Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-09
From the Sideb0ard TO the Sa
loon.

On Jl6 1raguGIto VI 'bIOAeH IIF6S
that lie all about Us! We may fee Sic
city, draw round Us the greenness of
trees and shrubbery, and settle down
in the home nest, amid baby cooings
and caresses of pure, dimpled hands,
but God will not suffer Us to grow
bard and selfabsorbed. Even the
home quiet does not defend US from a
glimpse now and then of TIE fierce
tragedy that is going on in tempted
hearts.
Friday, Feb. 20.-T am weary and
oppressed to-day. 4 afden is rolled
of my hands, but it lies heavy on my
heart. The problem is not solved; it
is merely given up. Some one must
90 on caring for the poor woman that
l have dropped. for her life will still
90 on somewhere. Two weeks ago I
did not know of her existence. Then
she came to do service in my nursery
"a widow, the mother of six children,
experienced, and capable Of any min
istration, from winning the baby S
heart to training the older ones in mu-
sic and German. No service was too
menial for her glad rendering; no
thoughtful kindness too slight for her
quick, unbidden performance, and the
stray moments were closely filed in
with the glancing of busy needles.
Ny heart warmed to a stranger in a
strange land. Only one month from
Denmark, few words Of intercourse
could we have. but the baby under
stood her perfectly, and such faithful
service needed no interpreter. So
with some broken English on her part,
and some utterly demorahzed German
on mine, with a mingling Of the
French which she could not speak,
and the Danish which I never heard-
but mainly by her expressive gesture,
language, we found the want Of COM
mon tonuge a trifing obstacle.
| was very happy in My Dane >
and though my confidence grew trem-
ulous when once the absence Of an
afternoon was prolonged to two days
''because of an i'll turn yet the doubt
melted before her honesty ard ready
kindness. 1t was evident that she had
been used to such Offices. Two SER
wants she had had in her own house
keeping, and her ',kleine trunk" was
stored with che SO embroideries of her
own handiwori, tuat spoke Of leisure
and taste, 10 her treasure box
showed Jewelfg and koapaukes and the
photographs Of noble-looking relatives.
Ills a sin to set that woman to wash
ing F.; she knows no more about it than
a baby" was the criticism from the
head Of that department, and further
services in that line were dispensed
with. We were becoming wonted to
each ether, when one day, she had an
unconscious spasm which startled me-
If she were subject to such fits chill
dren would not be safe in her arms
and so she must be given up. A less
difficult place was found her, but she
was loath to go, and the mute appeal
of her redoubled service touched and
almost shook me. She asked to stay
for little or nothing and when the
time for parting came, she fingered for
one and another little kindly Office.
Poor woman how she wept at the
goodbye, catching each Of my hands
in turn, and bowling over it with tears
and kisses, and a choking, smothered
cry. At length she passed out and,
standing in she kitchen with her face
to the wall, she sobbed and shuddered
as though a dread and horror were be-
fore her, a great struggle within.
Then she was gone.
That night [ was awakened from
troubled sleep by the dull, heavy thud
of fall On the floor overhead. It was
shat woman. She had returned late
az night, had been helped to her room
ard fallen there for my Dane was
intoxicated ! Limp and helpless, with
bruised, disfgured face, and meaning
less eyes, there she was. We made
her comfortable and locked her into a
room alone, then carried to God our
heavy hearts and the sore problem be-
fore us. Who had given her drink,
and who had closed their doors upon
her, or by what means she had been
guided back, we do not know Once
that evening she had blanched the
faces of group at the depot, as she
escaped from them and exposed herself
to peril from passing freight train.
Was this temptation and fall, then,
what she seemed to dread that morn
ing? Was it a fore-reaching fear of
herself and the demon within her that
made her cling to the place of safety,
and wrung her heart at her leaving :?
The next morning found her i'll,
with a raging thirst, and suffering
hard to witness. Once, almost frantic
with the gnawine pain, she rose,
dressed herself in her best, and was
slipping from the house, ''to find the
doctor" Promises, commands could
not stop her. Pushing by almost
fercely, she sprang away. We were
sure that it was drink that she wanted,
and with all possible haste [ followed.
She was nowhere in sight. [ took the
direction of the saloon-for spite of all
vigilance. even here the neither fires
Of perdition have one Of their breath
ing-holes. There was a glimpse of
her at last, hurrying on in the dis
tanca Wbara vould she lead MuSt