JULY 81 
MOOSE’S SURAL NEW-YORKER. 
WINNETUXET. 
BY D. W. C. PACKARD. 
FAIR stream, my foot beside thy shore 
Is all a stranger’s, yet I trace 
The rippling wave 1 loved before, 
In other climes, in happier times. 
Ere life had lost its pristine grace. 
I see thee in the morning beam. 
As fresh as that my boyhood knew,— 
And back returns each glowing dream, 
My pulse to thrill, my heart to fill, 
And swell my eyes with rapturous dew. 
Soon, gentle stream, and L shall tread 
Thy marge no more, but others here. 
Like me shall muse on pleasures Bod,— 
Like me depart, with softened heart, 
And leave with thee one pensive tear. 
<Suv $iortj-$i;ll^r. 
KITTY’S MISSION. 
BY MRS. M. D. BRINE. 
They were ail talking about the “ Floral Mis¬ 
sion"— Kitty’s mamma and grown-up sisters, 
and even the visitors who called each day. 
Everybody was discussing the beautiful charity 
which, continued from the previous summer, 
was carried on so eagerly by kind-hearted la¬ 
dles who thus brightened with their flora) gifts 
-ii many wretched attic homes, and gladdened 
so great a number of weary, heavy hearts. Kit¬ 
ty listened oaedi day to the discussion and com¬ 
prehended with all the Intelligence of her six 
uminors the good being done daily by these 
charitable hearts, and at last, formed a secret 
plan to start on her own hook, as the saying is, 
a little “ f'ower mission" of her own. She dared 
not confide in her sisters, for they wouid remind 
her that she had been positively forbidden to 
meddle with mamma's flowers. And Bridget, 
kind-hearted old soul though she was, would 
have betrayed her plan through fear“Av the 
mistliress, do yees inolnd?” So the little girl 
was obliged to stifle her small conscience and 
keep her own counsel. 
For some days she found uo cbauco to begin 
her charitable operation, for Sister ISABEL was 
not very well and remained at home when the 
rest of the family were out among the hospitals, 
factories and such institutions as crammed 
daily within their walls tho more unfortunate 
classes of humanity. Kitty did wish with all 
her little heart that Isabel would get well, and 
balf suspected It wan a plat) of her sister’s to 
spoil her "f'ower iiiissln." But Isabel had no 
thought of or for anybody except a certain 
somebody with whom she had disagreed a few 
weeks ago, and a» a regular “ lover’s quarrel" 
had been the consequence, it was more than 
likely that her sickness was more of the heart 
than body. But iride came to her aid again, 
and after a few days of weakness, during which 
Ki ity discovered her one evening crying over 
and kissing a photograph of the absent young 
gentleman, the young lady held up her head as 
proudly ub usual aud renewed her flower mis¬ 
sion duties as actively as ever. 
It happened one bright morning Kitty 
stole, unobserved by Briduet, iuto mam¬ 
ma’s garden aiul stood hesitatingly among 
the flowers so carefully cultivated and 
"trained tbe way they should go.” She 
anally ventured to pick one rose which 
blushed for shame at Kitty’s disobedi¬ 
ence and made itsolf look bo beautiful 
that sly Kitty was delighted with her mis¬ 
sion business. A few leaves, and some 
bright yellow dandelions growing in the 
grass-plot, were next added, and our little / 
girl stole iuto the house aud up to the par- I 
lor window to watch for a beggar boy or 
girl to whom she might offer her bouquet ^ 
and hear him or her3ay in return, “Thank 
you, miss l" | 
The chance came, presently, for a pale, 
peaked little boy with his basket entered 
the area gate only to be scared away by 
gruff tones from Bridget, which said 5 
there waB " sorra a bit fur him." Then 
Kitty went to tho door and sharply called, 
“ Little boy, does you want some Towers ?" 
The sweet voice attracted tbe weary boy, 
and he reached his hand through the rail- ij] 
iugfur Kitty’s gift. Such a sweet smile 
brightened bis face and " Thank you, little 
miss!" he said. Kitty straightened up 
aud repeated the words softly to herself. 
Nobody had ever before called her “Miss,” 
and she thought it was beautiful to be so j 
addressed. 
The neighbors opposite wondered to see s 
so many beggars turn from Mrs. Grey’s 
door with knots of flowers in their hands 
during that morning, but supposed Brid¬ 
get to be the generous donor, and resolved 
to Inform Mrs. Grey of the extraordinary 
proceedings. Meanwhile, Kitty had trot- % 
ted out so often among the flow r ers, pick¬ 
ing her little gifts for the beggars, that at 
last .-he ceased to have any compunctions 
legarding disobedience of mamma’s com¬ 
mands, and formed another plan to be put 
ntu execution the next day If possible. 
hen the next morning came and Kitty 
had been kissed aud left In care of Bmd- 
gkt, with injunctions to be a "good girl,' 
the child slipped out among her flowers 
and with eager little Ungers gathered as many 
roses and fragrant blossoms as she dared, and 
filled up with leaves and dandelions as usual. 
These she placed In her little wheelbarrow, tied 
her shade hat over the golden curls and crept 
noiselessly from the house into the street. To 
be sure she had never been allowed to go out 
alone, but what of that! This was a "f’ower 
missin,” and she was out on business. So on 
she went, trundling her wheelbarrow and f ry¬ 
ing to find a beggar to give her treasures to. 
The neighbors seeing the little figure, smiled 
and thought Mrs. GREY’S Kitty was enjoying 
unusual independence for once, and then forgot 
her as she went her way. 
At last, after many blocks had been passed, 
the little girl turned into a miserable street 
which seemed full of tumlile-down buildings 
and shops with their windows lilled with bot¬ 
tles and signs hanging outside where were 
painted pictures of mugs foaming with drink 
of soma kind, Kitty didn’t know what. Tho 
odors of most disagreeable kitidB caused Kit¬ 
ty’s aristocratic little nose to make more of a 
pug of itself than was already natural, and a 
little regret entered her heart that poor people 
didn't live in handsome streets like her mam¬ 
ma’s street. Mere some rude children crowded 
about her and asked for flowers which the child 
was afraid to refuse or to yield either. But they 
Boon left her in peace and she went on, think¬ 
ing the 11 f'ower missin" was not very nice work 
after all. 
By-and-by she saw a man all rags and tatters 
going slowly up the steps of a “ bottle house,’’ 
as she called the miserable grog-shops around. 
His face was red and his eyes watery, and he 
clutched the wooden railing as if to hold him¬ 
self up, This was really and truly a poor per¬ 
son, thought Kitty, and she called out Quickly, 
"Man! man! does you want some Towers? 1 
got some to give you for nossin'." The man 
turned. "Hollo! little ’un!" he said, "you 
don't belong in these parts, I reckon !’’ Then 
approaching her he glanced into the little bar- 
row from whence most of the flowers had dis¬ 
appeared. Kitty said shyly," I'm a f’ower rnls- 
alner," and she handed him a knot of roses and 
dandelions. He leaned beside a lamp-post arid 
gazed at her gift in silence. The roses he smelled 
carelessly, but the dandelions!—ah ! In n mo¬ 
ment his thoughts went back over long-gone 
years and something seomed to choke him, for 
he pressed the yellow flowers close to his face 
and asked for more, which the child gave him, 
half frightened at bis looks. Kilo wished she 
had practiced hei charity at home instead of 
abroad, after all, for her little feet began to 
ache, and the tender cheeks were flushed and 
burned with the sun. tk> when the man laid 
his rough hand on her head, 3he grow more than 
over alarmed and trudged on with her barrow 
aa fast as the tired feet would dhrry her, while 
the man turned from the grog-shop to a low, 
wooden building near by. 
"O ! Jim, you didn’t go to tiic shop after all!" 
exclaimed a pale-faced woman, meeting him at 
the door. " 0! if you know how clad r am, 
Jim, dear!’’ 
The man threw himself Into a chair aud cov¬ 
ered his face with his hands. “ It’s all the young 
un’s do'.n's, Betty," he said, Anally. “ I could¬ 
n't go in there with the dandelions speaking of 
the old mother and the old home that I ain't 
seen for many a year. I don’t know, wife, but 
somehow that little gal, bless her, came like an 
angel afore my face andgiv me these yer things 
as seomed like a wall at ween the grog-shop and 
me, and I couldn't do the thing I started to do 
—at least, not Just yet." 
Bid God know tbe umpoben gratitude In that 
poor wife’s heart as site lifted Iter eyes to the 
blue patch of sky visible between the crowded 
row of house* and wiped the tears from her 
cheeks? Ah! so much good had Kitty’s little 
mission already accomplished I 
But the day wore on, and Bridget meanwhile 
had missed her little charge. All over the itouso 
had the girl flown frantically, and at last stood 
on the doorstep wringing her haods and ques¬ 
tioning the neighbors’ children as to Kitty’s 
whereabouts, when Mrs. Grey and her daugh¬ 
ters returned. Thou what a time Micro was; 
So still the large house seomed with no little 
feet to run hither and thither in the way of 
everybody—no baby voice to ask impatiently, 
“ Mamma, say, mamma! did you b'lng me some¬ 
thing?" Only Bridget’s tear-swo!len face to 
meet the mother and sislers, and a group of 
frightened children on the sidewalk repeating 
to ouch other, “Kitty Grey's lost; isn’t It 
dreadful!” 
Thou from one kind neighbor the mother was 
told that Kitty had been seen with her wheel¬ 
barrow going towards tbe corner, and while 
Mrs. Guey’s tears flowed freely, Bridget was 
sent to the nearest station house to give infor¬ 
mation to the police. 
And now what of the missing child? After 
leaving tho strange man who took ail her dan¬ 
delions, Kitty walked rapidly on, now rolling 
her barrow, now dragging It arter her. She 
couldn’t find her way homo, and tbe streets 
looked more and more strange as she proceed¬ 
ed. To crown ail a crowd of boys seized her 
little wheelbarrow and pulled If away from her 
tiny hand and, regardless of her crying, ran off 
with the toy. “O, dear!" sighed Kitty ; " I do 
wish 1 hadn’t been a f’ower mlssincr! I do wish 
I had staid at home and p’ayed with my new 
dolly! I do wish mamma didn't have some 
f’owera at ail, or else I wish there wasn’t a little 
Kitty G’ey !" It was getting late in the after¬ 
noon ; the child was hungry and tired almost 
beyond her small powers of endurance. Twice 
she tried to cross a street, and twice she was 
seized roughly by a passer-by and dragged back 
to the sidewalk again, with the advice to " (Jo 
home; kcop out of the street," which advice 
poor Kitty would gladly have followed had 
anybody told her how to do so. But she was 
too frightened to apeak and only trembled like 
a little loaf, shoved bero and there In the crowd, 
mid only wishing her papa would come out of 
hia store and take her homo. 
When live o’clock came our little girl was on 
Br< a/l vay, and a pltlab'e little spectacle, with 
her Imt jammed out of shape and her pretty 
dress toru beyond repair. Tired nature gave 
out at last, and with one loud cry of " Mamma! 
I want my mamma!" Kitty fell against a gen¬ 
tleman who turned with others to see what the 
trouble was. She didn't faint—children never 
do that easily,—but her little arms clung to tbe 
genflornau tightly and her blue eyes, swollen 
with crying though they were, were not too dim 
to recognize him aa her sister’s friend and the 
original of the likeness Isabel had kissed. 
“ O ! Mr. Frank !” sho sobbed, “ you know 
where my house is; take me home. I’m tired 
■n Wm. 
' L 
KITTY’S IvIISSXOlSr. 
of bein' a f’ower mlasin, and I ain't got any 
wheelbarrow any moro ; oh, dear 1" 
Instantly the younggentleman comprehended 
the matter aud knew fro ,i Kitty's appearance 
that sho must have boon wandering the streets 
a long time. Calling a policeman he was about 
to give the child Iuto the latter’s charge w.th 
directions where to take her, (hia own heart 
longing the while that, he himself might go to 
ISahel'S home, yet under tho unfortunate cir ¬ 
cumstances once alluded to, not daring to in¬ 
trude,) when K itty drew back from the police¬ 
man with a cry of alarm and clung to Frank 
Osgood. 
“ You take me home yourself," sho plead with 
twining arms and sobbing voice. 
" I can’t, darling!” whispered Frank. " Your 
mother wouldn’t like to see me to-day," th nk- 
ing thus to reason more bucc.ssfully with Kit¬ 
ty ; hut she persisted and said lot. dly, “ Mam¬ 
ma would say, • Thank you, mister!’ and sister 
Isabel would bo glad, ’cause 1 3aw her kissing 
your-" 
" O, Kitty, do hush, dear!" exclaimed Frank 
in a low, hasty tone, wishing tho earth could 
swallow him from tbo crowd. Tho policeman 
winked and walked away. The crovrd smiled, 
and Frank ill self-defense, got conscious of a 
new joy in his heart, lifted the little lost puss 
in his arms ami strode towards her home. It 
was Isabel who met thorn at labi., as she stood 
anxiously upon tho front stoop watching for 
tidings of the missing one. And as her face 
bowed itself upon Kitty’s golden head and her 
arms enfolded the little ono tightly again, one 
3ina;i hand whs stretched out to meet, the eager 
hand which her lover extended. And thus did 
Kitty's Flower Mission accomplish moro than 
the child dreamed of, and restored to tuio louely 
hearts at least, the sunshine aud peace which 
lor days had boon hidden behind hoart-olouds 
and Imaginary grievances. 
it, is needless to add that henceforth Kitty 
has a garden of her own where roses aud dande¬ 
lions, buttercups and sunflowers are iier espec¬ 
ial delight and care. 
MORTGAGED. 
“Ah!” said Harry Graham, looking across 
the toa-table at his pretty wLfe, "say what they 
may, there is nothing on earth so pleasant as 
this having a home of one’s own!-" 
Mrs. (Jraham smiled fondly on her husband as 
she handed him bis cup of tea. 
“ I am so glad you reel likothat, Harry. I wii 
do ruy best to make It a happy homo for you.” 1 
" Y >u darling i You shall have a kiss for that 
sweet speech tho moment tea is over!" cried 
tho young husband, committing ravages among 
the " foiled” bread and butter, the dainty shav¬ 
ings of dried beef and cold ham and the deli¬ 
cate cake, which Id* Margaret had furnished 
for her tea-table on this first evening in their 
" very own house.” 
"Where did you get these delicious quince 
preserves, my dear?” 
“I made them, Harry.” 
" Possible ?” 
“ Yes, i made them in the last days at tho 
farm. Mother showed me bow.” 
"Then you shall ask her to come and see us 
in our little cottage before the proserves are ail 
eaten.’’ 
“She will be very glad to come,” said 
Margaret, with a delighted look. "She 
never 'iked our plan of boarding, Harry.” 
“ What else could wo do, my dear ?” ask¬ 
ed tbe young husband, in a slightly altered 
tone. " 1 was too poor to buy a house when 
we were first married. As wo could not 
well roost upon the trees like the birds 
when they begin life together, to board 
i\ was the only way possible. But I never 
gj liked it myself,” lie added, bis face clear¬ 
ing again. "It was a nuisance to lie con- 
gl lined to two rooms aH we were; and how 
Jj John Grey’s children did scream at night 
p on the opposite side of the ball. Besides, 
that untidy chambermaid never half 
cleaned our rooms. Now this is what I 
“r, like," he concluded, rising from the sup- 
\ per tabic and glancing proudly around the 
Z neat, bright parlor, with Its open Ore and 
easy chair drawn up beside the gTate; its 
crimson curtains and tabi3 covers and car- 
^ pets; Its tea-table, sparkling with china 
fe and silver, and its tall glass-doored book- 
-J case, stowed with volumes which he was 
J to read aloud, whllo his wife sewed, on 
f/j\ chilly, raiuy evenings such as this. 
ft Mrs. Graham rang the bell. A tidy young 
J servant maid came in and took away the 
|| tea things. When tho room was made 
H orderly for the evening a handsome dress¬ 
ing gown and a pair of embroidered slip- 
pers appeared, conjured from some mys¬ 
terious closet by the happy wife. 
"My first present to you in our home, 
Harry,” she said, with moistened eyes. 
And he drew her fondly toward him and 
gave her the promised kiss, with many 
another after it. Then, putting on the 
comfortable evening attire, he selected a 
book from the orowded shelves and sat 
down in the easy chair, while Margaret 
drew her little sewing stand neater the 
3 lire and prepared to enjoy with heart and 
soul the first quiet evening beneath their 
own roof. (Jut before the book was opened 
a shadow had fallen over the brightness of 
her joy. 
" Your mother would like to look in at. 
us now, my darling,” said Harry, glancing 
