Evening journal., 1893-02-23
SPREADING SUNSHINE
BLIND JENNlE's PATHETIC STORY OF
WAYS OF DOING GOOD.

In little east side tenement she lives.
q woman "sore afflicted unto God, yet
who knows not the nature Of repining.
All, mol If you ask any child Of the
neighborhood to tell you the happiest,
sweetest, most tranquil person in it,
wager they'll shout with unanimity,
"Blind Jenniel"
And it is true as true can be. The light
has gone forever from the eyes, q blight
rests on the feeble body, but on the
peaceful soul and on the mind illumed
are lights no doctors or magician's skill
could conjure mp, and Jennie, "Blind
Jennie" everybody's friend in Lewis
street, baslSs in eternal sunshine.
A simple little story is Jennie's, story
that / might fill full of tears, suppose,
and much sentimentality. But what is
the use of weeping if Jennie smiles? Is
it not better to rejoice that the little
heroine has found so much good to do in
the world which has so little good to
offer her?
She was struck by lightning many years
ago-at least, that is the cause her moth
er gives Of her blindness. This mother,
with whom she lives, is a little flighty at
times, and that is one Of Jennies crosses,
but it is her unhagging industry, going
about the streets peddling soap, matches
and jimcracks, which pays the rent and
brings bread to the poor tenement which
the two call home. The bad boys often
chase the old woman, taking advantage
Of her feeble mind, and harass her
greatly. There is no crueler beast in
the jungles of Asia than the bad boy.
and he has not the beasts excuse for
cruelty.
After Jennie had been blind some time
the dishguring disease attacked her face.
II ate away her mouth and nose and
compelled her to wear thick veil when
ever she went out to the church or Sun
day school. Doctors said it was a can
Ger, and attempts were made by kind
friends to get Jennie admitted to the
Cancer hospital, but the physicians there
said that IL was no cancer. And so, with
that cruelty which sometimes marks the
conduct Of our hospital attendants,
sworn to mercy and kindness, poor Jen-
ME was driven from one institution to
another, and none would have her. None
would have herl Shame be it on the
name Of every onel
And so she retreated to the poor little
tenement behind another tenement and
prepared to live out her life as best she
might.
And then began her Sunday school.
She did not seek for scholars. They
came TO her as the sparrows did to look
for crumbs upon the window sill. They
were the children of the very poor,
Some of them were of Hebrew birth.
like Jennie, others were Roman Catho-
lies. Others did not know if they had
been born to any creed, unless it were
the creed of poverty and anguish.
How they crowded into that little
room! What comfort they found there
under the spell of the blind girl, who
seemed to them to talk with the tongue
of angelsl How they awakened the
echoes Of region which usually re-
sounded to the songs and curses Of the
drunken and the vilel
Two Sundays in Jennie's week-Sat-
urday for the Jews and Sunday for the
Gentiles.
One day a little girl came up to the
room.
Il want to come to Sunday school,
she said.
"But there is no Sunday school till
after dinner"
! "Well, amt going to have no dinner
today, so guess III stay and wait"
You may be sure that she was made
welcome, and that she did have dinner
that day with Jennie and her mother.
And that is the kind of child who be
longs to Jennie's Sunday school. There
are fully 80 who belong to it, and whC
attend either one day or the other.
Jennie's knowledge Of the Scripture
and of the hymns sung in the mission
and at her home is marvellous. If thl
words of q hymn whose music attract
her are read to her several times, she re
members them forever after. The sing
ing is one Of the great attractions to tn
little ones.
The members Of Jennie's class do no
meet at stated hours, but run in when
ever they desire.
All, what q glorious thing it was tina
the hospitals turned Jennie from thei
inhospitable doorsl She would hav
been so useless in those warm and cheer
full rooms-a recipient Of their aims an
nothing else, whereas she has turned he
tenemenS into temple and filed on
! of the darkest corners Of the city wit
the light and the grace Of God.
Hope Mission chapel keeps its eve O
Jennie and her mother and keeps tn
i wolf from entering at the door, as
would do sometimes if they were LEI
) absolutely unaided. The good peopl,
! who are not overrich themselves, hel
. them out with therent and the coal mar
A few days ago the missionary wer
shopping for Jennie, and this was whl
he bought after paying out s. for th
rent. Quilt, $3.50; cot, $i.25; unde
clothing, Sl.75; pillow, "a cents; sheet
) 6s cents; two cups and saucers and tw
knives and forks, "a cents, and wasl
board, 1s cents.
"The fund from which we drew thel
: little purchases" said Pastor John
s Devins to me, ''was only SS7, but v
found that Jennie absolutely needle
them and that settled the matter vii