The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-02-25
.' 3. tFrom Merry s Museum for February.
comforting the Cookies Of the
So, Uearf.''

= : comforting the COckkeS Oh the
Sc. Heart"
Sitting in a station the other day, /
had little sermon preached to me in
the way / like; and I'll report il for
your benefit, because it taught one Of
the beautiful lessons which we all
should learn, and taught it in such a
natural, simple way, that no one
could forget it. 1t was bleak snowy
day; the train was late; the ladies'
room dark and smoky; and the doz-
en- women, old and young, who sat
waiting impatientlyyal looked cross,
low-spirited, or stupid. I felt all
three; and thought, as / looked round,
that my fsllow-beings were very
.unamiable and unihteresting set.
Just then, a forlorn old woman,
shaking with palsy, came in with
basket of little ware for sale, and
went about mutely offering them to
the sitters. Nobody bought any
thing, and the poor old soul stood
blinking at the door a minute, as if
reluctant to go out into the bitter
storm again. She turned presently,
and poked about the room, as if try
ing to find something; and then a
pale lady in black, who lay as if,
asleep, on sofa, opened her eyes,saw
the old woman, and instantly asked
in a kind tone, "HaVe you lost any
thing, ma'am?'
mo, dear. Tn a-looking for the
heatin place, to have warm fore I
goes out agin. Ny eyes is poor, and
. / don't seem to find the furnace no
| where's y 7r 'a--
"Here it ISL and the lady led
her to the steam radiator, placed a
chair, and showed her how to warm
her feet. u ei0 Ho
swell, now, amt that niee2" said
1.-THE old woman, spreading her ragged
mittens to dry. NThanky, dear, this
lis proper comfortable, amt it? Pm
most froze to-day, bein' lame and
twimbly; and not sellin' much, makes
, me sort of down-hearted. ..-.
The lady smiled, went to the com
ter, bought a cup of tea and some
1sort of food, carried it herself to the
old woman, and said, as respectfully
and kindly as if the poor soul had
been dressed in silk and fur, "Won't
you have a cup of hot tea? It's very
! comforting such dayas this"
"Sales alive! Do they give tea tC
/ this depot?" cried the old lady, in {
ltone of innocent surprise, that made
a smile go round the room, touching
the glummest face like q streak ot
sunshine. "Well, now, this is jes
lovely" added the old lady, slipping
away with arelish. E'This does warn
! the cookies of. my hoart."l
! While she refreshed herself, tell
ing her story meanwhile, the lady
looked over the poor little wares il
the basket, bought soap and pins
lshoe-strings and tape, and cheer
ed the old soul by paying well TO
them. as sla.g
As 1 watched her doing this,
thought what a sweet face she had
though I'd considered her rathe
plain before. 1 felt dreadful,
ASHAMED of myself, that L had griml,
shaken my head when the baske
was offered to me; and, as l saw
look of interest, sympathy, and kind
illness come into the dismal faces al
around me, did wish that l ha,
been the magician to call it out. 1
was only kind word and a friendly
act; but somehow, it frightened tha
dingy room wonderfully. 1t chang
ed the faces of a dozen women; and
think it touched a dozen hearts, for
saw many eyes follow the plain, palo
lady with sudden respect; and wheI
the old woman, with many thanks
got up to 60, several persons beekon
cd to her, and bought something a
ifthey wanted to repair their frs
negligence. H
Old beggar-women are not roman
tic; neither are cups Of tea, boOt-la
cings, and colored soap;-there were
no gentlemen presentto be impressed
by the lady's kind act; so, it wasn'
done for effect, and no possible re
ward could be received for it, excep
the ungrammatical thanks Of raggeC
iold woman. But that simple little
Icharity was as good as a sermon t.
those who saw it; and I think eact
traveller went on her way, better fol
that half-hour in the dreary station
! I can testify that one of them did; ant
nothing but the emptiness of bel
purse prevented her from "comfort
ing the coekles OF the heart" of every
iforlorn old woman she met for wecl
after. LOUISA NJ. ALCOTT.