Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1853-04-21

No, indeed, Mrs Johns. You never
spoke a truer word in your life, replied
Mrs Little, emphatically.
On the day following, after seeing the
poor widow. ministering to some of her
Immediate wants, and encouraging her to
expect more substantial relief, Mrs. Har-
ding called, as she had promised to do, on
Mrs Miller, A little to her surprise, that
lady received her with unusual coldness (;
and yet, plainly, with an effort to seem
friendly.
You have called about the poor widow
you spoke of yesterday 2 said Mrs. Mil
Ter.
Such is the object of my present visit
What is her name2'
Mrs Aitken.'
Where did you say she lived p
The residence was promptly given.
I've been thinking said Mrs Miller,
slightly coloring, and with some embar-
rassment, that | would call in and see
this poor woman myself
I wish you would, was the earnest re-
ply of Mrs. Harding 4 am sure, if you
do so, all your sympathies will be excited
IL her favor
As Mrs Harding said this. she arose.
and with manner that showed her to be
hurt, as well as mortified, bade Mrs Mil
Ter formal good morning, and retired
Her next call was upon Mrs Johns -
Much to her surprise, her reception here
was quite as cold in fact, so cold, that
she did not even refer to the object of her
visit, and Mrs Johns let her 90 away
without calling attention to it herself =
So affected was she by the singular, and
to her unaccountable change in the man
ner of these ladies, that Mrs Harding had
no heart to call upon two others, who had
promised to do something for the widow,
but went home disappointed. and suffering
from troubled and depressed state of
feeling
So far as worldly goods were concerned,
Mrs. Harding could not boast very large
possessions. She was herself a widow,
and her income, while it sufhced, with
economy, to supply the moderate wants of
her family, left her but little for luxuries,
the qualification of taste, or the pleasures
of benevolence. Quick to feel the wants
of the needy, no instance of destitution
came under her observation, that she did
not make some effort towards procuring
relief
What now was to be done2 She had
excited the sick woman's hopes-had
promised that her immediate wants, aud
those of her children, should be supplied.
From her own means, without great self
denial. this could not be effected True,
Mrs Miller, and Mrs Johns had both
promised to call upon the poor widow,
and. in person, administer relief But
Mrs. Harding did not place much reliance
on this for something in the manner of
both ladies impressed her with the idea,
that their promise merely covered a wish
to recede from their first benevolent inten-
tions
Something must be done said she, mu-
singly. And then she set herself earnest
ly to the work of devising ways and means.
Where there is will there is way. No
saying was ever true than this.
1t was, perhaps, week later, that Mrs.
Little called again upon Mrs. Miller.
what of Mrs. Harding's poor widow 2
said the former, after some ill-natured
gossip about mutual friend.
o, declare I've never thought of the
woman SINCE replied Mrs. Miller, in a
tone Of self lfcondemnation And | prom
ised Mrs. Harding that l would see her
| really blame myself
No great harm done, presume, said
Mrs Little.
i don't know that. I'm hardly prepar-
ed to think as meanly of Mrs. Harding as
you do. At any rate. I'm going this day
to redeem my promise.
What promise ?
The promise 1 made Mrs. Harding,
that | would see the woman she spoke of,
and relieve her, if IN need
You'll have all your trouble for moth
ing
NO matter, I'll clear my conscience,
and that Is something. Come, won't you
90 with me 2
Mrs. Little declined the invitation at
first but, strongly urged by Mrs. Miller,
she finally consented. So the two ladies
forthwith took their way towards the neigh
borhood in which Mrs Harding had said
the needy woman lived, They were with
been very minutely described by Mrs.
Harding, when they met Mrs. Johns.
'Ah said the latter with animation,
Just the person OF all others, most wish
ed to see. How could you, Mrs Miller,
so greatly wrong Mrs. Harding2
Me wrong her, Mrs Johns I don't
understand you And Mrs. Miller look
ed considerably astonished.
Mrs Little informed me, that you had
good reasons for believing all this story
about 8 poor widow. to be a mere subter-
fuge, got up to cover some doings of her
own, that Mrs. Harding was ashamed to
bring to the light
Mrs Little 2 There was profound as
constituent in the tones of Mrs. Miller
and her eyes had in them such an indig
nant light, as she fixed them upon her
companion, that the latter quailed under
her gaze.
Acting from this impression resumed
Mrs Johns, declined placing at her dis
posal the means of relief promised but
instead, told her that would myself see
the needy person for whom she asked aid
This have, until now, neglected to do
and this neglect or rather Indifference
might rather call it, has arisen from be