Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-03-24
A SEEKER OF CHARITY.
Written for This Paper.1
: COUNTY AGENT. :
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

door % a ramshackle old building before
which was long line of poverty-stricken
people each with basket on their arm.
To me, untutored in the ways of great
city as | was, the sign was meaningless at
the time, but the long line of people was one
OF the sights of the city, and l was in the
city to see all that | could in the short
space of few days.
The savings OF an entire summers work
was being devoted to this trip to the city
that | might see something of the wonders
of which | had heard and read so much. /
had looked at the tall buildings, at the
ceaseless stream of humanity on the busi-
ness streets, had visited the public parks
covered with a white mantle of snow; had
even squandered the half of good dollar in
attending the theater, securing for that sum
Il gallery seat, but of all the wonderful
sights | had seen that long line of suffering
humanity appealed to me most.
was born and raised on farm where old
clothes were valued as one OF the neces-
sites Of our working days, but in all my
farm experience had never seen such an ar
ray of rags as this. Every garment seemed
TO be in the same state OF collapse, all were
worn, faded and dirty. All, say, but this
| must retract and make it all but one.
There near the center of the line was
young girl whose clothing was at least clean
The difference between her apparel and
that OF the others in the line was SO marked
that anyone would have noticed it, While
her dress was far from new it was so neatly
patched and so clean that it caught the eye
at once.
1t would be hard to imagine how that one
clean dress appealed to me. 1t seemed an
oasis in desert of filth, one bright ray OF
liUht in ,nrl civ lho u,r ri larenIf
sented the same hungry, frozen appearance
shown by her companions. But aside from
this she appeared different. She was out OF
place, and her condition appealed to me
strongly.
As stepped nearer found she was cry.
ing, and her tears touched my boyish coun-
try heart. ! fell into vacancy in the long
line beside her and asked her the meaning
of so many poor people, and who and what
was the county agent At first she did
not answer me, but ! repeated my ques.
tons.
1T means that these people are hungry
and cold, and the county agent is their
only hope OF assistance" she said "We are
the county poor, or at least so much of it as
lives in this neighborhood.'
AT my exclamation OF surprise she even
ventured a faint smile.
"Are you stranger here? From the
country, ! suspect" she added
"Why do you think from the country"
asked.
"Because in the country we were never
familiar with such sights as these
"And are you also from the country?'
Yes; SIX months ago"
My heart had gone out to that girl as 70
a sister in distress, and before she had
reached the entrance to the building where
she was to solicit charity from the county
| had induced her TO accept an offering from
inc. 10 give it would lessen the time
could stay in the city, but it would increase
the pleasure of my visit.
As we left the line of people and walked
away towards the store she told me her
story. Her father had been farmer in
small way, and on "a rented farm, near
village 100 miles from the city. But he had
not prospered as he thought he should, aud
So came to the city with his wife and daugI
ter to find work that would he mo.c
rcmuneratvc than that of the farm.
lie was unframed in the ways Of the city.
He had nothing in the way OF a trade. There
was nothing for him to do, nothing that he
could do, unless it was of the cheapest kind
of manual labor, and even this he could find
uul hlNit VI. ucli ilttlC Sttit u iipi'A
ran swiftly away They moved from the
pleasant little cottage TO a tenement house
and then from three rooms into two. The
mother sickcned and died. Her trouble
was a broken heart and starvation. The ia.
ther finally began drinking and what little
he did earn went for liquor And now there
was nothing left but public charity. The
girl was too frail as result of the life she
had been lcading for the past six months to
earn her own way where hard work w3S
required and not fitted for place in the
stores.
1t took many questions before had the
full story, but my country manners were
too much in evidence for her to mlstrust me
for other than represented myself 10 be,
ard she had been SO long without friends
that really think it did her good to find
some one who would sympathze with her>
Ever since her mothers death she had be EN-
practically alone in great city, and in a
section OF ii where friendships are almost
unknown and condolences seldom exchanged
Her neighbors were too busy fighting the
hard battle of life to give any time to her.
Before she had finished making her few
simple purchases | had made up my mind
as to what | would do. My mother had
never been blessed with daughter. Her
four children were all sons, OF whom ! was
the oldest. | would sacrifice the balance of
my hard-earned vacation and she should go
home with me. had no doubt oil the wei
come she would receive; when my mother
heard her ptiful story, she would give her
the place CT daughter in our home.
Just how told her all this ! hardly
know, but she refused. She must rcmen.
ber her father, she said, even though she
was TO starve for her devotion.
And then | hunted up her father and for
tunatciy found him sober, Il condition he adj
mitted he had not been in for two weeks be.
fore | told him who | was and what
wanted to do for his daughter. At first he
would not consent to her leaving him, but
my arguments finally prevailed.
lie told her to go and find pleasant home
ii possible. and" he added, II shall leave
this cursed city also and seek for work in
the country again where the demon OF drink
will not assal me. Go, daughter, and