisbroom and staring at her harder tlian ever. "Ofcourse it does. Don't you sec?" asked Milly, to whom definitions seemed almostthe greatest difflculties of Ufe. There are some people who have so üttle to say that they spend their da}' in trying to inake the sciinty substance inore; meanwhile the thougbU of others surge tempestuously against their fetterin speech, and these people must always appear ignorant and dull. One day - it was a biight May morning --Milly luid come to an end of uil her commissioned work. Nor had alie any idea for the future; she was tired, overdone, perchance - she had been woiking both early and lute this last week. The colors of the many-petnled flowers in the shop opposite seemed to flash more briih tly tlian usual the sun was stroog and hot; the tliree-cornered piece of sky overhnad was positively blue. From its cage on a nail outside of a neighbor'g window came the swect eong of a captive. thrush. Some eftervescence of ppringtime rose i' "i iiubbled in the irl's youDK veins. She cou!d ■.fi,in "her dark and squilid room; she rose to lier reet i.. ;,.,. i) iticncc. A moment later slie liad reachtd the Rtreet. Slie stood oulside the door of tlie house, gazing inquiringly from side to side. No; Jim was not tliere; lio was nowliere in sight. Well, lie would soon return doubtiess. There were few vehic.lea lo be seen ; slio might cross safely. Now the deed was done; Jim should presently hear of her prowess. And surely the reward was worth the e Mort. The fiowcr shoi had never seemed so beautlful. Bunches of lilao, laburnum. and hawthorn were blooming on one side; on the oiher were posltively staeked pink, red mul white peonies pansies, and the anemones and blue bells of the woods, whüe marshmallows and cowslips shone moru (tolden tlian the suiuhine. Milly knew m ñames or piopertfes of 11 vcrs; in her eyes there were no Unmmoa ones, and ihe hot-houso geraniums and eineraries were ouly by color more glorious than the penny bunches ot walltl )wers and field daisies and straggliiiir forget-me-uots that were specially provlded tor weary Londonen. To her it was all a beautiful dream; tliere was just a hard impassable wall lielween lier and gtich luxuries, like the il.iss agalöst whlfih slie flitetned her pale, little pinched features. She cuiild see through the glftSs certalnly, but she could et 110 nearer; no, nor yet touch or sniell. Slie could only t-igh, and the sigh (complaint-like) made matters wone, tor it üimmed the e earness of the glas tor a moment. Two ladies came out of the shop; one pusseiJ on; the other. seeing the girl, paused. The hands of both ladies were til led with bundies of tiowers; possibly iMilly's eyis were more hungrily watching than she knew. " Yotí poor little girl I" said the lady who stood in the doorway. She held out a bunch of gomething brijrht. " Would you like these llowers? Yes, you may take them. Slie smiled; she went on her way. Milly had Buld nothli g; not a word of thanks even. She only grasped the tiny nosegay as thouuli it were made of gold. She stared vacantly at the ladies till they were out of sight. Then she laughed foftly to herself. What would Jlm say? VVhere was Jim? Why was he still t.b sent? She must certalnly come out again in the afternoon, if only to teil him the delightful news. It was the first time that any real live flowers had been given to her, liad actually belonged to herself. Why, they were quite soft, like velvet, not gritny and gritty like most things, and with a perfume - yes, that must be the menning of the word perfume - somethinif quite, quite bewildering. The road was free of caits and cars now, surely. Thls was the moment - one rush forward - oh, the cranip in her stift" leg! Forward; no, back in liaste! A noise of horses' hoofs, with a thousaiid voices ringlne in herears,and,ln the midst of all a visión of Jiin's face, white and set as it had never been before - then the eartli risinsr up to meet her violently, as souiething largo and dark loomed betore hor eyes and eeemed to strike her down. # "Slie is coming too, poor little thing." These were the flrst words that Milly heard. "Where am I?" she asked falntly. Her own yoicesounded furlheroff than the other voice. She was in pain all over, a pain that would have been llerce had It not been so stunningly dull, and, above all, so universal. Eveu her little finger ached, she thouaht, and that thought made her half inclined to lau:h. Hhe could not sec, she knew not why; she could not move, but that was no wonder, tor she was so tlghtly strapped and bound up. On a bed, too. "VVhere, where?" she repeated, grasping. "In the hospital, dear child," nnswered the nurse. "No, do not talk. We are golng to take great care of you." Milly sigbed and ahut her eyes for what seemed to her but a few minutes. When she was consclous again she saw that something lay between her flngers- it va9 her own precious buncb of flowers. IIow quickly it had wilhered, thouch. Sbetried to lift her hand, but could not. She was afraid she had done wrong even to try. But no one was heediag her. Two shadowy figures were talking near her bed. "She wa3 so lame, poor dear, she could not run. And thegreat dray liorse knocked her down and the wheel ran over her.'' "How terrible!" 'The little humpback boy did liis best to save her, but he ran up too late - it was a plucky thing, anyhovv." "He seeins very fond of her - he will break his heart if she dies." ■'Husli! lest she should hear you." Milly had heard it all. It scarcely affected her, nevertheless; scircely seemed to concern her, in fact. Was tliis iimiiiKcl, motionless thing on the hospital bed herself, Milly, the clever little needlewoman ? Was it she who had dwelt opposite the florist's window? She opened her eyes yet wider; it seenied a little lighter now. Was this the hospital? She had of ten wöndered what the hospital mlght be like. There were people here who tiglied and groaned arouml hir; she had not noticed them before. It tired her to watch them now; had they all been run over in the street? she marveled. What sad, s:id faces! What a room full of pain ! Clean it was everywhere, with tidy white bedclothes and whitewashed walls, and thesunshlne coming in so that her liead ached; she had never been used to mucli light or air. Nor to strangers, strange faces, strange voices. Ah, where was little Jim ? And had he really come to lier in her danger ? The tears besran to trickle slowly down the child's p-ile clieeks. "Wliat Is It, dear? " asked the nurse. "Jira," said Milly, with quivering lips. "Oh. my little Jim- ray own little Jun!1' "He shall come to you - presently - yee, verysoon. I will give the order now." The nurse niurumred something to another nurse. "üt course; there is no time to lose," was the aciswer. Hut Milly heard not tliis?. The nurse returned. "Shall I read to you ? '' she asked. "Are you in too much pain to listen ? " "No, read," saiil Milly gently. "Only let it b3 about üowers." "Yes, about flowere," reiurned the child, dreamlngly. "Are there flowers in Heaven '! " "Surely. And we know that it is God's garden. He fiarners them thcrc - even the poorest child-liowers oí this earth. Then thero was n cry. "Oh, Milly, Milly ! Oh ! you will not die! Oh, promise me that you'll not die ! ■' It wa3 Jim - Jim who had pressed close to the bi.'d, who was BObbing as if hls heart must burst. Ho stretchcd out his little wan banda. The doctor held hitn back and sought to quiet him. The "CT'J ; ,"", ptber beds ralsed themselves tip and trusa to see mo u children. Milly moved as much as she was ab'.e. A gray shadow had passed over her lace, making it almost uupccoguiz-iblc, and sharp anguish distorted her features. Was ttiis death ? She knew not - she had 110 time to tliink. Only for him - only for Jim, the poor, homeless, frlendless little crossing sweeper, he who had rlsked his own lite for her - Milly's very temples throbbed with tumultuous thoughts. "Oh, Milly, speak!" cried the boy in agony. "Why couldn't 1 die for you?" "1 aui glad," murmured Milly's lips tremulonsly. "But I'm not. Oh, U's cruel of you to be glad when I'm so sorry ! Oh, I bate, bate, bate myself, that I couldn't save you. If I had only been stronger." "Hush, hush," said the doctor and the nurae. "Hush ! " seemed to say an Invisible presence. The young girl's head had fallen back upon the pillo ws; the pain was passing out of her face. She turned yet more toward her little friend. "Oh, Jim," she gasped, 'Mear Jim" - and then more faintly still: '"The flowers -the llowers - think, Jim, in heaven the flowera never die ! '' They let the little ragged boy fling himself upon her now. Nothing could hnrt her now, any more than it could ire her or bring ber back to thought and speech and love. Nor could anythinjr alter or mar the tender radiance of the dcad girl's face.