The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1869-04-15
Comforting the Cookies Of the
Heart.

Sitting in a station the other day, l
had a little sermon preached to me in the
way like; and I'll report it for your
benefit, because ii taught one of the beau
tiiul lessons which we all should learn,
and taught in such natural, sim
pie way, that no one could forget it.
Ii was a bleak, snowy day the train
was late; the ladies' room dark and
smoky, and the dozen women, old and
young, who sat waiting impatiently, all
looked cross, low spirited, or stupid. l
felt all three; and thought, as l looked
round, that my fellow beings were very
unamiab.e and uninteresting set.
just then, forlorn old woman, shak-
ing with palsy, came in with basket of
little wares for sale, and went about
mutely offering them to the sitters No
nobody bought anything, and the poor
old soul stood blinking at the door MIN
ute, as if reluctant to go out in the bitter
storm again. She turned presently. and
poked about the room, as if trying TO find
something and then a pale lady in black
who lay as if asleep, on a sofa, opened
her eyes, saw the old woman, and instant
Iy asked, in a kind tone, "Rave you lost
anything, ma'am ?"
mo, dear. I'm looking for the heat
in place, TO have warm fore goes out
again. My eyes is poor, and don't
seem to find the furnace nowheres."
''Here it is y and the lady led her to
the steam radiator, placed chair, and
snoweG her how to warm her IeeI.
''Well. now aim: that nice ?" said
the old woman, spreading her ragged
mittcns to dry. ''Thanky, dear this is
proper comfortable, amt it I'm most
frozc to-day bein' lame and wimbly 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 rs if
| the poor soul had beer dressed in silk
and fur, Wont you have a cup of hot
tea? It's very comforting such day as
this
''Sakes alive Do they give tea to this
depot p cried The old lady, in tone Of
innocent surprise, that made q smile go
round the room, touching the glummest
| face like n streak of sunshine. "Welt,
now, this is jest lovely" added the old
! lady, slipping away with a relish 'ThiS
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, bought
soap and pins, shoe strings and tape, and
cheered the old soul by paying well for
them.
AS I watched her doing this, thought
what sweet face she had though I'd
considered her rather plain before. felt
drradfuly ashamed of myself, that l had
grimly shaken my head when the basket
was offered TO me and, as | saw look
ofintcrest, sympathy. and kindliness come
! into the dismal faces all round me, | did
! wish | had been the magician TO call it
out 1t was only kind word and a
friendly act; but somehow, it frightened
that dingy room wonderfully. Ii chang
ed the faces of dozen women and l
! think it touched dozen hearts, for l saw
many eyes follow the plain, pale lady
with sudden respect and when Tie old
woman, with many thanks, got up to 60,
several persons beckoned 10 her, and
bought something, as if they wanted TO
| repair their first negligence.
Old beggar women are not romantic !;
neither are cups of tea, boot-lacings, and
/ colored soap there were no gentlemen
present TO be impressed by the lady's kind
act SO, ii wasn't done for effect, and IA
possible reward could be received for il,
except the ungrammantical thanks of a
ragged old woman. But that simple lit
tie charity was as good as sermon to
those who saw it !: and think each trav-
eler went on her way, better for that half
hour in the 6reary station. can testify
| that one of them did and nothing but
the emptiness of her purse prevented bel
from ''comforting the cookies of the
heart of every forlorn old woman she
/ mat for a week after T. NJ AIcOrT