Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-09-05
A NOBLE EXAMPLE.

Editor Monitor l last week made a
trip to Boston, and on my way back a
little incident occurred that l cannot
forbear giving your readers, with the
hope that it may influence others to do
likewise. Upon entering the cars at
Boston, was introduced by a gentle
man, who had ascertained that was
coming to Vermont, to his wife, who,
with two children, boy of seven and
girl of five years of age. were coming
to Albany, VT, to visit some relatives.
The gentleman evidently ranked with
the solid men of Boston. Upon con-
versing with the lady, I found her a
woman of superior intelligence and ed
ucation, speaking the French language
with apparent ease. I occupied a seat
directly back of hers, and directly oppo-
site US in the car was French family,
consisting of the parents and two chill
dren, one l should judge two and the
other three years old. They were we'll
dressed, but could speak no word of
English the youngest child was taken
violently i'll, vomiting repeatedly and
evidently suffering severely. What did
this lady of wealth and refinement do /;
tuck up her skirts and turn her head
away and take no notice of the poor lit
tie child? No! Instead of this she
brought forth from her travelling bag a
package of medicine, sent her little
boy to procure cup of water and pre-
pared dose, and herself administered
it to the suffering child. Then she
took from her amply filled lunch basket
portion of its contents and gave the
family, kind and Christian act. Among
full car of passengers she was the only
one who seemed to care whether the
child was sick or we'll. | don't know
but | entertain false idea, but it
seems to me there is growing tendency
in this country to classify our popula-
tion, Mrs. A. whose husband has $780,
900 invested in government bonds, when
she meets Mrs. B., who takes in wash
ing. is too much inclined to be looking
the other way, so she does not see her.
Of course, we cannot expect there will
be but one class of society, that all per-
sons are going to De on an equality /;
that is an impossibillty, for L do not
believe the saying that ''all persons are
born equal" but what might be, and
what | would like to see, would be those
who occupy the higher walks of life
ready at any and all times to extend a
helping hand to those in the lower sta
tions of society. Our lives are in a
great measure what we make them our
selves. our rewards and punishments are
meted out to US according to our acts of
good or evil, and the reward that noble
lady will receive for her kindness to
that poor family and to that little suf-
fering child, will be far greater then
that of the wealthy and aristocratic
Mrs. A., who takes her gold pencil and
puts her name to some public charity
because she knows it will be blazoned
forth in the community, and her salts
faction who administered the cup of
cold water will far exceed that of the
wealthy Mr.. c., who by taxing a poor
neighbor exorbitant interest increases
his own wealth and the poor mans pov.
erty. The incident of the sick child led
us to talk of the poor class of children
contained in our large cities. and l as
certained that the lady was interested
in the society for the prevention of cru
city to children, and had recently given
an entertainment in aid of the institu.
tion. She was the perfect picture Of
robust health as were her children,
showing that their physical as we'll as
mental training was attended to, and
although full of life and animal spirit
they were perfectly under the control Of
their mother. If this article should
chance to meet her eye while sojourn.
ing in Vermont. as l have published nc
names. she will excuse me for giving it
to the public, and hope it may be an
encouragement to her, however slight, to
continue her we'll doing. G. W. MIG.