Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-08-05
OUT OF CHARITY.

BLLD bIlCU uO hdO IdhSI Ju0 GIN III, DuO
from what kind of charity let people
judge.
Martha Harris was small tradesman's
daughter who had gone wrong, and going
wrong had led her to prison. She had
BEEN caught wandering suspiciousIy near
the parapet of Waterloo Bridge one night
and magistrate had committed her to
prison for week, not as punishment
but that she might be remonatrated with
by the chaplain on the sinfulness of wish
ing to get rid of a life which had become
burden to her. The case was reported
IN the newspapers, and in the course of
week Mr.. Bannerman wrote for a semi
detached villa in the outskirts of London
TO say that he would gladly take the out
cast to his home and do his humble best
to create in her new spirit. Prison
chaplains have often to deal with girls
who are weary of life, and they always
find it difficult to provide for such cases;
so the chaplain thought well of Mr.. Ban
nerman's communication, and went to
Marthas cell to inform her that Chris
tian family had just offered to take her
IN.
"YOu see Providence has not deserted
you, Har ris," he remarked, with the pro-
per solemnity of priest addressing
sinner. "Will you promise me that, if [
recommend you to these kind people, you
will behave yourself?"
ayes, SIR" replied Martha, meekly, with
downcast eyes.
"By your own confession you have been
very wicked continued the reverend gen
tleman. "You must feel like a brand
plucked from the burning. hope that
really is what you feel?'
eyes, SIR
Sand that you repent? 1t will be very
grevious to me if I hear by and by from
these kind and christian people that
you have disappointed their expecta-
tions."
Martha Harris made no answer, but
quietly cried. She felt not only very
wicked, but abandoned, and in her forlorn
condition it did really seem a mercy that
anybody should take her by the hand and
induct her to christian home. A couple
of days afterward, having received a few
parting words in season from the chap
lain, she appeared once more before the
magistrate, who administered another
lecture to her and handed her over to a
red-faced gentleman with black whiskers
who was the christian owning the home
where she was to be taken in. Mr.. Ban
herman was complimented on his chris
bAdh1by 1IOIA lIoul buS DSuCIl. dAu pOCh0L-
ed the compliments as SO much wages due
on account of his faithful service toward
his Maker.
He said that he looked for his reward
in heaven but it was evident that he con-
sidered himself entitled to an anticipa-
tory bonus in the shape of commentator
here on earth. So, having made his bow
10 the magistrate, he beckoned to Martha
to follow him, and took her off with him
In an omnibus.
Martha Harris was well-looking girl of
some education and refinement, who cas-
lily might have obtained a situation as
a shop-assistaut or bar-maid, or even as
nursery governess, had she gone the right
way to work, but, having made a slip
at the outset of her life, she had been
stunned by her fall, and saw all things in
a confused way. She was as much
named of herself as any jail chaplain
would have desired, and, though the week
she had spent in her prison cell had
Gained her spirit, so that she no longer
had any purpose to do away with herself,
yet she saw in life no prospect whatever,
but only long course of expiration to be
commenced and carried through with
all the strength that heaven might send
her.
These conscience stricken sentiments
Mr.. Zimmerman by 70 means sought to
repress. Nor did his wife. They were
very careful to let Martha know that for
sins like hers there can never be any for
giveness here below, but that by dint of
hard labor and unvarying humility she
might so far reinstate herself in the good
opinion of her employers that at some
future time they might consider what
could be done for her. Meanwhile they
offered her food and shelter, but no
wages. Money is the root of all evil
said Mr. Bannerman, land you must try
to feel that you are working for heavenly
wages"
Martha did try. She had hoped for a
kind word in coming among these Chris
tian people, but she could not expect it.
and the views which they expressed as to
her sinful state only confirmed her in the
opinion that the world at Iarge-which
was imbucd no doubt with less Christian
charity than these Bannermans-would
view it more harshly still. So she hung
her head lower than ever and went about
her work, wondering whether all the ia
lgues she endured and all the tears she
shed IN secret would ever make of her
better girl than she was. She became the
maid all work in the Bonuerman house
the childred, did all the housewoCk, men
ded clothes, scrubbed the floors and door
steps, and washed linen. She was up at
$50 in the morning and could seldom
crawl to bed before midnight.
Martha had a kind of coadjutor in a
poor, lame boy called Phil, who had also
been adopted out of charity after he had
been sentenced by a county justice to a
months Imprisonment for stealing tur-
nip out of a field and eating it, when
faint with hunger. Like Martha, Phil
was overwhelmed with sense of his own
yileness, and had become weak-minded
from thinking that never, so long as he
lived in this world would that affair about
the turnip be forgotten, and that it would
be trumped up against him even when he
came up for final judgment after death.
1t was Phil's business to black shoes,