Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-08-03

ClOUQe6 are
old and shabby and dingy, and it's Of no
use trying to make them look anything else. %
Dolly gave sigh that touched Matte s
heart
Poor little Dolly! It's too bad for you;
you're so sweet and pretty and patient. Just
wait till my ship comes in,
can you shall haze siller,
An wear gold ring"
Dolly smiled family
Chat was what father always said when
we wanted anything. 1 used to believe in
that ship as much as I believed in next year.
and sometimes indulge myself in dreaming
about it now, and fancying what it viii bring
US"
Matte set the last stitches with lips com
pressed, and began folding the coarse shirts
on which she was working into q compact
pile.
Are they finished?" asked Dolly.
mo; I'll sew on the buttons tonight; I'm
going out to look for our ship"
Matte put on a hat older and more open
ly ugly than DOlly's, and walked down the
street with her firm, rapid tread. Once she
turned to look back at the small, brown
house that was the only inheritance her
father had left to his wife and girls-a for
tune that seemed infinitely smaller now that
the mother had gone also, after d prOtracted
sickness that had consumed the last dollar
from the sale Of the orchard and garden
The coarse sewing, with which the girls man
aged to keep soul and body together, was
certainly better than nothing, and was con
sidered a respectable resource; but, at best,
it was working with starvation swinging a
mPrciless lash over their heads.
She went where many poor souls has gone
with perpleNIties that seemed uObOdy's bust
ness-tO the minister. No doubt, in that
peuuriOus. DOVertV-stricken community
the good man had perpleNities of his own,
but that only helped him to sympathize
with other people, and few households held
any secrets from him. The old hOusekeeper,
knitting on the porch. welcomed Matte
a
South Adams to tend a funeral but she
was looking for him every minute
Matte went to the study, and turned
YEARLY from the rows of solemn old books to
ind retreshment in the papers upon the table
that seemed so much more modern and hu-
man. There was a story that looked tempt
ing with its spicy bits of conversation, but
this was chapter *. Then there was a ser
mon, an exposition Of the Sunday school les
son. letters from travellers, answers to miscel-
laneOus queries, household hints and ecOnO-
mics, at which Matte smiled gIimly, with the
feeling that she could open some depths Of
experience in that line herself, and at last a
letter from a woman addressed to the editor,
complaining that the world was out of joint
and in need of regulating.
$50 1T is, p thought Matte, nOddIng assent
as heartily as If the writer had been sitting
there in the leather-cOvered chair opposite
her. AS she read, her dark face flushed, and
her breath came more rapidly. Why here
was a woman IN desperate need OF help, and
here was she, asking only the chance to help
her, and they were but twenty miles apartl
But then, perhaps the letter was just made
up and put in the paper; perhaps there was
no Mrs. Z. L. II owe; and at the thought Mat
tie threw down the paper, and went to meet
the minister who was coming in at the gate.
He smiled at her Impotence, and seated
himself very amiably to read the let
ter which would never have attracted
his notice. He smiled again when
he looked up at her, and quite agreed with
her that the writer was probably a fiction OF
somebody's brain, created to make fOrcible
the undOubted truth that there were scores
of women, with beautiful homes, whose wealth
brought them nothing but bondage, because
of the impOssibility of obtaining intelligent,
dependable, care-taking servants; while there
was a great multitude Of women in need of
homes and driven to all manner Of miserable
make-shifts for mere livelihood, who might
if they would, supply just this service, with
mutual satisfaction and benefit, The prob
lem was to bring them together.
'iBut If the letter were genuine my child, %
asked the minister, what them"
''Ihen," said Matte, promptly 81 would
write to the woman, and ask her to let me
try. I should like nothing better than to be
her hOusekeeper. delight In housekeeping;
Pm born cook, and Dolly would be perfect
y happy with two babies to Cuddle and sew
for"
The minister looked at her doubtfuIly.
81 suspect IL is only the rosy side of heE
work that this letter-WritLer describes; there
must be a good many disagreeable things
'sThere are many disag reeable things about
our present position" began Matte, but
stopped abruptly.
Not even to the minister would she have
owned that they were actually pinehed some
times for suitable food.
s.Do you think she asked hesitatingiy,
''there would be any improperly in my writ
ing to this lady to Inquirer
mot in the least; / VIII forward your letter
with a line to the editor. Why not write
heEef" he continued.
And With the prOmptness Of desperation,
Matte seized the venerable gOosequil, with
which alone the minister thought II possible
TO write his sermons and penned upon q
great, square sheet a brief, ladyliks letter.
The minister's Endorsement was also brief, to
the effect that the writer was g sensible, pFac-
teal, Christian girl, tolerablF wei educated,
ton in q family such az that described in the
communication signed Mrs. = i. Howe