Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-02-28

humble, was to her home, warmed b.
affection in local aud personal attach
ments, coming across the stormy AT
lantic, only to see it relentlessly requir
ing the sacrifice of her husband for en-
tombment in its dark caverns, with onl,
the dirge and requiem OF its wild, deep
toned waves; pressing on to Quebec an'
Montreal, and thence Thousand mile
or more TO this remote place, and nov
only asking for opportunity for homes
and faithful employment at my hands
how could refuse at least trial as q
reward for such fifth and perseverance
Twas q moment described by The
I great dramatist, "When one touch Of
nature makes the whole world akin"
beheld before me, not an igorant immi.
grant, to be laughed at and thrust aside,
as coming on a fools errand; but hero
inc endowed with pricelesss faith,
which could remove mountains, whose
guileless, earnest appearance showed
that rs daughter, wife aud mother she
had done her best. and who could do
more!
My heart had its own way. and then
my lips were no longer glued together.
"Mrs. Phelan, said /, as l handed
back the document, with the air of one
most profoundly impressed, that GER
tifieate settles the matter: as the widow
of Michael Phelan, you shall have n
chance to provide for yourself and these
children OF his, if in my power TO
arrange with promptness aud decency."
Pen nor pencil can never depict the
glowing Of the light in the eyes OF that
mother, AS she dropped another pro-
found courtesy" looked triumphantly
in the faces of her three little girls and
carefully restored her talismanic GER
tidcatc to its wrappings and place near
her heart.
The general steward was summoned
and learning from him that one OF the
stewarding families was just leaving, and
their successors not as yet installed, and
that very trusty single man was so far
convalescent at the hospital, that he
could be detailed 10 keep order aud rem
der the widow any needed assistance,
directed that carpenters be summoned,
and a room in the main building be
partitioned of for him forthwith, and
the widow DO at once installed in the
family apartments, as solely for her own
use.
Inquiring for her baggage, behold
ali her worldly possessions were Just in
side my Office door in the shape of few
bundles, which she and the children
picked up, and, following the messenger,
were directly installed in their new
quarters.
The new arrival created stir in the
colony of adjacent buildings, with the
inquiry how widow who only landed
from Montreal in the morning could get
the coveted steward position before
night Whether the widow as
cribed it TO Lord John Russell's infiu-
ence TO those who inquired OF her, l
know not, but l was very careful not to
mention the fncts about her precious
document to any one, Even the general
steward treated her more deierentlally,
from the evident Endorsement which she
had received at the managers offic', not
knowing how it was obtained. Not q
little of her success was due, however,
to her own shrewdness in slipping by
all Intermediates, and stating her en-
rand only where the final decision was
to be made.
Some days later in passing her domi-
Gle, a glimpse of the widow brought her
to mind and led me to enter her building
and inspect her care OF it. Its order
and neatness was most commendable.
The daughter of IL years was doing an
Adults share OF the kitchen work; the
girl of was, in the mems absence, at
work attending to clearing their quar-
tiers, after having made the table ready |
hours in advance, while the little "tot"
of A was seated on barrel to bring her
to the right height to table at which |
she was securing the knives and other |
table articles with bath brick, till they /
shone like silver, and with the steady |
action OF n veteran, who thought of moth |
ing but the business in hand.
1t was a custom of the stewards de- /
partment to let the men choose their 4
quarters and change about to suit them
selves, so long as the regular quota In /
each was not exceeded, aud thy ap- /
piled for transfer order at his desk. /
Soon he was flooded with applications 4
for change to the widows boarding
house, and upon inquiry was informed 4
that it was the most quiet and orderly 1
Of any, while the meals, in variety and /
were what Delmonicos was to
ord mary eating establishments.
The acquisitions for supplies for the 1
widows contained some items not on the
ordinary list, but were honored after
due consideration. Soon rumors of a
new style OF hash served up once a week
al the widows fioated about the location.
and even foremen called for transient
meal tickets to try it, and envied were
the men who held vested rights as regu-
lar inmates there.
The end of the month, with its tabu-
lated statements, came round, when the
figures indica'ed that the most economi-
cal and satisfactory results we're from
the widows house. The second month
confirmed such conclusion, when her