The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-25


maids" laughed the lady. The chamber
maids are always coming and going. 1t is
the burden of my life to keep their places
filled"
What salary do you pay them and what
are their hOurs?"
1--WE pay them $50 n month and they work
from 6 to O.
Helen made a quick mental calculation.
Thirty dollars would pay the childrenS'
board and leave dollar or two over. By
doing fancy work in the evenings she might
earn enough to clothe herself and them in
the plainest manner.
will you engage me from the end of this
school term?" she asked.
The lady dismissed her maid. then turned
to Helen with look of blank amazement.
Helen Heating, what do you meanY'
Precisely wha: say, Mrs. Bro0kes, and,
pray you, do not refuse me. This separa-
ton from my children is killing me-"
She pushed back her hair from her face,
showing the pallid skin and sharpened tenl-
pies. She held out her wrists, thin to ema-
citation. She raised her eyes, trimming
with tears, to her friends face.
Mrs. Brookes could not gainsay the en-
treaty OF the soft, blue eyes, but she shook
her head at the little wrists.
You do not know what the work Is. You
could never endure it,"
you will see," said the young mother
bravery.
The fall term of school closed on the 23d
OF December that year, and on the 24th
Helen Heating. in a neat calico gown, was
making beds and scrubbing stairs in the
orphanage, beneath the same roof with her
children. 1t was strange experience to
sit at servants table, and to be addressed
in familiar tone by the other "help" 1t
was stranger stIll to see her children march
By, part of a sedate procession, giving no
heed 10 the woman with pail and brush
who stood aside to let them pass. But she
was not ashamed. even when the baby,
catching sight of her, gave little cry that
was lost in the clatter of the moving feet
that carried her on with them. Instead
there was feeling of eXultatiOn in her
heart.
She will sleep in my arms tonight. l
shall have her in my arms again. They will
all be with me tonight" she muttered to
herself, and the words sung themselves over
and over, keeping time with her work
And In spite OF her aching back and bis
tered hands there WAS no more grateful
mother IN the city that night than Helen
Heating when she gathered her little brood
about her once more in the hOmely room
that had been assigned them, where an open
fire Sparkled and glowed. Ralph and Janet,
the two older children, were wild with Joy,
while the baby forgetting her timidity of
the week before, looked upon the fair woman
who laughed and cried In breath as upon
some rare and wOndrUuS treasure regained
and was content to nestle in her lap and
listen to the charming fairy tales the mother
spun for their entertainment.
BUT when 1t came to undressing for the
night the baby struggled to free herself
from the mothers arms, disdainng help.
Had she not been graduated from helpless
infancy into the glory of small eirlhood,
and learned TO take off her wn clothes, in
the great dormitOry where thirty children
were put to bed by a single nurse?
Sharp pang shot through the mothet's
heart, as she felt that, after all. the sweet
dependence OF babyh0od was gone. She re-
membered how their father used to play
with the children at bedtime, rejoicing over
the beautiful rounded limbs and lovely
sleepy faces, and how his bearded face al
ways bent to the baby'S neck TO print a
good Knight kiss there, while the little
creature crowed with laughter, and how the
silken head nestled in his arms when the
frulic was over. Where were the silken curls
now? a tear fell on the little, close cropped
head, and the baby, struggling with an OBJ
stInate button, looked up and saw the wet
eyes. instantly two tiny arms were
stretched up TO her.
Baby so tired" pleaded the little one
Mamma, please undeSs baby" And again
the gentle child was gathered 10 the yearn-
ing mother heart
But Helen keating's comfort promised to
be short-liyed. Down below some of her
fellow ServIt0rs We're at that momeut dis
cuSslng her position, and some very good
reasons were advanced as to why its tenure
should be short One of them quoted the
words of an influential lady Director, who
was always said TO carry the day In the
END ms lady had always maintained that
1t was mistake TO employ the mothers of
children admitted to the orphanage. for the
reason that it would not answer to have
servants who might by any posi- bility dis
crminate between the children, and she de-
clared that mother could not help doing
.
that one Of her children should be taken
sick-and the other lady Directors knew
very we'll that children were always having
some slight ailment-of what use would the
mother lie to the asylum then?
"Jist wait till Mrs. d. gifts hold av the
matter, an my foine lady III git her walkin'
paperS," was the COOKS shrewd comment.
Helen keating's dismissal from service
was indeed coming, but IN way that none
Of them fOresaw.
That very day an "Gcean tramp" had
sailed into port. and among her officers was
a man who had been found dashed to a tim
Der and tossed about at the mercy of the
waves more than year gone by when the
vessel had skirted the California coast
bound on her outward voyage. When this
poor waif of humanity had recovered rea-
son and speech he found himself far from port
or cable and off the track Of other vessels.
bound for trading-pOst in the South Pa
cific. When the second mate died of fe-
yer In the tropics. and it was found that he
was a competent mariner. the captain
was glad to give him the post;
and, being mastered by circumstances,
he determined to make the most
of these circumstances. He had invested the
most of his wages in a speculation In the
South Seas and Dame Fortune, as If aware
that she had treated him i'll, had made
amends handsomely, so that he set out on
his homeward voyage possessed of but one
q inc or vi OF IL
wife ana children. He had sprung ashore,
his pockets laden with rich gifts for them
all, and had reached his cottage at nightfall,
only to find the house occupied BY strangers
and his wife and babies gone. He had been
sent hither and thither, following false
clews, until chance had sent him in the
right direction.
Somebody rang the door-bell below and
the woman who answered it saw d mans
haggard face There was q quick, sharp
parley, the chain was loosed and ne was
permitted to enter. A hastily spoken di-
rection and he climbed the stairs to the
meanly fitted upper room, where the tired
mother had fallen asleep in her chair, with
her babe clasped tightly to her breast.
Happiness knocks at her door this
Christmas eve, but she does not hear. The
door was slowly opened and q mans
bearded face looked in. There was a cry of
alarm from the older children; then they
hid their heads beneath the covers, awed
by the sense of familiarity that grew upon
them as they scanned the strangers
features. The next Instant two little white
nightgowned figures leaped to the floor and
shouted joyous welcome. Their clamor
awakened the baby and her faint cry and
stir aroused the mother.
Many times Helen Heating had fancied
that her load of sorrow was but dream,
and tried to awaken TO the glad life that had
gone before. This time reality seemed to
her but happy dream and she dreaded the
awakening. But her husbands voice was
in her ear; her husbands arms were folded
about her; she was happy, protected wife
onre more. With heart full of thanks
giving she realized that the morrow's dawn
was to be the happiest Christmas she had
ever known.