The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-26

pnuihah being TO give a judgment upon.
put am talking OF the women who con.
.oli i, 10 the popular idea of maidenly
soooness IN the age when these books
written. lou must remember good
MSS IS not a known quantity. 1t varies
Mi'h every age and every locality, and it
generally spea king, your siliv persons
"no are responsible tor its varying stand.
ARCS. In Japan good girl would be a
g,ri VINO would sell her honor in order to
anofo IIttie iuxuries to her aged par
e.ts. In certain hospitabIe islands
oI the torrid zone. the good wife goes to
lengths that We should deem altogether
unnecessary IN making her husbands
guest feel at home. In ancient Hebraic
lays Jaei was accounted good woman for
!:iiurdering sleeping man, and Sarai stood
IN no danger OF losing the respect of her
little world when she led Hagar unto
Aoraham. In the eighteenth century
III England supernatural STUPIDITY
ana duliness, of a degree that must
nave been difficult to attain, were
he'u 10 De feminine virtues-indeed they
ere SO stlil-and authors who are always
among the most servile followers of nub-
nc OPINION, fashioned their puppets ac-
cordlngiy. Nowadays stunning IS the
most appiauded virtue, and SO all our best
herolnes go stunning and are always
extra good TO the poor"
=, HOW useful the poor are" remarked
V,
ing has feet on the mantelpiece and fitting
ms CHAIR back till II stood At an angle that
caused us TO rlyet our attention upon it
WITH hopeful interest. az don't think we
scribbiing fellows ever fully grasp how
mucn We owe 20 the DOOR Where would
our angelic heroines and our noble-heart-
ca heroes be If II were not for the poor?'
We want to show that the dear girl is as
good as she Is beautiful. What do We do?
we pat a basket su!l Of chickens and bot
ties oil wine on her arm. a fetching little
sun bonnet on her head, and send her
round among the Door How do we
prove that our apparent scamp of hero
IS really noble young man at heart?
why, we send him ont on the quiet to do
good to the poor 1t comes out in the
end. Grateful. elderly females, unable 20
hold themselves in any longer. burt out
the facts In spite of his efforts to silence
them. Then he stands blushingly con-
fessed, and the girl gives him one quick
glance that tells all
They are just as useful in real life as
they are In Bookiand. What is it consoles
the tradesman when the actor, earning
$50 week, cannot pay his debts? Why,
reading in the theatrical newspaper gush-
ing accounts of the dear fellow s invariable
generosity TO the poor. What is it stills
the small but irritating voice OF conscience
when We have successfully accomplished
some extra big feat OF swindiing? Why,
Tue HoOle resolve 20 give 10 per cent. OF the
net profits TO the poor
hat does a man do when he finds
himself growing old, and feels that it is
time for him TO think seriously about Sc
CURING his position in the next world?
Why, he becomes suddenly good to the
poor. IL the poor Were not there for him
to be good 10. what could he do? He
would be unable to reform at all. It's
great comfort to think that the poor will
always be with US. They are the ladder by
which We climb into heaven"
There was silence for few moments
While MacShaugnassy pulled away yigor-
ously, and almost savagely, at his pipe,
and then Brown said: AZ can tell you
rather quaint incident bearing very apt
ly on the subject. A cousin of mine was
land agent in small country town. and
among the houses on his list was q fine
Old mansion that had remained vacant
for good many years. He had nearly de-
SPARED OF ever selling it, when one day an
elderly lady, very richly dressed, drove up
to the office and made inquiries about it.
She said she had come across it accident
ally while travelling through that part of
the country the previous autumn, and had
been much struck by its beauty and pictur-
sequences. She added that she was look
ing out for some quiet spot where she
could settle down and peacefully pass the
remainder OF her days, and that she
thought this place might possibly prove to
be the very thing for her.
my cousin, delighted with the chance
of a purchaser, at once drove her across to
the estate, which was about eight miles
distant from the town, and they went over
it together. My cousin waxed eloquent
upon the subject of its advantages. He
dwelt upon its quiet and seclusion, its
proximity-but not too much proximity -
to the church, its hardness to the little
village that nestled round the gates.
s.Evarr-thipp ppipfpI a satistontOrv
| conclusion of the business. The lady was
| charmed with the situation and the sur
roundings. ana delighted with the house
| and grounds. She considered the price
! low.
And now, Mr.. Brown said she, as
| they stood by the lodge gate, tell me
what class of poor have you got round
| about2'
"'Poorn answered my cousin, there are
no poor
| poor in the village, or anywhere near?'
You won't find a poor person within
| five miles OF the estate he replied proudly.
| You see, my dear madame, this is q & iniy
| populated and exceedingly prosperous
! county. This particular district is
| especially SO. There is not family in it
| that is not, comparatively speaking, well
| To do.
"'Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, said the
| lady in tone of disappointment. The
| place would have suited me admirably but
! for that
"'But surely, madame said my cousin,
! 10 whom demand for poor people was an
| entirely new idea, you don't mean to say
| that you want poor people? Why, we've
! always considered il one of the chief at
| fractions of the lroperty-nothing To shock
! the eye or wound the suscepubiiitieS Of the
! most tender-heartei occupant.'
80 Ny dear Mr.. Brown replied the
| lady, Il will be perfectly frank with you.
/ I am becoming an old woman, and my
past life has not perhaps been altogether
| too we'll spent 1t is my desire TO atone
| for the-er-folies of my youth by an old
| age of well doing, and TO that end IL IS es
| sential that | should be surrounded by a
certain number of deserving poor. / had
| hoped to find in this charming neighbor-
! hood OF yours the customary proportion of
! poverty and misery in which case should
| have taken the house without hesitation.
/ As il is, must seek elsewhere
MY cousin was perplexed and sad.
! There are plenty OF poor people In the
! town he said; many OF them most IN
! terestng cases, and you could have the en-
/ tire care of them all. There'd be no oppo-
/ sition whatever. III positive
/ THANK YOU replied the lady, 'but
/ really couldn't go as far a the town.
! They must be within easy driving DIS
! lance or they are no good
/ NV cousin cuQgeiei his brains again.
/ He did not intend 10 let a purchaser slip
! through his fingers if he could help 1t. At
! last a bright thought flashed INTO ms
/ mind. IN tell you what We could do.
he said There's 4 piece OF waste land
/ the other end of the village that we've
i. -. > an