Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-01-29
N wINNIFRED's WARD

=
thrilling through the great room, then
the airs Of some old ballads, closing with
a CHEEKY song which she ended abruptly
in the middle Of bar.
She rose from the piano and turned to
the mantle "Oniy four o'clock, she
said, with something like a groan. Il
never saw SUCH day There1l never Os
an end TO it," Suddenly a thought seem
ed to strike her She crossed the room III
the rear Of the great house. As she APP
preached she heard the sound Of singing.
How sweet and clear it was. And the
wOyGs-the words were those Of the old
BALLAD she had 50 suddenly ceased play,
ing
'Ah don't be sorrowful, darling,
And dont't be sorroWfuI, pray;
For taking the year together, my dear,
There ism more night than day.
She entered the room as the song
ceased "Why, Ellen, | never knew you
had such a voice. | never heard you sing
before.
lit was your playing started me, Miss
Roosevelt. But I'm % happy to-day"
Happy !" The young mistress Of the
great, grand house repeated the word
with strange information, as if it were a
new one to her Happy she said,
for the second time, brushing aside a
great heap Of silk and lace from a broad
low table, and ating herself on one end
of it. well, IN wfetched, miserable !
Such day-pourlng from morning till
night, and nothing new to read orr
thought I'd come up and try on some Of
the dresses again. anything to Kill time,
and-what makes you happy" she in
quired, with quick change of tone.
my .-ter was taken to tue hospital this
morning" the young seamsuess replied
smiling.
WHAT" gasped Miss Roosevelt
"HospIt.tl Your sister,"
The doctors decided three months
ago bat there was no help for her, but
it was only last week that [ had any
hope Of getting her into such a pace-a
place where she will be so splendidly
taken care Of, where sshe will have every
comfort, and where can go and see her
every day :"
Tell me all about it. -
Miss Roosevelt pushed farther away
from her the shining pile of silk, bending
eagerly toward her companion.
1t is Il simple story and took but a short
time III the telling Winnifrel Austin was
one year younger than her sister. Early
orphaned, they had struggled through girl
hood and into young womanhood together
by the hardest sort of hard labor at the
sewing machine, until spinal diseas had
developed with the younger one, making
her cripple for life.
But the hospital for incurables-do
you know anything about the hospital,
Miss RoJst welt? A very rich woman left
the money to build it with, "
Miss Roosevelt shook her head. She
knew nothing of hospitals, no more than
she knew OF prisons, and public courts,
and other horrors With which she had al
ways associated them.
1t such pleasant place, in Winn:e's
ward. The ladies of st. Mary's Mission.
where we went to Sunday school, arranged
so that she could go there They gave her
a sunny corner too-such a blessing-and
were 80 thanNfull Why, we're happy!
Her dett fingers busily plated narrow folds
In the silk as she talked on with an ami
mated manner and radiant face.
Miss Ro sevelt sat still and watched her.
This was a revelation Why had size never
before thought of this girl as a human be.
ing? Sne had realized that she was a fine
seamstress; her work was fauitIeSs. as was
also the work of the sewing machine stand
ing near by her. Sac hal har " separated
them in her tbogbt Yet this GIRL had
been coming to the great granite mansion
every day for weeks to sew for her; always
with placid face and CHEEKY manner and
Taplu fingers, and yet with all the poverty
and deprivation, with all the pain and the
hopetessneSs Of her humble home waiting
every night after her days work was done
this poor sewing girl happy because ber
only sister was IN hospital and the sun
shone in her corner of the ward! A
pang struck through her heart like the
birththroe of something terribly strong
and great.
Can you see your sister to-day?" sht
asked, suddenly.
"Oh, yes, that's the best part of it
l can see her ev ry day after work is
over.
Miss Roosevelt rose suddenly and pulled
the bell rope. Put away all this stuff,
she said impuIsively. taking the work ou
Of Miss Austin hands. Get your har
on. l want to see your sister. Tell jaime:
10 have the coupe at the door lust a,
quick rs ne possibly can, she said to the
maid who appeared In answer to her sum
mons Miss Austin heSitated.
But such a storm, Miss Roosevelt
You never go out IN such rain a
this
It's high time did then. " Miss r ,ose
welt responded with another pang, d
she became conscious of the fact tha
the young sewing girl had come am
gone, unheeded, many times in Jus
snch pouring rain and not in a carriag
either.
The drive was not a long one, the hos
pitai which sheltered SO much helplessnes
and suffering Icing but a few blocks from
the r Roosevelt house. which for generate
had been the abode Of elegance an,
abundance. Winnifred's ward was no
sunny to-day, unless ore could designat
as sunshine IN shady place. the smil
which lighted the sick girls face at sigh
of her sister. she had heard much of tn
beautiful and wealthy Miss Roosevelt, anC
showed gratitude, but no surprise, at til
upaypanfpd vi sit