The Van Buren press., 1895-04-27
A MINISTERING ANGEL.

eno wos very commonplace sort OF fly,
VINO puzzed about q good deal, now
and then stung a little, and was some.
what tiresome whether she huxzed or
stung
/ But In her own opinion she was q
butterfly" fitting about among the
perfumes and pleasures Of life, careless
OF the morrow. She liked to think
that women OF the more serious sort
despised her; 1t made her feel so femi-
nine. The circumstances of her life
occasionally threw her into the COM
pany OF busy women, vigorous girl
journalists, or enthusiastic young art
students, and these she would always
beg to crafty her with little con.
tempt. I'm such frivolous, tridinf
little thing" she would say. VI am
quite sure you must desplse me-" She
was quite annoyed when nc was met
by courteous, mot at ALL" or dis
concerting, "Why?"
At last, one sunday at church, the
clergyman had such an unfortunately
penetrating Voice that all her pleasant
planning OF new frocks was dispersed.
There is no time on earth SO suitable
to the planning Of new frocks as
sermon time in church; more exciting
topic, could one be found, might dis
turb the meaningless repose of features
proper to the occasion; any less eacit-
ing would become uninterestine; but
that earnest preacher simply preached
accordion plating and rainbow chiffon
out of Lilith's head. She went home
With her mind fixed on the success she
might make in an utterly different role.
Here in London, In this vast city
teeming with wealth and learning,
there were thousands of hopeless poor,
blindly treading the way lowell,
the wrong way, with no one to set
them right; and here was she, who
might be ministering angel of light,
wasting her time In vain pleasures and
admiration-well, not quite SO much
admiration as she deserved, perhaps
say, in pursuit OF pleasure and admira-
ton. How much better, rather than
spending her time In hot, crowded ball
rooms, where the suppers were fre-
quently poor, and there were never
quite enough partners to go round
among the girls, to seek a higher pleas
ure in doing good, to be the central
figure in crowded back streets, fol-
| lowed, haloed-as 1t were-with the
blessings Of the blind and struggling
to whom she brought light and guild
| ance.
She would begin at once-that very
afternoon, instead Of going to sleep
after lunch. As she went upstairs to
dress she felt supremely pleased with
herself. In the intervals of arranging
her hair and complexion she paused
several times to strike ''soul's awaken
ing" attitudes In the glass and think
how well they became her.
She felt she ought to take something
in the way Of spiritual weapon, tracts
or soup-sympathy for the poor and
erring would naturally run to tracts or
soup-but there were certainly no
tracts In the house, and, though there
was probably plenty Of soup, it was IN
awkward thing to carry; it would be
sure to get split over her frock and
mixed up with the long ends of her
cocks feather boa. After a consulta-
tion with the cook she started out with
an untldy parcel of stale cakes, the
leavings Of Fridays lat home," and
took a cab down to Hammersmith.
She wandered off the main road,
round corner or two, and very soon
found slum-an ideal slum, for 1t
smelt abominably, land had no outlet at
the further end. Children in oil the
aniline hideousness Of their Sunday
apparel were playing in the gutter,
| with q certain reserve, 1t Is true, on ac-
count Of the aforesaid Sunday frocks,
but, still, actually playing In the gut
ter, sailing paper boats in it.
One or two swarthy men, who had
palpably not been to church, were
making Sunday day of rest by sleep
ing in the warm spring sunlight, with
gorgeous abandonment to the delight
Of leisure, their backs straight up
against the wall, their legs stretched
full length across the path. Lilith
had to step gingerly over q pair or two,
on her way down the alley. One un-
shaven giant lazily opened corner Of
one eye as she passed in. In her char
acter of benevolent angel, she said po-
litely: II hope I don't disturb you,"
but it was obvious she did not disturb
him in the least. He just shut the
corner of his eye again, and took no
account Of her whatever. She had just
sufficient tact to avoid the houses where
the hostess, with bare arms laid on the
windowsill, was entertaining her
friends outside, and passed on, study
ing the windows. One In an upper
story had clean white starched cur
tains That seemed promising. So
Lilith mounted the rickety, evil-smell-
ing wooden steps that led to the door
corresponding to it, and knocked.
A thin voice called: "Come in," and
she entered. The room was faultlessly
clean, and severely tidy. A figured
tablecloth on the table should have
shown the occupants to be people Of
some social standing among their
neighbors, had Lilith only known.
| One or two severe, almost abusive
texts, hung round the wall-"Cease to
do evil" "How long wilt thou be drunk
emp" (the latter with the last word en-
phasized in scarlet). encouraged her to
proceed with her mission. She turned
| her gaze towards the two occupants Of
the room-a small, dull-faced girl in
her teens, and a crippled child, who
covered In chair by the fire, mutter-
ing to herself
"Are you come about washin'?" the
girl asked, seeing that Lilith appeared