The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-10-30
What She Found.

One suitry July afternoon, about f1vo
years ago, an accident occurred on q
crowded street of Philadelphia. A
wagon trying to pass basket phaeton
had wrenched the wheel off and broken
the shaft. The lady who was driving was
forced to take refuge in shop until
her carriage was repaired. She would
be obliged to wait three or perhaps four
hours She looked about with i'll con-
cealed disgust What ha induced her
to make the short CUT out of town
which brought her to such quarter?
Mrs. c. was refined, wealthy
woman, whose ruling taste for years
had been love of art, of the beautiful
or sublime in nature. If she had been
wrecked in one of the miserably poor
districts of the city she would not have
been so bored. There was always some
thing picturesque and interesting in
poverty and crime. But she was in the
neighborhood of the great wooden
mills, and mile after mile of little
dwellings and shops stretched out about
her-a wilderness of cheap groceries,
cheap ready-made clothing, cheap tin
ware. The streets were narrow as lanes,
the atmosphere hot and foul. The
room in which she sat was an eight
by ten drug shop; the smell of cop
peras and ipecac heavy in the air. The
apotheeary, a little, old, keen-eyed
man, watched her as he worked his
pestle.
''You do not find much to interest
you in this streetP" he said, after ar
hour bad passed.
II think never saw any place sc
drearily commonplace she said
"And the faces of the people who pas:
have but one meaning: Work fol
your bread"
The old man smiled quietly, grinding
away in silence.
"Take that woman who bought {
stamp Just now''-Mrs. C con
tinued, to relieve the monotony O
her wearlsome waiting 'middle-aged
neat to fault, and half-fed; suppos,
the history of her life is: Work for sil
days for money that will barely keel
her alive five?'
THAT'S about it! That is Ann'
Scott She makes women's skirts OF
the machine at dollar dozen. Sh,
has been engaged to be married for fif
teen years to John Furlong, tina
stopped -shouldered man on the othe
side of the street. y
"Why don't they marryP"
! 'It's Johns mother, ma am. Sh
had fever and it touched her brail
and she went quite mad. 1t takes al
John makes at the loom to keep her il
private asylum. There's some me-
that would have quietly put her in tn
almshouse. But Furlong'Il never de
sert his mother even to marry poo
Anne Scott. He's fond of her, toe
He waits at that corner half of hi
nooE-hour every day, just to see her G
by"
Fifteen years'' said Mrs. c.
under her breath.
s'You see, the old man continued
"Furlong's not skilled weaver. Hi
earnings are smaller than those of th
other men. He is shepherd by right:
herder from Scotland. But h
landed here without dollar. An
what could he do in that case? Ther
are no sheep in the streets of Philade
phia.
Mrs. c. rose quickly, and wer
to the door. The stopped, high feature
working-man and the prim little We
man who passed each other with sut
den tightening of the face, were NOR
interesting after all than any piece {
old Satsuma or Capo di Monti. Yt
what prices had she not paid for thes
She followed Anne home and spel
an hour in her solitary little room
Then she went to find John Furlon,
She was eager, enthusiastic. Nevt
had any chase for Capo di Monti
Europe been SO exciting as this Mr.
c. was a widow, the owner of
country seat, farm and many flock
She wanted a trusty shepherd and
: woman who could take charge of Il
) house in her absence.
John Furlong and his wife have bee
established in a pretty cottage on b.
: farm for four years. They have gaint
a home and happiness, but her gain
. greater. She has found higher us
for her life than artistic devotion to o
; china and brio a-brac. The heatht
maxim for life was know thyself
but the Christians is ''Know Il
brotherr' = Youths Companion.