The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-01-20
A GOOD DEED
which Took an Old Apple WOmAa iron
q Life of Labor.

LAG O1 AdUoEs
The story of old Ann, brief and SIM
pie as it is, is pleasant illustration of
the fact that even those persons whose
lives seem wholly sordid have in them
somewhere a saving 'streak" OF good
ness.
Old Ann was an "apple woman" and
for years she had enjoyed the sole
privilege of peddling fruit and candy
in a large office building occupied al
most entirely by unsen;imental bust
ness men.
Every day Old Ann, untidy, uncouth
and ignorant, battered about from door
to door, offering her wares to the occu-
pants of the various rooms. Her fruit
was not always fresh, and often it was
not of the best quality, and her candy
was, in truth, apt to be very stale; but
the men bought it-and when she was
gone very likely consigned it to the
waste basket.
They paid little heed to the fact that
Old AIMS footsteps grew slower and
slower, and that the great basket on
her arm became more and more of a
burden.
One day she fell heavily in one of the
corridors of the building. Several men
heard her fall and rushed out of their
offices.
whats the matter with you, old
LADY," asked a stock broker.
''I-I-hardly know, sir; guess l.
I've kind O. give out"
ut looks like it. l guess you've ped
died fruit about long enough. You'll
have to give it up"
"Oh, no, no! don't say thatw pleaded
the frightened old woman. Il don't
know what'd become of me and jimmy
if you stopped me from selling fruit in
this building"
"Who is Jinny?" asked one of the men.
"She's my granddaughter, and she's
got weak spine and can't do a thing
to sport herself, an what makes here
sports us both. We live alone, just us
two an we manage to get along. There
amt much profit in fruit nowadays, but
we can live-if only you won't have me
shut out O this building. You won't,
will you?"
Glow old are you?"
'Im past 20, but l amt so feeble as
some at that age. I've felt kind of run
down of late, but I'll pick up again, l
know l shall"
''Well, you take week off and we'll
all chip in and give weeks profits to
you so that you won't lose anything.
Gentlemen, bring forth your nickels."
The speaker passed his hat; and it
would have taken Old Ann many a
10 4
the sum the hat contained when it had
gone the rounds.
The poor woman's gratitude was I'M
speakable when the money was poured
into her trembling hands. She said
nothing with her lips, but her eyes and
her face spoke volumes.
She never peddled fruit in the build
ing again. Something in the WORKOUT
old woman's silent thanks; something
touching in the helplessness of her
poverty-stricken age, appealed to one
of the money-getters whom the world
might have called hard and cold.
He called a carriage and went with
Old Ann to the place she called home.
Its extreme restitution distressed and
sickened him. Within "a hours he had
established her and her helpless grand
daughter, young woman of 25, in two
pleasant rooms in good neighborhood,
and the old woman's name has been
added to his weekly pay roll. Every
Saturday she receives, and will receive
for life, if the noble young fellow lives,
a sum sufficient for the needs of her
granddaughter and herself.
There are many such deeds of kind
ness, which never receive public men
tion-and they are all the more worthy
because they seek no fame.-Youth's
Companion.
American and EngIisb polo