The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-12-30
The Story Of a
New Years Gift.

A couple married but few years,
who had lost everything through illness
and misfortune, decided to come to Chi
cago before winter set i'll to try to Sc
cure some sort of employment that
would yield living The husband had
| been an accountant and office man, and
the wife had a good general knowledge
OF and experience in office work
Ihey rented a suit of cheap rooms on
the West Side. and then followed days
and days OF weary seeking, almost a
house TO house canvass of the down
town district, leaving applications
wherever the managers would permit
We can give you any encourage
ment in these times. We are not taking
on any new men.
"Our business hardly warrants our
keeping our old employees but we can t
discharge or get rid of them TIL they die
off Your references are all right. and if
times were different 3" etc
And when Sunday came there was
scurrylng for stationery and for stamps
out OF the thin purse to answer ads
Any one who has answered advertise
ments IN the sunday papers knows what
1t means to reply to what seems some
thing promising and then wait, first
with hoping, then with sinking
heart, for the postman Monday after
noon and TUESDAY morning When there
were no letters by Wednesday they CON
soled themselvps, scarcely daring to look
INTO each othrs eyes. by saving that
the firms We're investigating their refer
ences, which would, of course occasion
delay, but one lay was like another,
with its trudgllI, trying and waiting.
The purse became empty and the
meals scanty, and the rent due, and
after the first Ionth the furnace sent
up little heat ant the landlady good
morning" was rigid They shut the
doors more quIetl' as they went III and
out and wore shatner clothes and their
steps grew heavle. as their faces grew
less hopeful
One night the husband came home
without his cuff buttons, and next
morning wore ptir of his wife s. but
there were steak a d coffee for supper
In few days he lift his watch down
town and wore an I'D fashioned silver
one that had been hs father S. and then
they decided they cold get along with.
out that too And here was nothing
more to pawn. Theman several years
before had helped lawyer out of a
tight place. lOaning him small sums
several times He dropped III to see HIM
. M ht,il n mo
and asked him for a dc lar or two The
lawyer stepped out to get the money,
and, strangely enough. iorgot to come
back at all
The wife had packed two pieces of
rare French brlc a bra in her trunk,
and If she could sell tbm-ln great
city there We're always pople who were
glad to get hold of artistic curlos, if
you could find the right leople
The pieces of china WEE worth from
$50 to 500, but Husband and wife
agreed to part with then for $25 if
purchaser could be found A curio deal
er down town offered her l.50 They
are French There Is n demand at
present for things of theklnd, but If
you want to leave them viii give you
a dollar and half or so, aid he The
wife next started to visit houses on a
fashionable boulevard, and was either
denied admlttance by a han hty servant
or a supercllIOus dame RET sed even to
T look at the pleceS-the Ink of which
could not be found outsidein art mu
scum. She never bought iron peddlers,
she explained then log, weary
walk home. and only bread nd tea for
supper
For two or three Sunday NIGHTS they
had attended Rev DR. ID. church
Besides being a most learnedand elo-
quent preacher, DR. ID appared to
them a man of large heart, kindly i'm
pulse and intense sympathle whose
whole personality beamed VIII love
and kindness The little womn hope
fully decided to 60 to this min ter and
ask his assistance Surely i'll } large
Ind wealthy "A church the paste would
know of some phllanthropically lclined
parlshIoner who would be glad help
struggling fellow creature, as ,ell as
TO acquire the beautiful objects art
Reading III the papers of phllanthoplsts
giving thousands tor charity, she tbught
1t only needed that they should know
any one to be worthy of assistan, and
they stood with hands outstretchd
minister of Christs love and lercy
would surely help her But sh was
from the country and did not knol
She called at the residence OF DIR
ID In a few words she told lin
impatient for her TO finish, not a. lng
her To SIT Then he replied n Nh
borry, but l can do nothing
Won you look at it, she venturd
mo, I've no time, very busy With
important letters can do nothing u
you
He hastily opened the door. almst
pushed her out, and, without even
Good morning, shut the door
The little woman came to me | coui
not buy, but 1 gave her some names
women of my acquaintance who
thought would help her-at least VIII
could do so if they chose Among thel
was Mrs, R, a frivolous, newt
married woman who had never bee
suspected of ever having had a sober
serious impulse, but who was warn
hearted and lovable and happened to bt
first on my list. With this | dismissed
the matter for time from my mind,
as we are all wont to do with things