The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1891-09-12
THE BACK WINDOW.
Leaf from the Life of . Kind-Henfted
Woman.

Leaf from the Life of Kind-Henfted
Woman.
In a city where many of the homes of
the rich touch the abiding places Of the
poor, lives sweet and beautiful woman
whose home is all that the word i'm
plies. Here is elegance, comfort. and
degree Of luxury together with cheer
fulness, love and true kindliness. The
furnishings in this home are rich, the
flowers are rare and the library is COM
posed of the choicest selections.
On morning when trees were bare
and snow was piled about the fences,
the husband of the mistress-who had
never ceased to be her lover-ordered
sent home quantity of beautiful flow
ers. Coming in later, he looked in the
front windows expecting to see them,
but was Disappointed; and finding his
wife said: ''The flowers I ordered
havn't come, see.'' She smiled most
charmingly, and leading him to back
window, pointed to the beauties. In a
tone of vexation this hus band-lover said:
But why here?''
Silently taking his hand, and as 81
lently wiping from her eyes the tears.
she led him nearer to the window and
pointed to another and smaller window
in the poor house back of their own.
There sat a bent old woman, holding
the hand of gray-bearded old man, and
both were looking eagerly, like chill
dren, at the bright blossoms. The mis-
tress of the beautiful home smiled
through her tears and waved her hand
to the old people, and they both arose
and bowed, the gray-haired man in a
stately manner, while the little old
woman threw mberless kisses.
The husband was touched by the
thoughtfulness of his wife, and said:
las ever, you have done we'll. While
looked for my flowers where they would
make the greatest display, you have put
them where they will cheer two lonely,
poor old people. Now tell your thought
less husband what prompted you to do
this
The charming mistress colored verv
much at this delicate compliment, for
she was extremely modest; but she sat
by his side and told how one day she
had seen the little old woman weeping
and the stately old man sitting with
bowed head, and how, until evening,
they had seemed very miserable The
next morning the mistress had had
brought from the conservatory and put
in the window an azalea in full bloom.
Not long after she saw the aged couple
standing in their window and looking
at the plant. They were smiling, and
seemed to have forgotten their sorrow
of the previous day; but the mistress of
the beautiful home was not satisfied to
do this little, cheering deed She went
to them in all her kindness of heart
and asked them what she could do to
tighten their SORROW
Then it was that she learned their
story, and then they told her that the
only brightness that came to them in
their miserable lodgings was through
her back windows. They also told
how the crippled boy in the next room
and the feeble mother in the room
above, were moved each day so that
they might see whatever brightness the
beautiful home and it's mistress had for
them.
1t, is needless to say from that time
the lives of the tw- old people were
made pleasanter by frequent visits
from the husband of the dear mistress,
neither of whom were satisfied to con-
line themselves to window kindness.
So, in our every day lives, our best OPP
portunities do not always lie near our
front windows. The hurried passer-by
may not appreciate the richness and
brightness so freely shown, but many
weary lives may be cheered by the
flowers placed in our back Windows
Anna P. Payne, in Ladies' Home Jour-
nal