The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-11
IT SHOOK HER FAITH.
The Pretty Bride Got Lesson That Sh
Will Not Soon Forget.

Inc Hfebty Bride Got a Lesson Ihab she
Will Not Soon Forget.
She is a bride, sweet-tempered, sympa-
thetic and with boundless faith in human
nature. She lives in pretty little home
in West End avenue-no matter what the
numbe is. BEFORE her marriage-and, in
deed, ever since-she has been active in
works of charity and good will, and long
ago she made a resolve that when she came
to have home of her own no needy man
should be turned away from her door
empty handed.
But already she has made mental reser-
walton. She is disposed now to do her
almsgiving through organized channels of
charity rather than at the front door or in
the streets. And this is how her childlike
faith was shattered:
The snow had just stopped falling. 1t
lay six inches deep, white and glistening
on the pavement of West End avenue,
when poor forlorn fellow in tattered
coat and leaky shoes came shutting
through the drifts and up to the steps that
led to the pretty bridal nest. He shook
the feathery flakes from an old SLOUGH hat,
heSitated a moment, then touched the
electric bell and stood firm and erect,
despite his beggarly raiment, in the atti-
tude of attention"
Excuse me, miss" he said to the maid
who opened the door as he gave her mill
tary salute, "I'm an old soldier, and not
used to begging, but if you would ask
your mistress if she hasn't an old pair of
shoes to spare. The snow comes clear
through the soles of these"
The maid left him standing there and
soon returned with a half-worn but ser
viceable pair of shoes, much better than
than those he wore. The old soldier took
4 ha,~x faR, Il tod
said, with an air almost Ghesterheldian:
miss, your blue eyes are as kind as they
are pretty, and that makes me bold to ask
if you couldn't perhaps find an old coat a
trifie more presentable than these rags
am wearing"
The maid was impressed. "He's we'll
spoken man, F" she said to her mistress as
she delivered the second message, land
I'm thinking he's seen better days"
A seryiceable coat was found. The brides
good husband only glanced over the news
paper to see that it wasn't his newest cuta-
way that was to be sacrificed. He smiled.
He was rather fond of humoring the bride
little charitable whims. The maid deliv-
cred the coat and was soon upstairs again,
wearing a look of unutterable surprise.
'And what is it he wants now, Maggie?'
said the mistress.
''Well ma'am, | never saw the likes of
him for beggar. He took the coat like he
took the shoes, almost crying he was so
pleased, and then he kind O. choked up
like. and he says to me, Sure miss, I'd like
to- do something for yez to to show me
gratitude is genuine, and if Yell get me
the coal shovel I'll do yez good turn any
way by a-clearing the snow off your front
pavement So / got the coal shovel and
gave it to him and he touched his hat
again"
He is no ordinary mendicant, SURELY
said the bride. ellis desire to give US some
equivalent, even by his own hard labor,
proves him to be a worthy man; don't you
think so, my dear?" and she turned toward
her more worldly wise husband for his ap-
prevail.
But the worldly wise husband only
smiled, as he glanced over the top of his
newspaper again and said: Perhaps so,
my dear; but Maggie had better go down
and see that he doesn't steal the coal
shovel"
Maggie went. The wind whistled as she
opened the door. The snow still glstened
in the sunshine. 1t was still six inches
deep ON the level and drifting. 1t was still
unbroken, save for the broad footprints OF
the old soldier headed toward the street
corner. He had gone. So had the coal
shovel.-New York Herald.