Omaha daily bee., 1895-05-01
THE SINFUL WOMAN.
"O for the Rarity of Christian Charity"


Up and down the streets Of the city wan
dered the Sinful Woman, needless OF the
passers by, sensing only the beauty and glad
ness of the bright Spring sunshine. Not as
one whose life is pure and to whom the sun
light is only counterpart Of the brightness
in her heart, but as one whose sin has come
out into the light Of day, seeming all the
more dark because Of the great contrast with
the bright sun.
Such thoughts as these always came to her
at this time Of the year, for 1t was May, her
name month,-but never with such force as
now. Was is because the world was brighter?
Or was 1t because her life was darker than
1t had ever been before? She could not tell
She only knew that they troubled her-such
thoughts-and she walked on and on, as if
by so doing she would get away from them
All! these thoughts of ours! How they cling
to us! Following us when we would get
away from them, and troubling us when we
would have them net.
At last she reached the public square {:
weary and soh-hearted she sank upon one
Of the benches. How she hated it all-this
life of sin which she was living. How she
longed to get away and begin a new life
Just as the grass and the flowers were break
Ing away from their dark earth
prison and starting forth in the brightness
and beauty of the sunshine. But could she
do so? Had she the strength to fight the
battle? Would there be any help? She had
no place to go; no friends only those who
were her companions in sin. Sc was an
outcast in the great, cold world. There were
none to even pity her, except with that pity
which comes Of scorn. Oh, bitter, bitter
thought! She stood with the whole world
against her. Where, then, could she go?
Back to her life of sin? Never! She would
before would IA aLp hat bata ta6
again. She leaned her head on the back of
the seat, while hot, bitter tears coursed
down her pale face.
Hark Out on the soft spring air falls
the notes Of the deep-toned organ in the
church across the street Sunday! She had
forgotten that 1t was the day of rest. Rest!
There was no rest for such as she. All days
were the same dull, dreary round
So still, so quiet was the day that she
could hear the low monotone of the priest as
he read; then the congregation is its re-
pOnses chanting: Lord, have mercy upon us
and incline our hearts," Then her thoughts
turned backward TO the happy days Of her
childhood, days when she, too, knelt and re-
peated these words, and was as pure as
those who were chanting in the church
across the way. How long ago 1t seemed
to her, and yet 1t was not many years, but
oh, the years had been lifetime! Would
she dare to ask the Lord Of the Universe to
have mercy upon her now? Her mother had
taught her that He was ever merciful-per-
haps-would He not have mercy upon her
and help her? Hereceived the Magdaene-
and
Bowling her head and with clasped
hands, the sinful woman offered up the
prayer of the sinner in the synagogue of old
Lord be merciful to me, sinner" Would
not He who is ever merciful hear and an
swer her prayer? He never turns away
| those who call upon him in truth.
The service had ended and the congrega-
tion was slowly leaving the church. Down
| the steps came one who was well known as
a prominent Christian Many there were who
| sung Of her goodness; none were there sc
| devout as she. Many who saw her face
during the responses of the service hat
| thought: Surely the Christ spirit dwells IL
| her," But even as she had chanted the re
| sponses the words Of her heart had been
| Lord, l thank Thee that l am not as other
people are' O., self-righteous woman
knowest thou not that thy self-righteousnes.
is as great a sin in the eyes of the Lord
| yes, even greater than that Of thy sister
who outside calleth upon Him for mercy
she hath confessed her sin, but thou, thol
| thnkest thou are without sin.
1t was to this Sinless Woman that the Sin
full Woman came. Not to the woman, but t.
| the Christ in the woman did she fall dowr
and pour out her bitter story OF sin an(
misery, But she, whom the world said wa.
without sin, she drew back from the contain
| mating tOucn OF the Slntul woman and said
60! What are you or your life to me? /
but speak with you the world will say tha
am such as you"
"The world" cried the Sinful Woman, "al
ways the world! 1t was the world which
made me what l am. My first step in the
| path Of sin was not sin itself, but because
Of a slight misstep the world pointed il,
finger of scorn at me, and who can outliv,
the scOrn of the world? Then you, too, be
long TO the world, and not to the Christ
Yes, will 60 You could have helped me t
honest womanhood, but you send me bacl
| to my life OF sin. May the Lord have mercy
upon you, for you will need II when yoI
come before the Great Judge, as / will my
self, but you, you who are dlshonoring Hi
name, what then will he say OF that?"
The next morning the police found tn,
body Of an unknown woman in the lake
She had been dead several hours when sh,
was found, and the jury rendered verdic
OF suicide On the records OF the police sta
tion they wrote: "An Unknown Woman
Suicide, aged about 90"
And the Sinful Woman had gone to re
celve mercy from the Giver Of Mercy.
RUTH DICK HALL.
Chicago, III.