Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-02

many other little comforts which gave
the husbands reason to stay at home
nights; and to her they were indebted
for the sweet faced young lady, who
came there and took room, and gather
ed all the little children, and taught
them pretty work and lessons at the
same time, and her foresight and care
established in the basement a sort of
general store, where all things needful
could be bought Of the best quality at
the very lowest prices, and where quar-
ter of a pound of butter cost no more
than if it had been bought by pound, and
where exact height was given. And the
man and woman in charge of this store
would take their pay in baskets or in
knitted work, and not only furnish the
splints to make the baskets, bat teach
those who wished to learn free.
Little by little prosperity and sobriety,
and above all, industry began to show
here, and from being one of the poorest
places in the city, the house was looked
on as model, and the landlord raised the
rent in consequence.
Then, somehow, the house changed own
ers, and the sewerage was attended to,
and it was renovated by degrees, and the
rant restored to its former price. Two
large rooms we're turned into one, and
seaJs were put in, and this was a free
Kindergarten school ali the week, and
Saturday evening there was free con-
cert, at which the children sang, and
some good singers also took part, as well
as elocutionists, and the fathers and
mothers joined in going regularly, and
the saloon on the corner had so few
customers that it finally was moved
away.
More and more of these abodes of the
poor changed hands, and peace and pros
perity began to take the place of drink
en- brawls and grim restitution, but none
ever dreamed of connecting plain Mrs.
Harmon with their good fortune, when it
came on Thanksgiving, and their I'M
known benefactor, through the Kinter-
garden teachere, invited all the members
of their household, to dinner In the
schOOlrOOm.
just before dinner, large bale was
rolled in, and from it came for each wo-
man roll of flannel, a warm shawl and a
S. bill.
Each man got two flannel undershirts,
and two pairs of thick WOODEN socks, and
each child had three pairs of stockings a
wooden cloak according to it size, and a
complete outfit of under fannels.
Then dinner was announced.
Just as dinner was served, one woman
remarked that Mrs. Harmon had had
nothing, and another said that the teach
ers always seemed to look at her for ap-
probation, and in short time there was
buzz of curiosity among them, when
tbs door burst open, and in bounded
Margery, now the picture of blooming
health.
She sprang to Mrs. Harmon's side, and
with tears and smiles, she cried:
''See, am we'll now, and it is she who
has done it. She is an angel. She is
rich and you all know how good, but [
know better than any of you. It was all
the money spinner, and he has spun US
all COOK luck. But she is an angel"
$50 she is" said men and women alike,
between their tears of JOY and thankful
ness.
She stayed on with her poor, and they
said of her in hushed voices, "She is a
SAINT" but her friends of youth, rich
friends who were cold in her days of sor-
row, said:
"She is not quite right in her mind So
rich, and yet to live among those horrid
creatures. She is mad!'