The Press., 1889-12-05

New York. It seemed easier to Mrs Bar ron to work for a living where there was no prejudice against it.
 She had painted fan and a fire tcreen, which applauding visitors praised as ones friends praise everything down south. She fancied herself making fortune by decoration.
 Alas hosts of professionals were in the field, and no one fiatters poor women who work for living. No one finds them par ticularly interesting.
 | Mrs. Barron, accustomed to the courtesy l of southern men to ladies, felt offended and insulted at every step. Their little
 money melted like snow before the fire. They went from cheap boarding houee to cheaper lodgings, and one morning found themselves penniless. Then they began
 to sell their few ornaments, their ward trobe. until the time came when starvation
 stared them, in the face. Mrs. B iron
 tot 10 her bed in sheer desperati l Mamie had retained her pride until hat moment, but rather than see her mother
 starve she determined to bg
 A kindly woman on the floor below lrd
 often given her good day, and, as she seem | ed in comforta bie circumstances, she would
 scarcely deny her a cup of tea and piece 1 of toast and 80, with heavy heart, Man.
 nie B .rron fapped upon the door and told
 her story falteiing1y to the good, motherly
 woman, who answered:
 l "With all my heart. Come in, and I'll fix tray. So.y .yon're from the south, are you? An, I've wanted to do some good to
 some one from the south for long. long while. &.
 She carried the little breakfast up stairs herself, and her air was so much that of l Rnsn xloA all f ~ charity was forgotten. She made the in- valid eat and drink, and then arranged the
 bed so that she cou d rest easier.
 "You want more covering, any how, she
 said, and went away for moment When she returned she carried on her arm a
 quilt, which she added to the bed clothes.
 'That quilt looks rough, "said she, 'but
 its soft and thick. I'm going to give it to
 you. It came from down south, and, as I've told your daughter, I've wanted to do
 something for some southern woman for , quite while. One of them was good to my boy, and at time when it would have been natural for her to be hateful He was one of our soldiers, and had been
 maimed and wounded, and the shoddy clothes some rascals made their fort unes by
 were dropping off of him, and he had chllls , and fever.
 ;l He stopped to ask a girl for drink of
 water, and she seeing him shiver, just caught that quilt up off the hammock ill which she'd heen swinging and pinned ii ) around him. Why, he said, it saved his } life, for he'd lost his blanket. Many g night he slept ill it.A Its a woolen quilt and stuffed with wool, and every night he ? prayed for her. s'The lovely little Vlr.
 ginian," he called her, for he didn't know her name, and when he came hone he brought 1t with him. I'll give it to you , because you are from the south, but the
 pin che fastened it with he keeps as if il
 were holy relic of some sort, and will, he , says, all his life. He has got on well,
 said the mother, ssfor all he has but one
 arm, and he writes that he's coming back from California, where he's quit making 6 fortune, to take me and his sisters to live there, and only for that southern girl, Goo bless her, he'd be dead, I believe. He said it warmed him to the heart, that quill , did" Then she went softly out of the room, with promise to bring something , nice for dinner, and Mrs. Barron sat up ir ? bed
 'sMother, cried Mamie, ''it is the quilt. "Yes, cried thfk older woman. ''Loch [ the door and brinI me the scissors. A {; moment more she cried hysterically,:
 ''The money is all here, all safe, Nan nie," and they fell sobbing into each oth er's arms.
 "And I thought that God had q,ite for. gotten us" said Mrs. Barron. Two thousand dollars is not fortune, but it seemed so at this juncture to those who had seen poverty face to face; and long before want threatened them again 2 some one came back from 0 llfornia and recognized the '.lovely little Virginian' al
 glance, and the story ends like gypsy fortune-teller's prophecy, with wedding, fortune for the pretty lady, and good luck and happiness for everybody.