Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-14


She was not attractive, with her deeply lined
face, her scant hair, mixed white and black
struggling little over the ears and severely
parted AMI smoothed back from the brow, but
In al artistic sense she compelled notice, such
notice as perhaps We would give TO an old tree
that the lightning had struck and blackened
but which still stood erect, de6antly, yet with a
dignity born Of the memory Of past days of
strength and usefulness, and q suggestion of
tenderness for the little vine climbing up on
the still live side
She sat erect and stiff In the corner Of the
room, her thin square shoulders upbenoing
and her feet firmly planted, the poor old head
never sinking toward the withered BOSOM al
though the tired eyelids closed and the irreg-
ular. almost gasping, breath told OF excessive
fatigue, caused, We knew. by travel and
much walking and hunger and worry. She
bad such Fad story. She and her husband
had started from Tennessee TO visit friends
CHS people" she called them in Alexandria,
and on the way he had died and been buried,
leaving her, besides his blessing. only little
black dog, to which he asked her to transfer
the love and faithful attention that had cared
for his weak body during the last three years.
She and little black Gypsy Daisy" con-
tinued the journey, united inwardly by bonds
Of protective love and fidelity and self-sacriiice
on the one side and perfect confidence and
affection, nay devotion, on the other, that IL
introduced into the hearts of Chicago married
people would soon win for that progressive city
fame far wider and greater than she now pos
sesses-and united outwardly By a string tied
to the apron of the protector and the collar Of
the protected. The least thing sometimes ex-
presses the most pathos. That little string
itself, made of short strips Of old muslin tied
together. with a finishing piece of cord on the
end, told a story Of poverty and Of ties Of love
stronger than any welded chain.
The unbending figure sat erect in the straight
epd G. hair md ia ipll aH hu, IA
were quietly clasped over the sleeping BODY
lying so coufdingiy in her lap, while the
kno,ted white string hung Enthusiastically over
the prim black apron. The thin lips parted
slightly ga if to show that the great fatigue
must express itself in some little way. and as |
looked was reminded, with a pang, that she
had had nothing to eat that whole day, and
after coming to us Twas too tired TO eat"
Merciful God. and size SO old,-"Past seventy"
she said. The clock had struck 10, but she
could not lie down because she WIS to sleep on
the sofa in the library, and there q visitor
there. AT last she stirred wearily and said:
Has the woman gone to bedi" Not vet,
said. she seemed mad at me for coming back
here. Do you reckon she W ouId care'if fed
Gypsy Daisy here2 saved little bit Of bread
all day in my satchel. A piece of paper was
put over the carpetand the crust laid down, but
il was too dry even for that little half-starved
stomach, and SO was carefully replaced in the
worn satchel.
Was she somebody's mother? do not know.
/ cannot tell you whether she ever found her
friends, but am afraid to think about it, because
l only looked at her and wondered and said no
word of sympathy. The good people of Wash
ington would have provided her home in any
one Of the charitable institutions suitable for
her, but they could not take her dog and she
would not be separated from it.
And the tears come to my eyes and am
touched with great compassion. Now that she
has gone ont Of my life and cannot help her,
as strive SO Intellectually to bani b the picture
Of the erect black-clad figure sitting 70 unbend-
ingly on the straight backed chair in the corner,
the tired eyelids closed, the exhausted feet un-
moving and the withered hands clasped lovingly
over the little companion from which she would
not be separated. God forgive ME that SIM
ply looked at her,