Rock Island daily Argus., 1893-02-24
SUNSHINE
BLIND JeNNlE'S PATHETIC STORY OF
WAYS OF DOING GOOD.

She Has Built a Temple In n Tenement,
Saturday and Sunday-she Has Scattered
Sunshine In Many Homes.
In little east side tenement she lives,
woman ''sore afflicted unto God" yet
who knows not the nature of repining.
All, no! If you ask any child of the
neighborhood to tell you the happiest,
sweetest, most tranquil gerson in it, 1
wager they'll shout with unanimity,
Blind Jennie!"
And it is true as true can be. The hight
has gone forever from the eyes, a 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 up. and Jennie, Blind
Jennie" eyerybody's friend in Lewis
street, basks in eternal sunshine
A simple little story is Jennies, 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 little fighty at
| times, and that is one of Jennies crosses,
| but it is her Unfiagging industry, going
| about the streets peddling soap, matches
| and Jimcracks, which pays the rent and
-
| 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 disfguring disease attacked her face
! 1t ate away her mouth and nose and
| compelled her towear a 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 it 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 her! Shame be it on the
name of every one:
And so she retrCatcd to the poor little
| tenement behind another tenement and
prepared to live ont her life as best she
might.
And then began her Sunday school.
| She did not seek for scholars They
came to her rs 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 ana 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 angels. How they awakened the
echoes OF & region which usually re-
sounded to the songs and curses OF the
drunken ana the vile.
] Two Sundays IN ,Jcnnie's wcck-Sat-
urday for the Jews and Sunday for the
Gentilcs.
One day little girl came up to the
room.
i want to come to Sunday school" :"
she said.
But there is no Sunday school till
after dinner
We'll, l amt going TO have no dinner
today, so l 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 who
attend either one day or the other
| Jennies knowledge OF the Scrintures
and of the hymns sung in the mission
and at her home is marvellous. If the
words OF Il hymn whose music attracts
her are read to her several times. she re-
members them forever after The sing
ing is one of the great attractions to the
little ones.
The members of .Iennie's class DO not
meet at stated hours, but run ip when
ever they desire.
All. what glorious thing il was that
the hospitals turned Jennie from their
inhospitatle doors, She vo0id have
been so useless III those warm and cheer
full rooms-a recipient Of their aims and
nothing else. whereas she has turned he,'
tenemcns into temple ana filed one
Of the darkest corners of the city with
the light and the grace Of God,
ii Hope Mission chapel keeps its eye on
7 Jennie and her mother and keeps the
wolf from entering at the door. a. IT
would 90 sometimes if they We're lctt
absolutely unaided. The good people.
who are not overrich themselves. help
i them out with tnc rent and the coal man.
A few days ago the missionary went