The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-07-22
pAuPeRs BECAUSE OF THE CHURCH.
A Case Showing How Charitable Women
Are Sometimes Imposed ON.

A Case showing How Charitable Women
Are Sometimes Imposed On.
Nancy A.. aged 30. can wash. iron.
clean house. sew. cook-"almost anything
that will earn an honest living" she says
A crippled brother, blind grandmother
a widowed sister who has the asthma and
three children under 8 years of age
Seven people to be supported 10y one pair
of hands" Tears in her eyes as she says
It, Children partly clothed by SUNDAY
school of your church. ma'am. and OH the
kindness of your church ladies to me can
never, no, never, forgetp IL seems that
they give her cart loads off cast of clothes
and provisions, always employ her to wash
dishes, etc, at church entertainments. and
"never let her suffer for anything" Nancy
is recommended to me by one of our Dorcas
society as a capable and willing washer
woman. Thus runs the original entry
Now | needed washerwoman as little
as needed "A belvedere on the roof Of my
house, but wanted to help Nancy, and !
would be consistent to my principle Of not
making honest workpeople into paupers
SO invented work for her / hunted up
some dozens of white things" that were
following on my linen shelves and packed
them into a hamper Nancy could not do
them up in my laundry "Fhere were
children at home, and nobody but them
three invaeeds to get their meals and keep
the pore things oslt of the fire. "
She looked askance at the hamper when
il was offered. The water arrangements
in her fiat were very "oconvenient" But
n lady on the next floor would help her
bring up the water II twas allowed in the
bill
readily engaged to allow IT, Otherwise
thoughtful women are too often inconsid.
crate in the matter Of water arrange
ments" in tenement houses. 1t is not as
easy to keep clean when every drop of
water must be lugged up two flights of
stairs as when you have only to turn
faucet to get all you want. Nancy next sug-
gested modestly that the wet clothes
would have TO be carried up to the roof to
be dried. But the lady down stairs would
help her with the baskets for twenty-five
cents She didn't like to risk straining
her back. II anything should happen TO
her what would become of her three in
valeeds and the children?
"allowed" the additional quarter of a
dollar. With seven people dependent upon
her Nancy's back must be respected. She
kept the linen ten days, but it was done up
beautifully paid her all she asked with
cheerful alacrity, and threw in at her
(modest) request some flannel to make un-
dervests for the grandmother. She was
unduly grateful, and promised to come to-
morrow for the next week IS supply of work
On the morrow | had, instead, a badly
spelled note-in pencil, of course. Nancy
had meant to tell me yesterday that she
could not do my washing no more, but did
not have the heart to disappoint me, seeing
I win bar do, nd
what with fetching up the water from
below and the clothes on to the ruff sech
work didn't pay. She was sorry to DISC
bleege me, for nobody need wanter work
for a nicer lady, and would please re-
member to mention her name to the ladies
at the straw berry festival next week."
| waylaid her in the lobby of the hall
when the festival was over She had a big
basket on each arm full of cake, bread,
sugar, etc, bestowed with her suppe&e over
and above SO in money. She was in hurry
90 get home to her ''invaleeds," but paused
amiably to hearken to my query as to her
engagements for the house cleaning season.
you're the fourth person what's asked
me that tonight -affable and complacent
"The church ladies has been so good to me
that | hate to seem unobligin' But
really don't see how I'm to leave home all
day, or even half Il day. There my three
invaleeds, you know"
Can you do some plain sewing for me?
Would you undertake weekly job of
mending to he done in your own house?
Pm Altered TO promise, ma'am-on &c
count of M invaleeds, you know. They
takes up oil my time"
but yoIr grandmother is not cripple
and your brother is not blind, and your
sister has the use of her eyes and limbs.
Couldn't they help one another for few
hours of the day?"
"Oh, m1'amr' with a smile OF superior
pity for my Ignorance, you can't imagine
how much waitin' on them poor invaleeds
requires lf'twasn't for the Sunday school
and the blessed church ladies we should a.
gone to heaven together long ago. The
Lord ought to reward EN-"
"A worthy creature" remarked the pres
ident of our Dorcas, who CHANGED to pass
as Nancy and her load moved on, land so
grateful One of the Lords poor"
In the ten years that have passed since
that particular strawberry festival Nancy
has not think, missed single chu rich
entertainment or failed 20 stagger hume
under the weight of the fragments gath
cred up by generous hands In that time
know she has never done days work if
she could help it.-Marion Harland in
New York Herald.