Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-12-21

be complete realization of my high
and difficult ideal. And yet when was
with her, listening to her eloquent
speech, entranccd by her exquisite
music, following the movements of her
fine slight form, with it's elegant
made garments, it's dainty boots on
dainty feet, it's slim white hands engaged
in clever lacework OF embroidery, it
seemed impossible to connect her with
the hard coarse lives amongst whom my
time was, for the most part, passed.
And yet 1 owned to a great longing that
it might be otherwise. II only she
could be made to sympathize with all
this suffering and make some effort to
relieve it Miss Roland, as a clever &C
complished woman of the world, was in
comparable, but ] longed that she might
be something more. But it seemed
hopeless thing and I sighed and relin-
pushed the dream.
On the day on which I met Miss
Roland on the mountain road, / went to
the cabin of Mrs. Higgs, q wretchedly
poor woman with large family of half
starved children. Her baby was very i'll
and SO ignorant and inefficient was the
mother that, In spite of my best en-
deavor, [ feared the child would die for
lack of proper care. [ had given the
woman money to buy what was needed,
but she had as little idea how to expend
it as myself, and [ saw it had done no
good. To-day, when / entered the hut
expecting to see my poor little patient
tossing as usual on hard, untidy bed,
what was my surprise and delight to find
her lying on a large white pillow,
covered with soft, warm spread, and
clad in the garment-at once light and
warm-wbich I had sodesired to see her
have. / went to the bedside and lightly
TOUCHED the little wrist. The fever had
abatel and the quiet sleep argued we'll
By the bedside on the rickety table, over
which a snowy napkin had been spread,
was a dish of carefully prepared and
nourishing food, pitcher of rich milk,
small bottle of wine and, stuck in a
little cracked mug, some bright, house
grown flowers. TWAS wonderful. Some
refined and loving presence had been
here, and the poor child's squalid sur
roundings had suddenly been trans
formed. / bent over and looked in the
little face, and for the first time I saw
thatit was refined and even pretty. There
was fair transparency about the skin
which [ had not observed before, and
which prompted the conclusion that
had not before seen it perfectly clean.
"Who has been here -? Who did this ?"
[ asked.
"Miss Carter, of course" the mother
replied. "The fine ladies in Redmere
think themselves too grand to come into
our houses-all but her, God bless
her |"
A keen pang of disappointment smote
my heart, and | sighed involuntarily.
1t was ever Miss Garter and not Miss
Roland who came as ministering angel
to these suffering souls. How hungrily
[ craved this blessing of the poor widow
for her-for Miss Rolnnd-the woman
who, in spite of all, L felt myself grow
ing to love.
elias Miss Garter been here to-day"
[ asked, regretting that once again I had
missed her. 1t had happened again and
again.
"Yes, and she said she would come
tomorrow
"Well, L will meet her here at the
same time," said. elf she comes be-
fore me, ask her to wait. L want to see
her about some of my patients whom
she goes to see. Tell her / said so."
The next day, although / went In full
time, Miss Carter had been and gone,
leaving a message with Mrs. Higgs to
the effect that was to write any instruc-
tions I had to give, as she had not time
to wait. She had lett fresh traces of her
presence both here and at some Of the
other houses [ visited. There were some
clean white clothes, more wholesome
food and more flowers
Baffied again. My first impulse was
to get Mrs. Higgs to direct me to Miss
Carter's house and pay her visit, but
L reflected that course would bring us
into social contact, the after demands of
which might be irksome to me. and al
together / preferred to know her first
simply as fellow-worker among the
poor of the Redmere neighborhood
All the rest of that day the idea of
Miss Carter haunted me. was possessed
as by a spell. To shake it off [ resolved
to call upon Miss Roland.
When she came In to receive me, she
explained that her sister was indisposed,
and as the children had retired, [ spent
the evening in undisturbed tete-a-tete
with her. At my request she played for
me-such tender, beautiful, ennobling
music that [ felt ashamed that I had
ever doubted the largeness and goodness
of her heart. / had certain theories
about music, and I did not believe she
could play just in that way without
being noble and GOOD
Accordingly, when she had risen from
the piano and resumed her seat beside
me on the sofa, forgetting to thank her
for her music, I plunged headlong into
a subject [ had always found it impossi-
BILE to breach with her before.
'tMiss Roland, / said, "do you know
anything of certain Miss Garter who is
doing a very good work among the poor
of this neighborhood ?"
Then I turned and looked at her. IF
I had looked sooner, I should not have
asked the question. I should have
avoided tho 11sao+ oo T hoI Jo,oo 1;4l,