The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-05-11

very words she closed with-s.I ac-
knowledge, with shame unspeakable,
the utter folly of such justification.
Can we do clean work with unclean
hands? Can we benefit virtue by the
same process which tears it DOWN. Can
we get grand result from despicable
ways and means? Oh, my sister wom-
en-, who are so ready to spend and be
spent for others good, let us leave to
men the maXims of worldly-wise policy
ana selfish comprising of good ends!
we who have had motherhood to teach
us that the little duties and the constant
spirit are of more Importance than
noisy deeds and occasional exploits
we should know better! | believe that
II is OF great moral moment to society
that each human being keep his or her
separate channels of influence pure and
noble all the time, than that any great
cause be aided. Better every benev-
client public enterprise be retarded in
its external growth for lack of money
I'LL our children take our places, than
that we defraud those children of a soul
inheritance of faithfulness to Justice
and honor in daily life.
"Gentlemen," she said, turning and
bowling to the executive committee
of men, as she handed her husband the
package of money Git was in lovely
silk case made myself -" gentlemen,
here is the fruit of our labors. That
unknown portion which would have
been ours to give if we had had no fair,
but gone about and begged, in quiet,
dignitied way from those able and will
ing to aid our worthy object, l present
you with pride, as the result of our hon
orable efforts. That other unknown,
and | fear much larger, portion which
we have Won through disobodience to
both physical and moral laws, | present
you with shame, as the result of our
dishOnorahle labors. pray YOU, gen
tlemen, to praise us no more! We are vet
your superiors if you can truthfully
commend US for acts which we our
selves despise."
Well, | tell you, never heard so still
a stiffness as there was in that hall
while that brave woman was speaking.
Even the boys, who had crowded in be-
cause we put the admission down low
for the last night, kept as quiet as could
be.
You may imagine there was sensa-
ton, though! Some of the women
were crying and some were just as an
cry with Mrs. Lesley as they could be.
Mrs. Gray had on her most naughty
and disguised look. / believe she
would have left the hall if it hadn't
been her own brothers. wife, and she
knew he would never forgive her if she
did.
But I'll tell you how felt about it.
| thought we were all real mean to sit
still and let our President take On her
own shoulders what she considered so
wrong, when she wasn't responsible for
it in the least, and had tried in every
way to prevent it.
And, if you will believe it, l, who
never made a speech in my life, and
could not if my life depended on it
just rushed forward in the dead, awful
pause that followed Mrs. Lesley's last
words, and didn't stop to say Ladies
and gentlemen" or "Mr. President"
or anything; but broke out just as if
l had been all alone in our parlor with
John and the canary bird, and said:
"rm not going to let our President
blame herself in public for what isn't
her fault. She has done everything she
could all the way along to make the rest
of us do right. | know she would have
resigned her Office when she saw how
things were going if it had not seemed
unkind to leave us to do what we had
planned for her share. | believe Just
as she does about the gambling part,
and don't know but do all the rest
But | was more anxious to make money
than to make it the most just and hon
est way. And that's the way with all
of us except Mrs. Lesley. Now we are
all through, am as much ashamed of
some things as she is. But nobody
need blame her for anything that has
gone wrongr'
You ought to have heard the cheer
ing as | sat down. l was frightened
almost into Mysteries after found out
that really had spoken in public.
John whispered: YOU'RE brave lit
tie cat!'
l didn't care to look at him, for |
was just as near crying as could be.
And | couldn't help thinking what a
spectacle l should make of myself, sob
bling on the platform till my eyes and
nose were red and swollen, and with
nothing but my best lace pocket hand
kerchief! l never could cry as the
heroines in novels do and look interest
ing all the while. My tears always
make me resemble u boiled lobster.
Well, the end of it all was, Mr.. Les
ley, whose place it was to respond, and
who hadn't known, it seems, what his
wife was going to say, couldn't get up
any kind of speech. He just said he
could not help agreeing with the Presi-
dent of the Ladies' Auxiliary in most
of her estimate of the influence of the
fair, but he hoped the ladies wouldn't
blame themselves toe severely for q
fault which they were led into by their
zeal for the cause, and which had been
so frankly confessed.
Then we had a kind of stiff breaking
up. Mrs. Gray left the very first one
she couldn't trust herself to speak tc
cher dear sister," 1 know. She will
be just as mad with me, too, suppose
but she'll come round again before
spring, IN sure. For, if am in what SHE
calls Every limited circumstances, ]
have some nice little garden parties il
summer that she doesn't like to miss.
Mrs. Lesley came up to me as | was
looking up my china dishes, and said