Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-02-24
TRUE CHARITY.


Sitting in a station, the other day,
in the way I like; and I'll report it
for your benefit, because it taught
one of the beautiful lessons which
we should learn, and taught it in
such a natural, simple way, that no
one could forget it. 1t was a bleak,
snowy day; the ~ladies'room dark and
smoky; and the dozen women all
looked cross, low-spirited or stupid.
I felt all three; and thought, as /
looked around, that my fellow-beings
were a very unamiable and uninter-
esting set.
Just then a forlorn old woman,
shaking with palsy, came in with a
basket of little wares for sale, and
the Sitters. Nobody bought any
thing, and the poor old soul stood
blinking at the door a minute, as If
reluctant to go out in 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 #
asleep IN the sofa, opened her eyes,
saw the old woman, and instantly
asked in a kind tone, "Have you lost
anything, ma'am?"
mo, dear. I am looking for the
heatin' place, to have a warm fore
1 goes out again. My eyes is poor,
and L don't seem to find the furnace
nowheres."
"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, amt that nice ?" said
the old woman, spreading her rag
fged mittens to dry.
"Thanky, dear this is proper
comfortable, amt it? I'm most
frozen to-day, bein' lame and VIM
BILE /; and not sellin' much, makes me
sort of down-hearted."
The lady smiled, went to the
Ecounter, bought a cup of tea, and
the old woman, and said, as respect
fully and kindly as if the poor soul
hadsbeen dressed in silk and fur,
L"Won't you have a cup of hot tea?
It's very comforting such a day as
this"
"Sakes alive Do they give tea at
this depot ?'' cried the old lady, in a
tone of innocent surprise, that made
a smile go round the room, touching
the glummest face like stream OF
Sunshine. well, 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, tell
ing her story meanwhile, the lady
looked over the poor little ares in
the basket, bought soap and pins,
ishoestrings and tape,a cheered the
| old soul by paying well for them.
| As 1 watched her doing this, /
thought what a sweet face she had,
though I'd considered her plain be-
fore. I felt dreadfully ashamed of
myself tat I had grimly shaken my
head when the basket was offered to
me ; and, rs I saw a look of interest,
sympathy and kindness, come into
the dismal faces all round me, I did
wish / had been the magician to call
it out. It was only q kind word in a
friendly act but somehow it bright
ened that dingy room wonderfully.
1t changed the faces of q dozen wo-
men ; and I think touched a dozen
hearts, for I saw many eyes follow
tho plain, pale lady with sudden re-
spect; and when the woman with
many thanks, got up to GO, several
persons beckoned to her, and bought
Something, as if they wished to repair
their first negligence.
Old beggar-women are not roman
tic /; neither r cups of tea, beot-lac-
ings or colored soap; there was no
gentleman present to be impressed
by the lady's kind act; so it wasn't
done for effect, and no. possible re-
ward could be received for it except
the ungrammatic'lthanks of a ragged
old woman. But a simple little char
ity was as good as a sermon to those
who saw it ; and I think each trav-
eler went on her way better for the
half hour in the dreary station. /
can testify that one of them did ; and
nothing but the emptiness of her
purse prevented her from comfort
ing the cookies of the heart of every
forlorn old woman she met for a
week after.5fMiss Alcott.