The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-12-04
A Cup OF Tea.

- - 1853
s:5itting in q station the other day I
had a little sermon preached in the way
I like, and I'll report it for your benefit,
because it taught one of the lessons that
we all should learn, and taught it in
such a simple, natural way that no one
could forget it:
1t was o bleak, snowy day, the train
was late. the ladies' room dark and
smoky, and the dozen women, old and
young, who sat waiting patiently, all
looked cross, low-spirited, or stupid. /
felt all three, and thought, as / looked
around, that my fellow beings we're a
very unamiable, uninteresting set.
Just then d forlorn old woman, shak-
ing witt, palsy. came in with a basket Of
ware and went about, mutely offering
them to the sltters. Nobody bought
anything, and the poor old soul stood
blinking at the door a minute, as if re-
luctant to go into the bitter storm again.
She turned, presently, and poked
about the room, as if trying to find
something, and then a pale lady in
blach. who lay as if asleep on a sofa.
opened her eyes and saw the old
woman, and instantly asked, IN d kind
tone, Have you lost anything, ma'am%
No, dear; I'm looking for the
heating place to warm me 'afore I
goes out agin. Nv eves is poor. and
I don't seem to lind the furnace no
where's
Here it is and the lady led her to
the radiator. PLACED 4 %r'lair, and showed
har how fD warm nor foot
We'll. now, amt that nice? sad
the old woman, spreading her ragged
mittens to dry. 'Tlanbv, dear; TIL, is
proper comfortable, amt it I'm almost
frozen to-day, being lame and wiml,lv,
and not selling much makes me down
hearted
"The lady smiled, went to the 0
ter, bought a cup of tea and some kind
Of food, carried it herself to the oil
woman, and said, as respectfully and
kindly as il the poor woman hal beea
dressed in silk and fur: Won't you
have a cup Of tea? It's very comfort
ing 4 day like this.
'Sakes aiiset do they give tea at
this dapot% cried the old woman il il
tone of innocent surprise that male a
smile so round the loom, touching the
gloomiess face like a streak of SIN.
shine. Well, now, tl:s is just lovely.
added the old LAZY, slipping away witt;
a relish. This does warm the cookies
OF my heart
while she refreshed herself, telling
her story meanwhile, the lady looked
over the poor little wares in the basket,
bought soap and pins, .shoe-strings and
tape, and cheered the old soul by paying
well for them.
AS [ watched her doing this, I
thought what a sweet face she had,
though I had considered it rather plail,
before. I felt dreadiuIly ashamed 81
myself that I hal grimf- shaken my
head when the basket wa offered me;
ana, as / saw the look OF interest and
sympathy and kindness come into the
faces around me. I did wish that I was
the magician to call it ont. II was only
q kind word and friendly act, butsoma-
how it frightened the dingy room won
d~erEaliv. It changed the faces of a
\ dozen women, and [ think it touched
q dozen heart;, foc I saw many eyes
follow the plain, pale lady with sud-
den respect. And when the old woman
got up to go, several persons beck
oned to her AMI bought something,
as if they wanted to repair negligence.
odd beggar women ere not tom.u-
tie; neither are cups 81 tee, hoat Iarcs,
and colored soap. There were no gen.
tlemen present 80 be impressed with
the kdy's kind act, 50 it wasn't done
for effect; and no possible reward coal
be received for it except the ingram
NAUTICAL thanks Of q ragged oil woman.
But that simple little charity was q
good as o sermon to those who saw it,
and / think each traveller went on her
way better for that half-hour in tho
dreary station. I can testify chat one
Of them did, and nothing but Tao empti-
ness of her purse prevented her from
comforting the cookies of the heart OF
every forlorn old woman she met for q
week after. Louisa III. Alcott.