Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-11-15
The FRAYeD OUT WOMAN.
Glimpse Of New York Life Seen From


Horse Gar.
lsaw her Oh "A streeC car this morning.
Alas one Sc her often III New York She
was in cnar e OF a policeman, whether a
prisoner or witness, know not The mar
Of blue and brass stool politely outside,
AMI nobody knew that the frayei out
woman WAS in his keeping till they left the
car together
1t wa' no. mp RELY her garments that
were frayei out, Soiled stained an dilapl-
dated; soul and body were also IN that con-
clifton And yet she was trying to be un-
mindful of all this. trving To LOOK PLEASED
with hersslf and the world, trying to
max, tas Others in the car belIeve sh, was
happy It was al so pitifui Her story
Of de Sra iatlon WAS So patent, palpable,
AMI Ga! 50 Lopeless And 1t was such COM
forte 5 eSra iatian Poverty was its close
com 1anion, aud Want ani Misery its
friends
All the clothing of the frayed out woman
had once been tinery. and VIII ~ finsry be-
comes Il lapldatei it can carry more dis
reepectahility to the square inch than any
thing else il tn, word. The coa's st sack
cloth, if clean, would command more
resTect. Tn frayei out womans gown
was Of silk. shreis of silk, with flag ends of
tr mining clinging to it here ami there Ike
l.chens to a dying tree 1t falling
apart at the seams, ami dropping in pieces
here and there from the soIlei and 1Iusy
strin. o! lace At the neck to the ed ,e Of the
lowermost fcunce Toe drap,ry, or over
skirt. was doing its bast to escape 1t
lurkei disreputaby. AMI hung 10 the un-
dersk kIrt by a few threads where threads
ought not 10 be Bow, crushed, soiled and
worn threadbare, were da5bet upon it hers
and there in exactly the wrong places.
Shoes. wrecks of shoes, were on the feet
of this daughter OF degra lstion, and lace
mIts, once back, but now green from age
and Use. upon her la d.; and she wore the
remnants of twp Nalsr one a fra Smsnt of
dotted lac. falling into b. les. the other
Grape, long, tatsersd, iaied, ptlful be-
yond description, the most mournful of
mourning embleins \ fus up silk para
sol, very old and very dirty, and the
skeleton of once haldSome fan COM
plete h,r Cu.it
she was more soIed AMI fraved than her
garments On her face hunger. want,
disgrace. injustice and cruelty hal written
their dreadful nam In bold chara cteTs
On her checks burnei tn, rouge ti-es hat
mark the outcast, whe her in rich or shah
bv attire and over all was smile of
atfec ed iniltereIce a SCI, surface sm G
the very ghost Of forme- jps, which flick
cred aud wandered over ths neglected
ground it had tenantei in happy davs.
Sh, wasn't Old, tbs woman whose soul
va, scutfe 4. who's body was a wrec (, and
whose clio, hes were but sorrowful sh! els of
former iinery Sca.'ce!v over tuir.y in
years. but old, So old IN terrible exper enc :
Neither did her darN. worn fac rev a
any vicicuSness, only ptIable weakness and
fooli sh. ruinous VANITY, which had lived
through ever, thing AMI still Ass .rted itself
in the affected smile, the coque;tish wave
of the sie.eton fan, the al justment of her
siiken ragS. AMI all til, little attempts to
lie bewitching which had servei her well
IN past days.
All this was pitiful. Somebody was TO
blame Her weakness hal made her the
prey of those who should have protected
her One Of Gni'S children. she was We.
without any of her inalienable rig ts-love,
care home AMI hope In the great conflict
of life she mai been too weak 10 stani firm,
and so hal been tramplei upon, AM was
now a siynt from which happier eyes turned
away Y,S somebody was to blame Some
body stronger than she. She was b m
hlind-hllnd as to wha was wise and what
was foolish How, then, could she be ex
pectei to seef =
Looking at her thought of the Bud hist
Il cory of karma, that We go on from one
! f. to another eternaliy, pay ing the renal
ties or reapiny the rewaris Thinking of
that, ! wondered what her past life could
have been to have earned her such dreaifl
DAYS as this. / won iered, too, what COM
pensation q thousand lives could havs' in
store for one who was forcei to tread SO
| low path.
Where were those to whom she was once
| dear. Could a loviny mot her be fearless in
heaven while "a daughter was :. frlendlesS,
50 poverty stricken SO outside of all kind
ness ani aff sctio1i
AMI those who had oppressed when they
couli have aided her. They stall not es-
| cape the cOnsequ .nces Of their work, for it
| il is written: WITH what mste We meas
ure it shall be mea surei to you again
! They must paw the penalty slow and Ion,
| Gelaye it may be, but the mills Of the gods
| arr grinding
Tne car stopped, the policeman beckonel
! from TIE outsii ie tho frayei out woman
| rosn. bravelv smiling, AMI they left the car
together h big strong, warmly clad AMI
walking with the assured step OF comfort;
| she stepping mlDcingy AMI graspny her
| frayei skirt, with fine laiy airs to protect
them from the muddy car steps. They
crossed the street and were soon lost in the
| hurrving thrung | sent compassionate
prayer after the frayei out woman. and
have thought of her often, often, since with
! pity. GERTRTDE GARRISON.
NEw YORK Nov. l.