The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-04-15
NUMBER -.
Comforting the Cookies OF the
He4ft.

Sitting in a station the other day,
had little sermon preached to me in tbs
way l like; and I'll report it for your
benefit, because it taught one of the beau
| tiful lessons which ne all should learn,
and taught in such a natural, SIM
pie way, that no one could forget it,
1t was q bleak, snowy day the train
was late; the ladies' room dark aRi
smoky, and the dozen women, old and
yonng, who sat waiting impatiently, all
looked cross, low spirited, or stupid. I
felt all three; and thought, as looked
round, that my fellow beings were q very
unamiabie and uninteresting set.
just then, forlorn old woman, shak-
ing with palsy, came in with a basket of
little wares for sale, and went about
mutely offering them to the sitters- No
nobody bought anything, and the pSoe
old soul stood blinking at the door q mlu-
ute, as if reluctant to go out in the bitter
storm again. She turned presently, aud
poked about the room, as if trying to 6nd
something and then pale lady in BLACK
| who lay az If asleep, on a sofa, openei
her eyes, saw the old woman, and instant
ly asked, in kind tone, ''Have you loss
anything, ma'am r.
''No, dear. I'm looking for the hs~i-
in place, TO have warm fore / goes o,.t
again. My eyes is poor, and don't
seem TO find the furnace nowheree."
''Here it is - and the lady led her TO
the steam radiator, placed a chair, and
showed her how to warm her feet.
''Well, now ain's that nice p said
the old woman, spreading her ragged
mittens to dry. "Thanky, dear this IL
proper comfortable, amt it I'm most
froEo to-day bein' lame and wimbIy and
not sellin' much, makes me sort of DOWN.
| hearted"
The lady smiled, went to the counter
bought cup of tea and some sort oF
food, carried it herself to the old woman,
and said as respectfully and kindly as it
the poor soul had beer dressed in silk
and fur, Wont you have a cup Of hus
teaf It's very comforting such day -
| this"
''Sakes alive ] Do they give tea to this
depot I" cried the old lady. in a tone u
innocent surprise, that made smile GO
round the room, touching the glummest
u w
now, this is jest lovely" added the old
lady, slipping away with relish Thus
does warm the cookies of my heart"
While she refreshed herself, telling her
story meanwhile, the lady looked over the
poor little wares in the basket, bouel .
soap and pins, shoe-strings and tape, am
cheered the old soul by paying well for
them.
AS I watched her doing this, I thoughr
what sweet face she had though !
considered her rather plain before feIt
dreadfully ashamed of myself, that had
grimly shaken my head when the basket
was offered to me; and, as | saw a leuk
ofinterest, sympathy, and kindliness coma
into the dismal faces all round me, / did
wish had been the magician to call il
out. It was only a kind word and a
friendly act but somehow, it frightened
| that dingy room wonderfully. 1t chang
ed the faces of dozen women and +
think ii touched dozen hearts, for saw
many eyes follow the plain, pale lad ,
| with sudden respect and when the old
woman, with many thanks, got up to 60
several persons beckoned to her, and
| bought something, as 1t they wanted III
repair their first negligence.
Old beggar women are not romantic 4;
neither are cups of tea, boot-laciDgs, and
colored soap there were no gentlemen
present to be impressed by the lady's kind
act so, it wasn't done for effect, and NO
| possible reward could be received. for it,
except the ungrammantical thanks of 4
ragged old woman. But that simple lit
tle charity was as good as a sermon to
those who saw it; and think each trav-
eler went on her way, better for that half
hour in the dreary station. can testify
that one of them did and nothing but
the emptiness of her purse prevented hsr
from ''comforting the cookies of the
heart of every forlorn old woman shs
met for a week after. I. III. ALoorE
-Nerry's Museum.