The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-03-02
ONE WOMAN'S WAY.

fNtuTGcs dnu TWO uIHeTItlS SetS VI III
i 3mbttahts. Walking in one part of
7 q terrortory. where. surrounding the
Neen campus. the college buildings
lllfed their stately fronts, the visitor
sss aware of a tranQiI atmosphere,
tsturhed periodically by gusts of
kI@yish glee and the shouts of base
lnli and tennis players yet the dom.
Itant feeling here was of aristocratic
esponse and seclusion. AT the OPP
psite end were tall, black -brOWed
lctories, with many grirny windows
~ chimneys belching smoke In
Hiffs and clouds, while all dav the
MN Of spindles and the whirr o.
,i0o Ens told their taie or anxious In.
0ustry. About the factories clustered
We swarming homes of the opera
Ties, and fringing these, like tatters
oAthe edge of garment, were the
salons, which did their best to rob
iheWorking man of his wages, and
bre& the hearts of his wife and chill
dren
Ashe Jews had no dealings with
the Smaritans, equally as remote
from Intercourse, and alien in feeling,
were tie people of the college quarter
and tB people of the town. The
churchs did what they could in an
intermittent fashion. to bridge the
gluf, bu their efforts were not sue.
cessful, and they failed to get into
the inner life of the outsiders, to
whom heir interest came with a
half.unGnscious tone of patronage
quickly esented-for none are more
sensitivethan the poor. The charity
organization did better, and still.
when the years work came up for
estimate, there was always disap.
pointment because of evident failure.
"The Gnshams are hopeless" said
one member, pushing back his spec.
tacles fromhis puzzled eyes. "Father.
is a good workman. but seldom sober,
and growing worse weekly. Mother.
discouraged and frivolous. a gadder
about, our visitors say. Jake, in Jail
three months for theft. Sally, sent
to the reformatory. Lucy. John,
TheOd Jre and Garfield. all taking
tkeir turns at basket begging. It's
astonishing that an American family
pan sink so low." .,..
"Amerfcans surpass foreigners In
capacity for shiftlessness, when once
they have lost their seIf.respect," said
Rev. DIR. Evandorf. with emphasis
1--WE may as we'll cross the Gresh.
ans from the list" said Mrs. Lucas,
addressing the chairman. "We ought
to assist the worthy poor. These
Greshams are distinctly un worthy"
"The Lord does not treat US on
that basis, Mrs. Lucas" remonstra.
ted Deacon Bayfield,, shaking his
grizzled head. "For that matter, He
has long suffering for the worst of us
miserable sinners. l don't want to
abandon the Greshams yet, though ]
confess don't see what more we can
do"
A silence fell upon the committee.
lit was broken by clear, bell like
voice from lady on the outer rim oi
the circle. She was the youngest per.
son present. blue eyed as baby,
with wavy. golden hair. and color
that deepened from shell pink to
blush rose. as she modestIy said: II
will take the Greshams for next year,
Mr.. Chairman. Let me have the
family as my special work"
Mrs. Lucas frowned. the deacon
beamed. the good committee. as
whole. wore an air of relief. and leav.
ing the troublesome Greshams to
Mrs. Jenner, passed on to other
themes.
Paying her first visit to the Gresh.
ANS abode. pretty Mrs. Jenner had
,,6eed of all her courage. The home
was unlike any she had ever seen.
No word except "squalor" was suffi'
cient to describe the kind of shame
less, out.at.the elbows, defiant pow
erty, which proclaimed itself in the
rents and tears of the fruzy mOther'e
gown, In the dirty floor and win
dows, the broken chairs, the rusty
stove, the wretched apologies fol
beds, and the general confusion and
the lack of thrift. Pausing on the
threshold, Mrs. Jenner took in every
thing at a glance. but the blue eyes
with the forget-me.not luster, ap'
parently saw nothing except the
wailing infant on pillow in the ole
cane rocker. 1t was popularity o.
the Gresham's to have always
baby, and however the mother migh
cuff and scold the other children. she
was womanly enough still to have
gentleness for every new conner into
the unattractive nest.
"The baby is teething. see." sale