The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-12-08
TRUR HEROISM.

TRUE HEROISM.
Once or twice In my lie have met with
heroines. viii tell you OF one now. lean
paint no beautiful vision. nor dover her with
charms OF intellect. When I first knew her
she was past thirty, small. brown, and void
OF grace and beauty. She had married at
sixteen bad no edueation-eould read and
that was all.
She had child after child until seven eum-
bered her dwelling but eladdened her hear.
She had borne and suffered much, but her
great heart was brave stTll. Her husband
gained. drank, and used her cruelty. Ere
quently he drove her out on the lonely hills.
and with her children covering about her,
she spent the night under the cold, unpItviug
stars, calling for aid on the heaven that was
far beyond her misery and praying for aid to
her mothers God. wondered then how she
trusted Him with such blindness, for L knew
no mothers piety-mine lay under the lilies
At length her poor husband committed a
crime for which he was arraigued before a
court Of Justice, and his two eldest children
were the principal witnesses Of his guilt She
knew their testimony would be against him
but her parting admonition was: "TeIl the
truth and nothing but the truth. II Is hard.
but it must be the truth, the whole truth. +"
He was convicted, but escaped from prison
some said by her contrivance.
Now began her struggle. Alone and IN
aided she looked want and desolation in the
face, and barred arm and heart for the strife.
She asked no favor but ''anY employment. Z"
The boys worked in any capacity. The cid
est girl se we'd with her mother, The Hsbt
dawned and at last shone steadily and her
children went regularly to school. Now she
learned to write her own name from her
fourth child, boy whom abe herself had
taught 70 read
They were the proudest family I ever
knew. They felt their own worthiness
and looked for no sights from superiors In
station. They had been taught TO associate
with the good and respectable, OF remain is
olated. Their sphere widened society er-
tended its hand, and At last a place was
granted them. Near this time the fugitive
husband returned and the two long parted
met again. She LED him as a stranger to her
bed room and retiring to her lonely chamb Der
spent the night in prayer. Like Jacob Of
old she struggled, like him she triumphed
Her sons and daughters. when grown to
nan and womsnhOod, held places OF trust
and honor, and when her last hour came the
soul passed to rest while a triumphant song
was issuing from her lips.
met heroine this morning. a very home
ly old creature, but one Of llfe's bravest sol
diers
stop the car, madam, please stop Il 80 Il
was woman's cry, as she ran after q street
car Of which ehsnced to be the only occu-
pant, and the cry was 50 pleading that rang
the bell at once, though she was a good dis
tance on The driver stopped his mule,
looked back, and seeing q woman freizhted
with a huge basket. prepared to drive on
Let her wait for the next car" be said care
lessly. PLEASE wait A minute OF two NAV
be great deal to her, pleaded. With a
smile he nodded assent. and in few seconds
she wasiat the door. She sat down and wiped
hes face with her coarse apron, thanking me
in broken English for my kindness. What q
trihinG kindness it was and yet how grateful
she seemed for It as she broke into an sxpla-
nation OF why she was so hurried.
She lived far out in the suburbs, owned
three cows, MIXED and sold the milk. She
worked . market garden, assisted by . son
OF fifteen. She had four other children, the
youngest i've years old. "And be was only
year old when lost my man." she added
seeing was an Interested listener. 81 have
bought halt . square Of ground, something is
still due on it, and want to pay . note this
morning.
"How early do you rise every morning ?,
asked.
"At four, ma'am. It's weary work. What
with digging and watering the garden, milk
ing the cows and odd Jobs of ashouse, nv
feet are often sore that can't sleep when
lie down, but the clothes TO buy and the
mouths to feed is a good spur to drive me,
she concluded, with laugh.
"Are none of them ableIto help?' asked.
"Oh yes, my girl helps. but she goes to
school you see"
"And who makes the clothes % asked.
al sew at night sometimes, and when sit
down to rest, but summer is here now and
we won't want so many clothes"
/ have given the synopsis of the story she
gave me in detail. There was heroism. and
here in this worn, uitbsred, homely woman
was a spirit beautiful in its power and
sublime in its patience. Not one word Of
complaint, no whining over destiny, no feel.
ing OF disappointment because her lot was
less fair, yet hVr language told that faIrer
would have been more priced a. it would
have been sweet.
oh, fair and gentle women of cuIet, happy.
love girdled homes, unused to toll. wearing
luxurious garments and jewels Of great val
ne. do you ever think how far kind word
OF sweet sInile will 90 toward Iowlier sis
ters? You sit beside them regarding them
as little as the weeds by the wayside, or per-
haps sneer thoughtlessIy il their homely gar
ments should happen to touch your own,
never knowing that the common clay beside
you holds soul IS pure aud leads life more
heroic in its struggle than yours can sYer be.
kind words atly spoken are like apples