The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-01-12
HER GIFT Is PATIENCE
BELLA, THE WOMAN IN CHARGE or
4 LADIES' WAITING ROOM.

Her Post Is In the Grand Central Sta
ton. and She Sees OF Busy,
Frantic, Rushing Women Every Day.
Despite All the Haste She Is Calm.
The presiding genius Of the ladies'
waiting room at the New York Central
station at Forty-second street is named
Bella. 1t is to be presumed she has also
a family name, but no n knows what
it is. In fact no n cares. For thirteen
years she has been the friend and assist
ant Of almost every child and woman
living between New York and Pough-
keepsie who travels on the railroad. She
is a tall, slight woman, with a pleasant
name and kindly face, though how she
can remain so placid, answering so calm
ly the thousand and n questions adj
dressed her in rapid succession, is a puz-
zle.
In the first place, most Of the out OF
town shoppers have all their purchases
sent to the waiting room, to be called
for at train time. These bundles are
put away in a big closet, piled from floor
to ceiling with packages containing
| every conceivable thing, from spring
bonnets to cream pufs. From 3 to 5 is
the time 10 watch reunions between the
women and their belongings. Shopping
is over and every one is hurrying home.
Half a dozen tired women and girls will
charge into the waiting room at once,
hastily inquire, where are my things,
BellaP' and begin to arrange their bangs.
BY the time the hasty toilet is finished
their dust coats and parcels are on b
big table, and the umbrella and over
shoes are on a chair in the r
Every parcel has had the knots seen
to, lest they fall open in the train, and
soft or carelessly wrapped articles have
an additional heavy paper about them.
These are all handed over with a pleas
ant smile and just the slightest possible
forward motion Of one hand for the ten
cent fee, which is dropped into a capa-
cious bag in the closet.
SOME PECULIAR CHARGES.
Ladies coming in for a days shopping
usually stop in a moment to get rid of
heavy wells and dust coats or to wipe
ths cinders from their faces. Lots Of
them keep their own combs "nd towels
here, and repair damages as calmly as
if at home. Bella gives them a little
critical glance, and perhaps makes a
suggestion. Then off they go, leaving
things scattered about-soap, comb and
train gloves-all of which will be found
in their own particular corners when
wanted.
There is one lady from Yonkers who
is deaf and afflicted with an unquiet
spirit. She would not trust her comb
out of her sight for worlds; her soap she
dries and puts back in her pocket. | saw
her the other afternoon run back four
times to see if a parcel left in Bella's
care had been safely marked and hidden.
Another kind of crank never knows
when the train goes, neither will believe
when Bella tells her, but always insists
on that long suffering woman hunting
up a time table and proving her state
ment.
In striking contrast is the good ma
tured, easy going woman, who saunters
III, asks "When does the next train 60,
Bella?' and calmly reads a novel till the
bell rings. This is the woman who
leaves her small girl here while she pays
calls. The small girls enjoys being left,
and tells wonderful stories of her adyen-
lures all the way home.
sat for an hour in the room one day
and saw a canary and two children left
or called for, a school girl thankfully
recover a lost exercise book, four men
plunge in under the impression that it
was the entrance to the elevated rail-
road. Cyrus Field hammer iercely on
the door and inquire if the feminine por-
ton of his family had gone on, a marvel
Gus number of hairpins replaced and an
almost endless stream of bundles handed
in by GRAND boys.