The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-12-02


ing chair, and overlooking the bakeshop.
She had no time to enjoy Injuries. even
had she possessed them As long as
there was weeping child OF q friendless
woman in the city, What time had she 70
fold her arms in a rocking chair2 While
there we're unbuFied, coffinlsss forms,
could she Siorn her home Of the living?
And 80 il happened that to the end Of
life Margaret spent neither tine, care nor
money on herself She forgot there was
such a mortal as Margaret
and when, one day, the news vent
around that Margaret was dead, the great
city rose and pGt on mourning the busi-
ness houses we're closed all the employ
ments Of the city stood still. The day Of
the burial thousands Of her little orphans
followed her bier as mourners; every
church sent delegations Of honor bearers :
the public school children joined in
the throng the houess were draped
along the line Of march all the bells in
the city tolled; civic and military join
ed in the procession with ecclesiastics !,
there never Was here a funeral Ike Mar
glret's.
~Afterward il Was found that her pos
sessions had been 50 disposed that had
death come at any moment the affairs Of
this life we're well and intelligently
wound up There were no personal ef-
feets Of value, bat even her few garments
she left % the poor. and with the pro-
ceeds Of her wise investments her chari-
ties are royalty endowed.
This statue Is the gift Of the city. to
show in this public way the esteem in
which she Is held It IS very ike Mar
garet- The motherly figure seated with
one arm eneireiing standing child at
her side the untrimmed dress, coarse
shoes. the little cr0chetted shawl about
her shoulders are homely, but who would
change them for finer clothing The
smooth hair, with its Old fashioned
French parting; the strong chin, the
pleasant mouth, the serious eyes-is there
not something fascinating in the contrac-
tons Of the face2
Did you ever see such a head on a wO-
mans shoulders Massive, wonderful
That Is the head ofa statesman and finan-
eier, while its mouth, with its pleasant
smile, telling Of the;act and natural suav-
ity Of Margaret's character, proclaim the
elements Of a born diplomat. Yet. look
again at the broad, massive brow. and
see the earnest, loving eye that speaks Of
a true wOmanhO0d look once more AZ
the coarse garments, and you will see
that poverty added her load to the ordi-
nary burden Of womanhoOd. while iguo-
rance, bereavement, affection. loneliness.
join hands with poverty against this soul. |
But the massive brow conquered, the IN
Taught brain triumphed, and under the
leadership Of the sad, gentle ewes gave To 7
the suffering what might, had she been a /
man born in other circumstances, have :
been the gain Of natious and the glitter /
Of the trapping Of diplomat
When consider what Margaret did /
for one city under such desperate disad- {
vantages, wonder what she could have /
done for the world if aHtheenvironments
had been right I was thinking Of that
as I looked, in passing for the hundredth
time, at the strong, fascinating face this
morning, when your question met my
ear.
les, it looks ike her, and there viii
never be another Ike It in marble to the
end Of time. She was grand character
tender, strong original, pitiful, helpful,
wise ~. J. san.