The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-09-05
Two Women.

This true incident carries its own NOR
al for all women, poor as we'll as rich.
A widow was left with three children
to support, absolutely penniless, and with
no talent which she could turn to account
except fine voice, which had been care
| fully trained in elocution. Last summer
she visited one of the watering places, Civ
ing readings in the parlors OF the hotel. 1t
was left to the generosity of the guests to
| give as much or as little for the enter
tainment as they pleased. They chose to
give her little.
When the proceeds were handed to
Mrs. p, she found that she could not
even pay her expenses. AT the bottom
of the little heap of small change, how
ever, was folded paper that proved to
be check for one hundred dollars, Sign
ed by the daughter of wealthy gentle
man in New York.
Mrs. p, hestated a moment, and then
asked to be shown to the lady's room.
She found her to be avery Young, gay
girl.
81 must return you this money! she
said. "You gave it from excited feeling.
You may regret it tomorrow"
mo. have heard your history. Do
you think know no other use for money
than dress and jewelery!' said the child,
half-indignantly.
But, because she was almost child,
Mrs. p, WAS resolute. "Take it. If IN
six months-by Christmas-you have
not changed your mind, will accept it,
he said
The winter was hard one. Christmas
Day found the woman aud her children
nearly destitute. She had almost forgot
ten the impulsve young girl. But on
Christmas morning the check came.
Since then the widow had gone from
town to village, from city to city, with
her one poor little talent, striving to keep
her babies alive. If she could clear five
dollars by long journey and weeks
work, she was content.
At last came failure, want, hunger.
One day, few weeks ago, starvation
seemed imminent. There was but one
place to turn. She kuet and asked God
to send the children bread. An hour
later, the carrier left letter at the door,
and in it was second check from the
same giver.
God, we think, held the hearts of both
women that day in his hand.
SAVINGS BANKs.-The savings bank
system of the world is the subject OF an
interesting report by the Italian Bureau
of Statistics to the Statistical Congress at
Buda Pesth. The savings bank is mod
ern. The first institution of the kind was
opened at Berne, Switzerland, in 1857.
,tb ~ lodi
in Philadelphia in 1918. In 1872 there
were in Europe 5000 savings banks,
more than half of them in Great Britain,
and holding a quarter of the total depos-
its of 81 100000, 900. Three years later,
in the United States, there were less than
roo savings banks, with $S50,000,000 of
deposits. The United States has the
heaviest amount of savings deposits;
England follows, and Austria with Hun
gary comes next. Denmark has the
largest per capita average of savings
about S2S for each inhabitant. Tho
United States and Switzerland have seq
each; England, Germany and Austria
have $40 for every inhabitant; and Italy
IS. Holland puts little faith in savings
banks, and in Russia proper there were
III lo'e !ess IMAM 81 ooo,ooo ol savings
deposits. The only European institution
that is as large as the largest American
banks is the Vienna Bank, which has
SAC, 100000 of deposits. The deposits of
the Caisse dEpsrgne at Paris declined
from Sl4,000,000 in 1910 to SS,000,000 in
1875. The Berlin Bank-a monopoly
had at the close OF 1874 only $4,000, 900 of
deposits. In England and in France the
deposits are invested in Government Sc
curities, in other countries bonds and
mortgages are favorite investments; but
in Norway three quarters of the savings
deposits are in commercial paper.