The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-12-21

tour through the mining towns had
gone to pieces. The manager had
fed, and Mrs. Maynard, his leading
woman, known on the bills as Miss
Eta Baker" sat in the cheerless min
ing camp hotel, her eyes red with
weeping and her brain almost dis
tracted. Her trunks, with others. were
held in the stage Office for the fares of
the company from the last stand. her
purse was empty. and she trembled at
every approaching step, fearing 1t
might be that of the rough-speaking
landlord, coming TO give her notice
that she must vacate the room.
Mrs. Maynard was a widow with
one child, a sweet little fiaXen-haired
cherub who had child's part in the
play. Her late husband was an ap-
parently well-to-do man, and at their
home in an eastern city they lived in
peace and plenty until the dread de-
stroyer, pneumonia, left her widow
at the age of twenty-one. After the
funeral of her husband she learned, to
her CONSERVATION, that his debts large
ly outweighed his property, and ere the
first great grief over his death had
been blunted by the hand of time, she
found herself homeless and penniless.
In the days of her girlhood and early
married life she had taken {. promi-
nent part in amateur theatricalS, and
the talent she displayed in that line
had excited favorable comment and
had gained for her merited recogni-
tion in the columns of the city press.
When left alone in the world and COM
pelled to labor for the support of her
self and little daughter, her thoughts
naturally turned to the stage, and she
soon found herself enrolled as a mem
Der of a company bound across the
continent on a California tour. At
Denver she was taken i'll and the COM
pany was obliged to leave her there,
and when, after a long battle with
mountain fever, she regained her
strength. her money was exhausted
and s.,c was without employment
Then it was that an irresponsible
manager secured her services, with
the result above stated.
The weather was bitterly cold. and
the small sheet-iron stove in the room
occupied by Mrs. Maynard and her
daughter seemed incompetent to bat
tie with the keen temperature which
penetrated the thin walls of the rough
structure dignified with the name,
THE Cosmopolitan Hotel" The par
1ition walls which separated the diff
ferent apartments were of canvas
stretched on infrequent joists, and
.ceach;Ig but little higher than the
head of person standing erect.
Midget as the wee mite of a
daughter was called, sat near the stove
with shawl thrown about her delicate
shoulders to protect them from the
cold. Looking up into her mothers
fearful eyes, she said:
Mamma, please don't cry so much,
for it makes me feel awful bad to see
your tears. am sure God will not
forget us, for ! prayed every time l
woke last night for Him to take care
of us, and after prayed l always felt
so good and happy, just as if / had
heard Him whisper to me that He
heard my prayers and would answer
them"
bleSS your trusting At1S hedrI,
you are great comfort to me, Midget, "
the mother replied. But for your
sweet, cheering words ] would give up
all hope and pray God to take us both
home to your angel papa We have
only God to look to in our troubles,
daughter, and we must not lose our
faith in the dear Saviour whose birth
will be celebrated all over the world
TOMORROW"
&C, mamma, Ia tomorrow Chris"
The little one had looked up with a
quick, hopeful glance. then as she