The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1891-07-25
WOMAN AND HOME.
THE LEvlTE WHO PASSED BY
ON THE OTHER SlDE.D


Hints for the Household.
Mr.. Dorsey's natural eyes were looking I
straight ahead of him, but the eyes of his !
spirit were gazing at something back in the |
halls of memory-somcthing painful, evil |
IDENTIFY for a shadow fell upon his face
81 don't want to be preachy or any of chat
kind of thing, buc | hope you will remember
the story, and tell it whenever you can in
the interest of discriminating towards. If l
could put into the tale what have suffered
from my own sin, am sure that none who
hear it would have the same thing TO regret.
81 was drowned once in one of those little
Minnesota la1es which look so sweet and
peaceful, and are as tseacherous as tigers.
"Talk about the sensations of a drowning
mani know them. | was brought book,
not from Inconsistencies, but from con-
seriousness in a strange and interesting coun-
try. l knew what was happening when
sank the first time. 1t seemed TO me that
could see through the water to the very sky.
After the first roaring sound, when my ears
were filling with water all was utter silence.
was at the bottom of the lake, drowning,
and knew it, / could do nothing to save
myself, and, indeed, didn't think of doing
anything then; my mind was busy with the
panorama of my past. | have listened in
credulously hundred times to stories Of the
drowning who remembered every act OF
their lives as they were sinking. | believe
the stories now.
81 remembered everything. Queerest feel
ing imaginablel forgot that was drown
ing-that is, forgot TO be frightened about
it. seemed to be resting on some elevation,
and watching my life fly past me, one scene
after another assure you WINGED several
times as certain things, long forgotten, were
pictured in strong colors Many sin which
l had lightly committed and lightly dis
missed from my mind looked very dark to
me then. And there was no shutting my
eyes to them, either There they were, grim
accusers, accompanying me to the bar of
Judgment / believe truly in a recording
angel. think his name is Memory. / have
seen his account against me up to that date.
Since then | have endeavored not to in
crease it.
''Every deed carried its motive and conse-
quences in full view The darkest among
them all-the one from which my spirit
turned with the greatest abhorrence-was
sin of cowardce-moral cowardice A
young girl in our town, when ! was in my
early twenties got the tongue of scandal
after her She was alone in the world and
poor, but bright as a diamond, and had a
pleasant face and sweet manners. She was
employed as bookkeeper in one of the stores,
and somehow there began to be coarse gossip
about her and her employer.
1T may have been the most malignant of
lies-doubtless was. AT least had no right
to judge her. In any event she was my
superior in morality. Bravely she bore it all,
high spirited creature that she was. She
never bent an inch under the malice of those
hut lnx~ al
cruelty. Probably every fiber of pride she
had was wounded every day, again and
again. We had been at school together and
were good friends.
"What did | do when they began to hound
her down with their low suspicious and
wicked talesl Never went near her. Yes,
and worse than that. 1t so happened that
one morning, as we were both going down
town. overlook her on corner spoke
courteously, of course, yet feeling so
cowardly within that dare say my embar-
rassment showed in my face and manner.
thought of what Mrs. So and So would say
If we were seen walking ON the street to
gether So like the poltroon was, crossed
the strv and walked down on the opposite
side
'Tink of it, will you? ] felt base at the
time feel vile now when / remember it.
If l lad stuck a knife into her heart am
sure | could not hurt so cruelty. Oh, she
was very proud. saw a stony look come
into Ter face that l can never forget, though
wish 1 could.
"Wen, the scandal mongers did Their
work at last. They drove her out Of town
She went to the city and died of heart breal
and starvation, while trying to find hones
work-literally done to death by wicked
tongues OF all the scenes memory revealed
to me while l was under water, that one OF
the street corner was the most repellent-th,
one / regretted most.
II had been a contemplate coward whel
it would have been so easy to be brave,
threw away that priceless thing, the oppor
tunity of helping a heart that was stricken
had dealt a dastardly blow to woman WHIT
was making brave fight against poverty
and injustice. grow weak at the thought
of it even now.
II never realized how basely had acteC
until that drowning panorama showed my
conduct to me in its true light. repenteC
of it from that hour and have repented evel
since had been guilty Of things the worl(
would call worse; but no other sin looked 81
hateful TO me, no other was so entirely with
out mitigating circumstances. A man il
always a coward who consciously hurts
woman; but to wound one who is alread,
wounded alone, defenseless, struggling
working, and putting brave face on it all
well, hope none of you may ever have Il
confront an accusation from the past lik
this.
THAT scene in the mirror of memory ha
influenced my life ever since. l am now sur
TRY to remember, each Of you-that whei
we injure another the one most injured i
ourselves. am 55 years old, and have bee
in the pulpit in the faithful service of M