The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-12-16

prosperous that I scarcely knew where 10 60
to hunt people so poor that dare intrude
upon them and tell their wants In my 1valu-
able and widely circulated paper. Many of
its citizens were very rich. and none whom
personally know lad fallen below decent and
tolerable poverty. But down below Doon's
mills, on the river bank. were some broken
down houses about whose doors had some
times seen very ragged and very dirty chill
dren playing. determined to 60 thither and
investigated. = "a++e $50 -
had this thought in my mind as was go
ing to office one morning just two days
before Christmas. / determined to go out
that afternoon and begin the search. hadn't
gone far when met calamity" Parker.
That was what called him when my speech
was without bride, for held him in great
contempt
He was a tall, thin, broken down creature,
who posed as a gentleman and moved about
with a solemn, unhealthful gait and dis
tributed religious tracts. He always seemed
to mo frightful excrcscence ON society, al
though he had the discretion to say but little
1t fretted my progressive spirit to see him
crawling around thrusting his weak litera-
ture under more intelligent and buster peo-
pies eyes. 1.-THE day and generation are be
You'd tracts,n said to myself, "and here IS
this thrcadbare fraud keeping up this relic Of
fogyism." despised him so heartily could
hardly speak decent good morning as he
passed RE. / think no felt that disliked
Linn; but he had cultivated the unctuous af-
fcctation of godliness and an appearance Of
patience and sweetness under, sights and
taunts, and invariably returned q smile for q
frown. That very habit made him detestable
to mo. .....-s.. 'a
/ began to think about him as went
along. .IIo had only been in Doonville a
couple of years, and I had never heard of his
doing anything but distribute tracts and
preach on tho street corners down by tho
mills. concluded that it was timo he was
abolished Accordingly my first work Oh
reaching the Office was to writo half
column editorial article on religious
frauds" in which tho practice of tact
distributing received rneritcd castigation. /
drew picture of tho typical tract man, of
which Parker was the model, which wasn't
calculated to make his path in Doonyille any
smoother This incisive, and l may say
"ablc," article, which was certainly flaming
sword of righteous wrath against the tract
fraternity, was to adorn the Christmas num-
Der. 49, ts+ uss.s
Then 1 started out In my search for pow
erty i'll self satisfied spirit. It is delightful
TO do something that wins ones own appro
baton. found tho row of old houses all
locked and tenantless save one, tho last ono
and the worst one 1t was in a state of
dilapidarion SO hopeless that its owner hadn't
even thought it worth while to shut it up.
The result was that it was tenanted without
bis permission having been asked. A family
of dull Drained, sallow skinned, chronicaliy
INDECENT, half dead creatures who had been
crawling westward in worn out wagons
drawn by dying horses, had taken possession
of it by permission Of necessity. They bad
reached Doonville Just as their horses sue
cumbed to the memorable, and there they
were. sick, freezing, starving and dying in
state of restitution unspeakable. rEH{
Isaw through the windows that the house
was inhabited, though tho only figure could
see moving about was moro Ghostlil,e than
human On pretenso of borrowing match
knocked for admittance. A matchi such
thing was a far off, undrcamed of luxury TO
the family within. There was neither fire
nor food in tho house, and the wind, the rain
and tho snow calno In at will through the
CLASHES windows. Haven't you noticed that
the very elements conspire with poverty to
mako his victims wretched!
A skeleton man sick unto death lay ON the
floor, his head OH O bundle of dry leaves.
Two furnished children, i'll and feeble, were
on the scmblance of bed in another corner
of the room. a very Old woman sat helpless
by the si,ic of the sick children, whose enact
otcd and miserable mother CROPPED about
feebly trying to give help to the others. The
only one who seemed to have any life tc
speak of left was wan and ragged little girl
with delicate features and big, old eyes.
got fire and food for them, and did all
could for their immediate relief. Then /
rushed to tho Office CT The Trumpet and
wrote such an account of them as would be
sure to send the good people Of Doonville to
their door with abundant relief. tt was q
long and graphic article, and realistic to q
startling degree. We were not illustrating
newspapers then as now, SO could only pic
turc the suffering of this family in words.
However, gave the article tremendous head
lines ana appointment place. The Trumpet
was issued ;ho next day, which was the day
before Christmas, and it went forth on its
work Of arousing the pity of Doonviile for
the family in the old house by the river. /
was very busy all that day and could not go
10 see them. But when night camo and lay
down to rest 1 had the satisfaction of feeling
that they wcrc provided for, and that had
been tho instigating cause of their relief. l
fancied the surprise and sorrow tho bcnevo-
lent Mrs. Barclay would feel when she visited
them, carrying aid, as she was sure to do
after reading my article. And how dis
tressed, l thought, Mr.. Archibald Doom
would be when no realized that so sad case
of want existed in tho town of which he was
SO proud. And others-cvcr so many others
would DO equally Interested and equally
helpful In imagination saw the philan-'
thrapists of The the community, ono after an
other, going down to the old house by the
river sidc carrying aid and sympathy.
The next morning was Christmas. It was
cold and clear, with q sharp wind blowing
Traditional Christmas weather, called CHEEKY
in stories, ] think, but very uncomfortable
foi those who are thinly clad After break
fast i started down to see my poor friendsby
the river. wanted to help them, but all I
could do would be but cipher in compare
son with what had already been done But
/ thrilled with the pleasure would expo
rience in seeing their improved condition,
knowing / had had a hand In it.
How forlorn and desolate the house was,
even as seen from afar' off! And oh! tho
dreariness of Christmas to those within!
A man approached the house Just ahead Of
tract distributor. felt q spasm of wrath OF
wretched people with his printed twaddle
their bodies needed food, and fire and cloth.