The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-04-02
AN EASTER MEMORIAL.
A Charity Which Grew Out OF
Great Tribulation.

Easter is q particularly Impressive les
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 a~dornment, that give them
glimpses of the innocent pleasures of life,
and help to maintain something of it's
graees in the desolate homes.
This charity probably differs from every
other institution in the world. 1t 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, a found
lings' home, a refuge for working girls out
of employment. anything that comforts
and uplifts the sick, the despairing, the err
those who, by some reverse of fortune,
nav been degraded from a position in
which they had the means of enjoying the
comforts and Injuries of life. This strange
charity has a stranger history, dating back
some years to seemingly irrelevant events.
Any reminder of death is startlingly in
congruous closely following wedding festiv-
tiles. 1t was with a 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
n 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
jim her objections to the proposed journey,
when it was decided hat she could not
accompany her husband, n 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 outburst
of grief is powerless to induce the husband
to waver in a matter of duty, and the
bride at length yields a reluctant consent
to the inevitable.
The return journey was a dreary con-
trast to the one hat had so lately preceded
it. For the first few hours it was devoid
of all interest to the traveller, who had not
the gift of prophecy to foresee that the
events of that day would determine his
destiny and that of hundreds of other peo-
pie in years of the distant future.
No uncommon incident marked the pass
ing hours of the morning. The train-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 a letter
from his most intimate friend, a mar
who lived in a more rarified atmosphere
than himself-in a world of dream.
and sp%eculations a little above thu
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,
%rection, and through all the years of thu
future-those whose influence will have grea
weight in shaping your destiny, and upol
whom your individuality will react? ] 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
cept this paragraph:
street do they look back along, the process
sion of small circumstances which has lie,
them forth from the starting point of thei
own houses to the same spot at the sam
time? Not one man in ten thousand eve
thinks of making such a fantastic inquiry a
TINS, and consequently Iiq ie tEy not ;. one e, man MAJ in tie te'
discovered that he is also living in the mids
of romance"
The gloomy traveller laid the letter aside
when his attention was attracted by
Cullo . cry. L was ucNcT 81 Scll-dDSOi Dc'
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
soon became Indifferent to the sight o
poverty and suffering. There was no de
ception in this child's wailing protes
against the discomforts of travel, and tn
mother was glad to intrust it to a stranger
care. The little one slept some hours on
bed improvised from Mr.. Vernon's over
coat. Meantime he noticed that the mothe
looked SO disconsolate that he could not re
frain from offering to be of service. Hi
overtureS were declined in a tone of de
spairing resignation.
mo, thank you, nobody can help me.
However she told her pathetic story yer
simply and briefly:
"We:re like thousands of others-th
war ruined us, though it came about in
strange way. Jim and me had our prett
home on the outskirts of Detroit. He's
carpenter and had made everything mic
for me. I wouldn't let him go to the wal
and there's folks that thinks what happene
was a punishment on me, though Pm sur
he has the worst of it.
"There was barracks near us all throug
the war, and one morning early we hear
a great shouting, and looking out, we sa'
three soldiers chasing another, and throw
. in clubs after him. Jim let him into til
house and shut the door, when he fired
: revolver and killed one of the soldiers out
= side, and when the trial come into coul
they all swore twas Jim done the shootin
SO he was put into prison for life. You Sc
twas three against one, and justice ain
q for poor folks any way. The Governc
won't listen to me. He says he'd ave
let everybody out of prison if he took the
wives stories, SO / can't do anything on
just go and be near him. Eve been stayi
!. with my folks in Chicago and they belle,
: that Jfm'e guilty, and Foouldn't stand tha
30 I'm eofn,. to jackson to stay somswhsI