A Garden of Roses.
3y Harry How.
9T was a scttled thing in the minds ot the Bracebridee that old Hollo-
wav was tall alone in the world.” Nonce came to visit him, and during the two
lived at Bracebridge he had Never been absent from home for a day. His declining years—for he was well past The sixticse—denied him reercation, though on wet days he would occasionally put his mackintosh over his shoulders and perch himself beside the pool—for which Brace- bridge was famous—and patiently watch {he Roat for hours at a time. It is probable, however, that had 1t been sunshine every day of the year the fish would have been minus one enemy. Forthesunshine brought the children out to play, the sunshime al- lowed him to walk in the paths of his garden and watch the growth of his roses. Onwet days he had neither children nor flowers, =0 he went to the fish for consolation.
years he had
villagers of
I WOULD WATCH TUHE FLOAT FoR HO['RS.“
Old Holloway had two sources of happi- His tiny cottage was known as v Rose Glen.” 1 vou ever went to Brace- bridege you would never dream of going away without looking over the wicket gate and inhaling the sweet perfume of the old man's roses. They lined the gravel pathway, for all the world like floral sentries, as their owner passed between them to the porch. Rose-treeswere every- where, and every single blossom was as faniliar to him as the scals on his watch chain, and he patiently followed the pro- oress of cach petal and the unfolding of cvery bud with as much pride and care as e would that of the growth of his own child. Yes, the flowers brought old Hol- loway happiness.
But he loved the children more. He once said that, when their tiny faces were Jook- ing up at him and smiling, they, too, were Howers. Every child in Bracebridge knew old Holloway. They called him orand-
father. You never v met him in the lanes withoul a child hanging to his hand or his coat-tails. \Why, the dear old fel- low would make a point of passing by the school just when the chil- dren were coming out. T'hen he would let them play on the grass of his garden. l.et them 70 Nay, he would play with them, and his laughter seemed as free as theirs, his shouts of merriment as joyously mno- cent. Then when the sun began to
1SS,
cdoe the hlls ‘ with ecold and