The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-06-04

is laying up something better, think.
Last winter she sent her mother q warm
shawl and a pair of shoes, and to her
brother and sister money to buy new
school books, and the warm, loving
letters they send her do her more good
than twice the amount of money in the
bank would. This year she is laying
by number of useful and pretty things
for them, and if any misfortune should
happen to Jane they would only be too
glad to help her."
"Well, who do you suppose would
help you if you needed help?" said Mr..
Jarvis. for want of better question.
Mrs. Jarvis eyes sparkled angrily as
she answered.:
Nobody. If you should lose your
property to-day I should be beggar,
without claim on any one for help. You
have always held your purse-strings so
tightly that it has been hard enough to
ask for my own necessities, leaving
others out altogether. Many time 3
dollar or two would have enabled me to
do some poor man or woman untold
good, but although you have always
said that all your property was mine l
never could and cannot now command
q dollar of it,
Lucky you couldn't, if you wanted
to spend it on beggars."
"Donald. you know that I would
spend money as wisely as you do. Who
was it that, only last week, gave poor
lame beggar five dollars to pay his fare
to Burton, and then saw him throw his
crutches aside and make for the near
est saloon? Your wife could not do
worse, if trusted with a few dollars.
You say that the money is all mine, yet
you spend it as you please, while can
not spend dollar without asking you
for it, and telling you what 1 want it
for. Any beggar can get it in the same
way! Christmas you bought presents
for us and expected us to be very CRATE
full for them. A shawl for me of the
very color I cannot wear, a set of furs
for Lucy that she did not need, a drum
for Robin that has been a nuisance ever
since, and lot of worthless toys that
were all broken up in a week. There
was forty or fifty dollars of my money
just the same as thrown away, yet
when 1 ask you to trust me with two
dollars q week you cannot imagine
what use have for it and fear it will be
wasted. / am sure I could not spend
fifty dollars more foolishly if l tried to-"
"Well," snapped the proprietor, +" l
guess it is my own money, and l can
spend it as I please. I guess you'll
know it, too, when you get another
present."
"Oh, it is your money then. under
stood you to say it was all mine, and
intended to protest against your spend
ing it so foolishly. II it is your own, of
course, you have right to spend it as
you please, but it seems to me that
woman who left parents and brothers
and sisters, and all her friends, to make
a home for you among strangers, a
woman who has given her whole life to
you for the past fifteen years, might be
looked upon with as much favor as you
give to beggars, who are very likely to
be imposters. know that you seldom
turn them off without help. Perhaps l
would be more successful if appealed
to you as beggar. l might say, Kind
sir, please allow to me out of your
abundant means small pittance for
my comfort. 1t is true I have enough
to eat, and do not suffer for clothing,
but, although l work for my master
from morning till night, and, if his chill
dren happen to be sick, from night until
morning again. yet he does not pay me
as much as he does hts cook, and I am
often greatly distressed for want of a
trifling sum which he would not mind
giving to aperfect stranger! The other
day while he was from home, had to
go to the next station to see a dear
friend who was ill, and not having a
dollar of my own I was obliged to bor-
row the money from his cook. was
so mortified! And not long since the
berry-woman came with such nice ber-
ries to sell, and my little girl. who was
not well, wanted some very badly, but
l had not even five cents to pay for a
handful for her. Yesterday a friend
came to ask me to assist in work of
charity. 1t was worthy object and I
longed so much to give her a little
money for SO good a purpose. but
though the wife of q rich man had no
money. Of course might ask my hus-
band for money, and if told him all
about what wanted with it, and be
approved Of my purpose, and was in a
good humor, he would give it to me;
but, sir, it is terribly slavish to have to
do so, even if could run to him every
time wanted anything. People say 1
am fortunate woman because my
husband is rich. but I often envy the
factory girls their ability to earn and
spend their own money. And sometimes
l get so wild thinking about my helpless
ness that if it was not for my children l
think 1 should just drop into the river
and end it ALL"
'.Nettie! Nettie Jarvis! What are
you saying?' cried the startled hus-
band st last, for the far away look in