The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-11-26
WHOLE NO. 2o53.


is lots OF work il you only stir yourself
and look for it,
~You and are much alike said a
man opposite. 81 have looked for work
both in and out Of my profession. I am
a musician, young and unknown. have
heard you all talk OF being poor, but when
a man loses many possible good chance
in his business through the want Of a
postage stamp AZ the right time, tell
yea he knoxs something Of poverty,
though he may have good coat on his
back In cur profession poverty IS 3
matter Of course We NAV be even IA
nous and starve. Meanwhile ! am OBJ
liged to keep up appearances and live in
a decent house"
'Yes," said q woman near hin, "and 1
dare say not your own house. Well, If
poor boarders have their troubles, don't
think that the boarding house keeper
leeps on bed Of roses. There is hope
less side to poverty, and acontented side,
and and expectant side But ! know an
othsr Il is the ludieTo1s side. Ny
husband died in debt There was only
the weary old.WAy 10 support myself l
opened a boarding house. 1 wish ladies
could go lower down to make money
had not the strength Of mind to do differ
emily from Others Of my set, and think
with Us women that is one Of the great
causes Of our troubles. We don't dare to
face the worlds talk, even when there Is
nothing to be ashamed Of / had hard
time with inefficient servants, for | did
not thriyeand could not pay high enough
prices 70 secure good ones. But sent
for two Of my neices, as poor as myself,
and together We did the work and shar-
ed the profits Let me say to you that
if you are poora and have tolerAbls health,
/ do your own work By that means we
got on and had order and cleanliness.
and though life is not exactly delightful
TO Us, ii Is tolerable.
sAs 70 the ludicrous side Of poverty.
We see enough oft. So many little
shifts and pretenses, though they are
pathetic enough sometimes. / began by
asking rather high prices, and if they
were refused, let the rooms stay empty
But my purse began to get empty too,
and ! was obliged to compromise. Some
times did not like mans manner or a
voInan's costume, and was stid, which
lost ne considerable money. Then again,
some mems business was not TO my taste,
though they were very silent and unob-
trusive themselves. lost many q good
boarder the first year by standing too
much on my dignity. If q dancing
master generally teaches department to
his pupils. 1 think some one should teach
bankers daughter, in view of certain
possibilities, how to attract and deal
Z pleasantly with boarders fit were not
a good thing TO be merry under the worst
circumstances, | should not detain YOU
SO long with my experiences; but if We
persistently ignore the humor that is con-
cealed IN almost every stage Of poverty,
we are making ourselves more miserable
than God intended Us to be" Then she
vent on to enumerste the lndicrous in
cidents which the poor bozrders treated
her 70 day by day.
If money troubles were everything
said a moody man, you would all be
rquarreling who was the worst of among
you You might be rich in money, and
yet broken and worthless
Ny host whispered to me that this
man had lost his faith in woman. Then
be pointed out a pale woman in good but
not snowy clothing. who was yet more
wretehed than the poorest at the feast.
her husband cared nothing for her She
was dying Of broken heart. Just op-
posite her were man and woman whom
no recital seemed to affect. Their only
child had been suddenly killed few
weeks before.
Ny friend pointed out man at the
bottom Of the table. lie had an uneasy
eye and restless conscience. l asked
what this man had done.
set trans for the feet Of others" said
my host 'In old times. legends saw,
men sold their own souls. He has sold
those Of others. Anciently, to trample
on the Cross Sas the worst sacrilege q
man could commit; but be has trampled
beneath his feet the very image ofCod.
SGch as be are called men about town
need not tell you more
Near him sat a woman with a faded
shawl, soiled and rakish bonnet, bra
zen face and dirty hands. No teaching,
no help. 10 good example, no chance Of
good had over come to her. And there
vas a woman in Partisan dinner dress
who sat between two men Of the home
less kind in upper life-the lay figures Of
society. She was more hopeless looking
than her neighbors She had no work.
! No object save pleasure ever stirred her.
Then my most told me in low tones,
while the others were talking among
themselves, how he had gathered these
people together for this extraordinary
Thanksgiving feast. Some he hAd met
by accident. Others he hunted up, going
into the dismal places to find them. The
most despziring weIe the ones he chose.
He said
TO some sent formal invitations by
post. ! knew It would please them. Tie
invitation itself Put in language they had
not known for years. would be more Of a
blessing than the mere feast to which
they were bidden. The moral pleasure
given, OF the selfrespsef indaced by these
invitations, is more that half the boon Of
my Thanksgiving feast To a few the
mere food IS much, bat then to those far
sunk in the mud; animal comfort must
preeede moral impression. When peo-
pie are comfortable they like to listen TO
good talk, and vhen you have laid found
stion in corporal works Of mercy you
may safely begin the supersirueture Of
the spiritual. Indeed, the physical parts
Of their trials are really theleass, and The
physical reward Of good feast also COM
paratively small. Some Of them dine
well every dag Of their lives, and vet
have no pleasure in it or anything else.
They whC 10 not ind more pleasure in