Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-07-12
ABOUT A TIDY.
an Old Lady's Faith and Rich
WOman's "Whim."

Woman's "Whim."
Mrs. Van Arsdale had always ap-
peared to be a very frivolous woman.
She dressed so extensively, and, so
far as could see, never did any
thing useful with her life, not even,
as many other rich women do, taking
an interest in charities. Indeed, /
heard her say once that she was not
fitted for such work: that she was not
used to business, and that visiting very
poor people made her ill. remember
thinking, when / heard this remark,
that it was mere subterfuge for lazi-
ness and unwilligness to do good. 1t
is habit of mine 10 say nothing about
such thoughts to any one. 1t certainly
does no good to speak of them, even if
what l think is true, and it may do a
great deal of harm. There is another
woman who attends our church. She
is very old and feeble and poor. Her
name is Mrs. Richmond. Until her
only son died. about a year ago, she
lived very comfortably. He was a
clerk in large store down town. and
when he died that took away all the
living this poor woman had. / knew
that this was the case, and, having very
little time, and-I am not too proud to
admit it-very little money, l spoke to
cur clergyman about her.
Mrs. Richmond" said he, sis a
very eccentric and peculiar woman. ]
knew, of course, that her sons death
had left her entirely destitute, and i
went to her with offers of assistance
She is over eighty, and too feeble to do
any thing to support herself. but /
found that she was perversely bent
upon refusing all help. She said she
had never lived on charity yet, and that
the Lord would provide for her some
how in her old age. replied, in sub
stance, that while this was so. and that
/ was glad to find her faith SO strong.
she must remember that God used hui
man means to accomplish His pur-
poses. and that He had sent me to re-
lieve her necessities. But she was very
obstinate. Her beseting sin appeared
to be pride, and she persisted in declar-
ing that she could earn her own living,
and that she was determined to be a
burden upon nobody. As for going into
the Old Ladies' Home, she wouldn't
listen to it. She had a room. she said,
where she was. 1t was very comforta-
BILE, respectable and cheap. she ra-
quired very little to live upon, and
that little she proposed to earn.
/ asked her how, and she told
me by knitting and making fancy
articles. l asked where her custom
ers were to come from. She is good
woman. but. as l say, her besetting sin
is pride. and. perhaps, some temper
mingled with it. She answered lit
tie tartly that she proposed to provide
the fancy articles, and that the Lord
had promised to take care OF the Gus
toners. l could do nothing further.
! left her, commencing her faith
(Which did, indeed, seem to be very
sincere), but deploring her PRIDE
And since them" said l.
"Since then" he replied, evidently
trifle chagrined that his fears had
been ill-fOunded. she has contrived
to get on. as she declared she would.
without assistance. My wife has been
to see her several times. She tells me
that Mrs. Richmond is always busy
and always happy: but that. while she
does certainly manage to support her.
self, and even to have something over
she pays for half pew and con-
tributes small amount regularly--it
is a miracle how she does it, for the
fancy articles, my wife tells me, are SO
poorly made that it was hardly posi-
BILE they would SELL
Soon after this l made time one after
noon to 60 and see the widow. 1t was
as the minister had said. She was
happy and busy. Poor old woman. 1t
made me sad to see her, with her white
face and spectacles and shaking hands,
hard at work trying to crochet. When
/ went there she was at work upon a
tidy, sort of thing that was fashion
able once, but must be, l thought, quite
unstable nowadays. Besides that. be-
cause Of her age and her trembling
fingers, she had done the work all
crooked. couldn't imagine any one
buying such thing. asked no ques-
tions (another habit / have is never to
ask . question that may by any posi-
bility wound, even If it be another's
pride or self-lovc, unless, indeed, am