The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-08-25

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Here is bread, take it with Gods blessing
There have been in this city dread
DAYS which seemed as if God and
everybody had failed US but Margaret; days
when she almost literally fed the city. Dur
ing the yellow fever panic Margaret began
her noble work of taking the children from
the homes of death and putting them into
house under good care, supporting them
herself in every particular. Soon the one
asylum grew into many; the dozens OF her
little charges were numbered by hundreds
and at the time Of her death, thousands.
At the gate of every orphan asylum in the
city Margaret's bread cart, with its smoh"
ing rolls was seen daily; at every charlta-
BILE institution whatsoever she took the priv
ilege of giving her bread freely, and
Margaret's name headed the list for every
charity. Our grand Charity Hospital one
Of the most famous in the world, was large
ly the gift of Margaret You must visit
that hospital. It will make you better all
your life for having seen it. hight through
the trees there, at your right, 90 you see
that magnificent building with its four
galleries running around the first four
stories of the house? It's gate cells in golden
letters that this is children's home, given
by Margaret, where to the end OF time Or
phans will be cared for and educated by her
beqnests. Many Of our cemeteries contain
in form Of handsome tombs Margarst's sim
pie yet magnificent thougattulness. Here
you know, all are buried above ground IN
crypts or ovens of masonry: ana when you
visit our cemeteries-,as strangers Always
do, for there are no burial places like these
in America, you will see stone tombs ICON
tanning one, two or four dozen bodies, may
l.. a., fS S1STcrS
Of the Poor by Margaret sThe Stran gers
Tomb, given by Margaret; / suppose Mar
garet spent more money FOR the city than
the richest u.an in the history Of the State.
and Of the sympathy and discern1nent OF the
needs OF the poor the half could never be
told. she spent nothing on herself. a
clean, blue calico, stout shoes, black straw
bonnet, al knitted jacket or shoulder
shawl, ar iron bedstead in room
without even q rocking-ch and over
looking the bakeshop. She had no time
to enjoy Injuries, even had she possessed
them. AS long as there was weeping
child or q friendiess woman in the city.
what time had she to fold her arms In a
rocking chsair2 While there were unburied
coffinless forms, should she adorn her home
of the living. and so it happened that to
the end Of life Margaret spent neither time,
care nor money on herself She forgot
there was such mortal as Margaret.
s'And when, ono day, the news went
around that Margaret was dead, the great
city GROSS and put on mourning; the bust
ness houses wera closed, all the employ
nent of the city stood still The day of the
burial thousands Of her little orphans fol-
lowed her bier as mourners; every church
sent delegations of honor-bearers; the pub
lie school children joined in the throng;
the houses were draped along the line Of
march all The bells in the city tolled: civic
and military joined in the procession with
ecclesiastica; there never was here s.
funeral like Margaret's.
"AfterWard it was found thai her pos
sessions had been 80 disposed that had
death come at any moment the affairs OF
this life were well and inteligently wound
up. There were no personal effects OF
value, but even her few garments she left
to the poor, aud with the proceeds Of her
wise Investments her charities ara royalty
endowed
show in this public way the esteem in which
she is held. Tt is very like Margaret. The
naotherly figure, seated with one arm en-
circling standing child at her side; the
crochettel shawl about her shoulders arc
homely, hus who would ehange them Tor
finer c2othiuy9 The smooth hair, with its
old-fasnionaii French parting; the strong
chin, the pleasant mouth, the serious eyes
-is there not something fascinating in the
contradictions Of the facet
"Did YOU ever see such head on g
woman's shou!ders7 Massive, wonderful.
That is the head Of q statesman and fnan-
cier, while its mouth, with it's pleasant
smile, telling Of the tact and natural suavity
CT Margaret's character, proclaim the Gle
! uents OF born diplomat. Vet, look again
! ct the broad, massive brow, and see the
earnest loving eyes that speaks Of g. true
wcrnanhood; look once more at the coarse
garments and you will see that poverty adj
dcd her loud to the ordinary burden OF
7vomanhoo(I, while ignorance, bereavement,
affection, loneliness join hands with poverty
against this soul But the massive brow
conquered; the untaught brain triumphed,
and under the leadership Of the sad, gentle
eyes, gave to the suffering what might, had
she been a man, born In other circun1'
stances, have been the gain Of nations and
the glitter Of the trappings Of diplomat.
"Wh hen consider what Margaret did for
one city under such desperate dlsadvan~
| tages / wonder what she could have done
for the world if all the environments had
been right. I was thinking of that as
looked, in passing for the hundredth time,
at the strong, fascinating face this morning,
when your question met my ear.
eyes, it looks like her, and there VIII
never be another in marble likeit to the end
of time. She was grand character--ten-
der, strong, original, pitiful, helpful, WISE
-.Metfopolit11e.