The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-06-13
AN EASTER MEMORIAL
A Charity Which Grew Out OF
Great Tribulation.

Easter is a particularly impressive fes-
tival in one of the charitable institutions Of
a great Western city. Besides its religious
significance, the day has very joyful asso-
Citations for the founders of the establish
ment. From that center many blessings
radiate to the very poor-substantial gifts
as well as flowers, pictures and trifiing
articles of adornment, that give them
glimpses of the innocent pleasures of life,
and help to maintain something Of its
graces in the desolate homes.
This charity probably differs from every
other institution in the world. It is man
aged by two women, born to entirely diff
ferent stations of life, and it is the result Of
bitter humiliation and affection from which
each had suffered in her respective sphere.
This establishment has no speciality; it
Is a hospital, an orphan asylum, found
lings' home, a refuge for working girls out
of employment. anything that comforts
and uplifts the sick, the despairing, the err
ring. II any preference be shown it is for
those who, by some reverse of fortune,
have been degraded from a position in
which they had the means of enjoying the
comforts and luxuries of life. This strange
charity has a stranger history, dating back
some years to seemingly irrelevant events
congruous closely following wedding festiv-
tiles. 1t was with sense of bewilderment,
almost of injury, that Fred Vernon read
the telegram which recalled him from his
wedding tour to his uncle's funeral. There
was no bond of affection between him and
the dead man, only the tie of relationship
and common business interests.
The bride, enjoying the regal supremacy
that falls to the lot of most women but
once in a lifetime, was very unreasonable
in her objections to the proposed journey,
when it was decided that she could not
accompany her husband, and she quoted
some impracticable promises.
'sIt is only a week since you told me that
we would never again be separated for
more than a single day, and now you are
going to leave me in this dreadful western
city while you rush back to New York
alone. You must remember what you said
TO me in the carriage when we were driving
away from Trinity"
The recollection is too much for Gertrude
Tears fill her pretty brown eyes, sobs sup.
press her voice, but even this first outburs,
of grief Is powerless to induce the husband
to waver In a matter of duty, and the
bride at length yields reluctant consent
to the inevitable.
The return journey was a dreary con.
trast to the one that had so lately preceded
IT, For the first few hours it was devoid
of all interest to the traveller, who had moi
the gift of prophecy to foresee that the
events Of that day would determine his
destiny and that of hundreds of other PEG.
pie in years of the distant future.
No uncommon incident marked the pass
ing hours of the morning. The n-boy
placed his most alluring wares beside the
passenger, whom he mentally designated
as the "glum feller," but no sales resulted
Mr.. Vernon read nothing except letter
from his most intimate friend, a mar
xnr6. lfx-a1 81
than himself-in world of dreams
and speculations little above tn,
comprehension of the prosperous New
York merchant, who had, however
the rare faculty of tolerating fancies which
he could not quite understand. The letter
contained this significant paragraph:
do you ever speculate upon the peopl,
who are coming TO meet you from every di
rectiou, and through all the years of tn,
future-those whose influence will have grea
weight in shaping your destiny. and upoI
whom your Individuality will reactY / wa
Interested recently in seeing an idea Of thi
kind in a book, which read quite through
without finding anything of value to me ex
"'whcn two friends happen to meet In tn
street do they look back along the process
sion OF small circumstances which has lie,
fro the .ns point OF sne
time? Not one man in ten thousand eve
thinks of making such fantastic inquiry a
tn1e, ana consequently not one man IN tel
thousand living in the midst of reality ha
discovered that he is also living in the mids
OF romance"
The gloomy traveller laid the letter aside
when his attention was attracted by
child's cry. He was never so self ABSORBED
as to slight an appeal to his sympathy
He had probably been victimized by, NOR,
New York impostors than any one els,
who had lived for twenty-five years in tn,
great city, where the majority of peopl,
poverty and suRsring. There was no de-