Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-11-09

| away. she learned That SecreI-al-
| though her life was not sorrowful
one in any sense, for she was happily
married and in prosperous clrcum-
stances SO many have learned.
when disappointment had crushed
their lives and made the world a
dreary desert and life a weary wait
! ing spell-that mlnistration to the
happiness of others is balm to the
spirit that is broken, a light to that
life which would otherwise be en-,
shrouded in darkness.
God bless you, Mrs. Garland,
said man to her on the street one
day, touching his hat with a reverent
politeness, your kind help to us and
your sending DR.. Wells 10 us have
saved me my arm if not my life.
May God bless you"
"Are you quite well now2"
eyes, ma'am," replied the man,
"my arm has so far healed that | can
work, and, through your kind words
for me, my employer has given me
wsrk which lets me favor my arm
till it gets its strength back. hope
[ can reward you some time.
Il am already rewarded for my lit
tie help by seeing you prosper"
She passed on and visited family
whose misfortunes had enlisted her
sympathies in another part of the city.
She found the woman-an Invalid
whose cares and poverty left her nc
time to care for herself or hardly
to lie down and TRANQUILITY die
in an unusually detected mood. Mrs.
Garland gently drew from the poor
woman the cause of her depression.
I'VE had a call TODAY from the new
benevolent committee, said the In
valid, "and l hope aud pray they
never'll come again"
Il am afraid you were tired, and
being strangers, their visit was shock
to your nerves." suggested Mrs. Gar
land.
II never asked them to come, nor
made complaint to them. They came
and they discouraged me almost to
death. They had on their silks and
their satins, but didn't mind that SO
much, for all it made my faded, old
clothing seem older and dingier; but
they asked me such an awful lot OF
questions, about how | lived, how l
was brought us, about my parents
and family, and what not. | thought
l should fly. Then they found fault
with my housekeeping; said they
were afraid | did not battle enough,
nor take exercise in the open air. |
almost wanted to scream. They said
that [ had the hdrredity
and that needed some high
jean and some sdnniterry, just
as though / could buy any
high-priced medicine that anybody
recommended. They said our case
should be considered, and if they found
it necessitous and no others We're
more so, they presumed some favora-
bic action might be taken. | do be-
lieve I'd choke trying to swallow a
thing they gave me-" To cheer the
poor creature up and remove the harsh
| impression made by these incOnslder-
ate ladies, who had Haunted their af-
tIuence in her face, and crushed the
spirit in her, was, the work Mrs. Gar
land set herself about, and soon had
effaced much of the i'll effects of that
unfortunate visit.
In due time, according to is con
stitutIon and bylaws of the Society
for the Amelioration of Distress, re-
sulting from Iuharmonious Hygienic
and Pecuniary Conditions, held It's
stated meeting at the Hotel, parlor
No. 8. They were all there. The
committees reported progress. There
was a report from a majority of the
committee on the inquiry into the
causes of indigence, which in very
learned words, with many polysyllab-
ic adiectives, advanced a theory in
regard to the cause of Indulgence. A
minority report stoutly controversial
these views and urged others with
equal force and great consumption of
the available words i'll the English
language. These were discussed with
some asperity. The cooperative spirit
of the Society seemed TO be out of
repair.
The report Of the treasurer showed a
liberal response to the call OF the so
ciety. But, alas, expenses had been
heavy. What with printing Mrs.
Petrilina Flint's paper on the 'Rela-
ton between Developed individuality
and Benevolent Effort, y for gratuitous
distribution, and with furnishing the
society a mass of letter-head station
cry, giving the names of the society
and all its officers and committees
what with buying record books for
the treasurer and secretary, and offi-
cial cards for the officers; what with
cab hire for the committees, the be
nevolent fund had dwindled to far
more than half its goodly proportions.
But there was something left, and
in due order of business the question
came up on the report of the commit
tee on distribution; where should it be
bestowed2 Mrs. Petrifina Flint sug-
gested that part of it be set aside as
fund for contingent expenses.
The report of the com
mittee mentioned a great
many cases, and attempted to
graduate their degrees of necessity
upon scale of averages so intricate
and incomprehensible that the listen
ing to its perusal threw the society
into a state of hopeless bewilderment.
But when a small appropriation from
the fund was moved for the help of
TINS ana ltlaI case vi NllSlEcSS, IL NdS
stoutly opposed by some of the lead
ing minds of the movement. Mrs.
Petretina Flint declared that its be-
stowal upon certain of the cases would
directly coutravene the views put
forth in several of her papers. In
short, she regarded the dissent
nation of correct theories and
a comprchensiOn of the great
issue of this nineteenth century as
far more likely to ameliorate human
distress than any mere temporary re-
lief of individual cases. Other views
were advanced by other members,
and some had heard some vague scan
sal in regard to this or that needy one
reported as necessiteus, so that the
longer the matter was discussed the
more hopeless became the chance Of
agreement. Finally, it was moved to
refer the report of the committee on
distribution back to that committee
with instructions that they make in
vestioation in respect to certain points
bearing ON the different theories which
prevailed in the society The meeting
thereupon adjourned. The members
babe each other adieu in tones and
manner of such freezing politeness
that any one could see there was
henceforth to be an irrepressibie con-
flict of theories.
P,4 DC MrS Garland Stpnned lnto