Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-02-25
THE LAST CHARITY.

enthusiastic young curate, who was stay
ing in the same summer boarding house
as herself, had interested her In It. He
had been on q ranch In northern Mexico
tie year after he graduated from college,
and before be had decided to go into the
ministry. Miss Carmen, who had @ very
vague idea Of what ranch was, confus-
ing 1t in her mind with cowboys, plum
dered coaches and rescued maidens, consid-
cred Mr.. Howard one Of those reclaimed
victims of q life of dissipation Che was, by
the way, when she met him, Just % years
old, though he had in reality never done
anything particularly wrong in his life.
Miss Carmen belonged to that class Of
women one never knows how to speak of,
whether as 'slady'' or young lady,.
unless one Is addressing the person her.
self, when one is apt to venture on
the latter term. And it must also be ac-
knowledged she could not resist the at
traction OF man who was turning over
q new Leaf" this species sometimes even
took precedence of her charity in her favor,
and that is saying good deal, for her
charity, whatever it happened at the time
to be, was so dear to her heart it made
her almost a dread ito her friends. Per
haps you met her in q store; before you
could hurry by with q GOOD morning,
Miss Carmen she would stop you: "Oh,
Laura Lafargc, you're the very girl want
to see. want you to take booth at the
fair next week for tho --- charity. You
can have any booth you wish, but won't
you be in the sMikado?' want girls who
will get up handsome costumes, and you
know, with your tastc,n etc. Or: MAR
garet Wyndof7, I'm SO glad I've met you;
just step aside here moment, viii you?
I'm going to ask you to help me In little
international tea I'm getting up for those
poor-such poverty, such distress, can't
tell you how they appeal to me. Now do
promise to furnish flowers and appear In
the Greek group-the costumes will be
very simple, and I've asked for veil, etc.
Or on the street: "Good morning, Mr..
Carey, won't you turn around and walk
with me few moments; I'm going to ask
favor Of you, which want you to promise
to grant me. It's really nothing at all for
you to do, and it is for a very worthy
charity; young Mrs. Carley has said she
will be Lady Washington, and want you
to be George in an old time tea party"
And often before you can refuse she Is
gone, with "Good-by; knew you would;
so kind of you; good-by.n
Now it was theatricals, and for the
Mexican Indians again. Her friends, to
tell the truth, were getting little tired
of doing for these creatures. They had
been to teas for them, to kirmess for
them, to tableaux, to lectures for them;
enough of things to have educated whole
tribes of them, Mrs. Ned Brown said, if
they had only been there themselves.
And, she added, she really didn't see why
they should be made to suffer and pay
both; if they must give these things, give
them, but make the Indians 60 them
selves. However, Mrs. Brown was q
Eighty little woman whom every one
laughed ut in their sleeve, while people
all did admire Miss Carmen, though they
were getting o little tired Of their chart
ties
All these things Miss Carmen felt in an
indefinite sort of way as she came home
from the mission school one afternoon.
1t was Mr.. Towards mission and he had
spoken SO beautifully to the poor children
that day. But then he always did. Hc
had spoken so kindly to her, too; some
how or other some people seemed to take
it for granted that she could go ont in any
kind of weather, with no matter how bad
o cold, without any danger. And today
had been her birthday, she did not think
what birthday, the fact itself was bad
enough without being numbered. She
was getting old, she thought with sigh;
dear me, much too old to be thinking so
much of this handsome young minister,
and much too old to have that drop on
her cheek; she must walk faster and think
of something else, and yes, she would ask
her sister to take her mission class, at
least for awhile. She passed q wretched
beggar sitting on the curb grinding q
small organettc that had stops nearly o
minute long between each note. Miss
Carmen looked quickly around and
then furtiyely dropped a quarter
into tho tin cup, and passed on.
She had been told such charity was mis-
applied, but then she had felt just like 1t
and was willing to run the risk. So Mr..
Howard was really going back to Mexico,
not as ranch man this time, but as
missionary What should she do when
he was Gone-what, had it come to thisf
She must think of something else, and
she hurried on, without noticing two
young girls who passed her quickly. II
was afraid she would see US, " one of them
said II know she'd ask me to be i'll a
booth or take part in those theatricals- !"
world, and probably never would, who
would not even appreciate the self sacri-
ficing labor of Miss Carmen. Undoubt-
edly the latter did lack Judgment, or let
Us say moderation, but in her proper
sphere, or under able guidance, what
might she not accomplish?
She found note at home for her from
Uliss Tower, saying she was sorry, but
her health was SO wretched this winter
her physician had tabooed theatricals.
She also found Mr. Garey's card, with a
hasty note on the back, which read how
much he regretted be would not be able
to take the part Miss Carmen had kindly
assigned to him.
Miss Carmen sat down and cried. She
knew it was silly, but she didn't care. She
was tired out and over worried and she
threw herself down on her couch and had
''good cry She was bathing her eyes
and smoothing her hair when the maid
brought her Mr.. Towards card. She put
in another hair pin p d then went right
down.
'.Oh," she said, without even greeting
him, ''Pn perfectly FETCHED. Two Of
my people have backes, out. ! did think
when had only three in the play should
have no trouble, but the only two whocan
act won't act What shall dor
And she laughed ne-rously feeling dam
gerously near her mod upstairs How
ard felt very sorry for Der. so sorry he did
not know what to say. Finally he muir,
INJURED: 81 wish / could help you;
esuse Icouldn't act--but can't yousr he
added quickly, as the thought came to
him. Why don't ron take Miss Towers
parts" Miss Carmen blushed and
laughed. .'Oh, no. / am too old;
couldn't And Howard answered.:
.'How absurd, Miss Carmen; you know
you And then stopped embarrassed.
He knew she was older than he; he had
ieplored that often, especially of late.
He was afraid perhaps she looked down
On him. He did not care about age. II am
getting so discouraged, y she went on. II
am ALWAYS irving To helm sr % GOOD in