Wichita eagle., 1888-06-24
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The - Eagle
WOMAN AND HOME.
PATHETIC STORY OF A WHlTENED
HEAD AND BROKEN HEART.


Immortal Youth-Mothers as Wage
Earners-ope of Baby's Missions-A
Girl and Her Training-sIang-Note
One Of the most pathetic stories have ever
heard was told to me by my friend, the Judge,
in connection with the beautifully carved
oak furniture of his library. Long years ago
there was beautiful and wealthy and re-
fined woman living in q stately home on -
street, IN this city. Every room in her hand
some house was beautifully furnished; but
the library, with its carved oaken wonders,
was her favorite Of all In that room she sat
as young wife under the shadow of the tall
bookcase and read, Or dreamed the long
winter evenings away with her husband,
who was brilliant young lawyer. Into that
room as proud Young mother she brought
her first baby and rocked him IN the stately,
curicusly carved, high backed rocking chair,
and when the little fellow was old enough 10
play at riding she sat him On the backs Of
the carved oaken grifhns that held up the legs
of the big round table. q large family of
babies were rocked ia that stately, high
backed rocking chair, rode astride or side
ways on the oaken grifiins and grew up
among the carved wooden wonders Of that
room to be lovely women and honorable
men.
Oh, those were happy times for the happy
wife and motheri Long, bright, happy, use
full, prosperous years, as full OF joys and
comforts as the wooden life Of the room was
full of carved flowers, leaves and ferns All,
If only the happy years would stay with usl
IF we could only keep our husbands, our
children and our honest Would there be
any need of another heaven'
Alasi for the happy vie and mother.
She had spent the best and the brightest
years of her life in that library, and old age
came and found her there, with bowed head
and broken heart, childleSs and widow,
Door and blind Death had taken all he
could from her and debt claimed all that
was left. All, that last deSolate night in tho
old library, with its carved Caken wondersi
The sorTowful good-by to all the dear, old
familiar things. The agonizing prayer for
strength sobbed out, with her poor old gray
head buried IN the cushions Of the stately
high backed rocking chair in which she had
rocked SO many babies!
All, God. to be childless and widow, poor
md old and bIindi
The poor old mistress was led out Of the
back door the next day, and the auctioneer
came in at the front There was big sale,
and friend the Judge bought the library
furniture. a year afterward there was
ring at his door bell, and feeble old lady
led by servant was uShered into the hall
To his gentle greeting she replied: II am
mrs. -. ! used to own the carved oakeR
furniture you have IN your library Ny hus-
band bought it for me in Paris. 1 loved it
next to him and my children. I am stone
blind and / cannot see it, but VIII you please
lead me around the room and let me feel it."
And my friend, the judge, you may be sure.
led her tenderly and gently, as he might have
led his own mother, into the library, with its
carved oaken wonders that mac once been
her very own.
Alb, how plainly can see that picture CT
my gentle, courteous friend leading his old,
blind guest around the room, not to sec, but
only to feel the wooden treasures of her past
life, He lead her first to the quantity carved
bookcase, and she put up her hands and felt
every LEAF and bud and flower within her
reach, patiently and teflderly and with C
srnile Of happy recollection upon her face.
Then she asked to be led TO the round table.
and stopping down she tenderly patted each
of the oaken grilIins on which her little girls
and boys had rode, and sobbed out: BE
good to them, Judge, be good to them for
my children's sake" And then she put out
her trembling, empty old hands in search OF
the stately high backed rocking chair in
which she had rocked SO many babies,
SO many little warm, rosy babies. Find.
ing it, she seated herself once more within
the embrace of its familiar arms, and lifting
her sightless eyes, streaming with tears, to
heaven, she cried out: ooh, my lost darl-
lngs, come back to your mother, your poor.
blind, helpless old mother" But cannot
tell you any more; cannot bear it.
All, Godi to be childless and widow, old
and poor and blind!
But. thank God, she was not so many days
longer She had come 30 Say good-by to tho
last tie she had on earth, her furniture
friends, the beautiful, carved oGken wonders
of her happy past life, and having felt them,
she folded her empty hands and closed her
sightleSs eyes, TO open them In that beautiful
world where her husband and children waited
for her, and whose wonders are not carved in
wood.-Pearl Rivers in New Orleans Plea
yuma