The times., 1898-06-19
SHE HELPS PEOPLE TO DIE.

4 >.
| faces the top step and through it's por-
there of bamboo and glass beads the Wis
| itor could see. while rapping. a young
woman-nOt so extra young, either-seW-
| ing at a window where there was a row
! of plants and a red bird whistling in a
| wooden cage.
In response to an invitation. called out
with brisk cheeriness. the visitor entered
| and said
II am a person who likes TO know
| things. 1 have come 70 ask il it is really
true that you teach men and women to
dep
mot word of it, answered the young
| woman. rising in nervous protest, with
her sewing in brown. biliowy heap be-
tween her arms.
II am neither clever nor good enough
to teach people to conquer death accord
ing to my own lights. 1 simply help them
| to die to suit themselves"
But If they suited themselves they
! would keep on living. wouldn't they?
You have great deal 20 learn of life
| If you know so little of death" she an
| swered resuming her rocker and notion
ing her visitor to another. why. have
| watched with people who have thanked
God with their last breath for allowing
them TO die
1t was an astonishing assertion. but. re-
| fiecting that the speaker must have a
| strong underpinning Of facts TO base it
asked for an illustration. The owner Of
! the little fiat was diffldent woman. how
ever and persuasion failed to convince
| her that her life work could be interest
to anybody besides her patients and her
self Plainly she was anxious 10 finish
the brown wrapper. for while talking she
shipped knots. pulled out basting threads.
and as a last touch tackled on it's white
satin quilted front a spray of artificial
snowdrOps.
As the chronicler of social functions. the
| Notwithstanding person had inventO-
ried garments of every cut and fabric
from Partisan creations by Deucet to
negligee wrappers made at home. but new
er in ballroom. theater or boudoir had she
ever been called on TO shorthand so in
sane a combination as white satin. cot
ton flowers and snuf-brown wool
| 1t wasn't a Mother Hubbard. for IL had
no yoke; nor princess. for there wasn't
a sign of a waist line IL was Just long
and baggy, with its little square Of be-
fowered fnery on the breast, and two
rows Of satin piping on the edge Of the
bulgy sleeves. Across the front was laid
a separate piece shaped like priests
stole, made of merino and bound with a
/ bit Of the white. When she had ripped
out the last thread and commenced 10 fold
it the Person caught hold of the hem to
help.
what sort of a frock is this. anyhow
she asked.
why, don't you know a shroud when
you see One2'
And the Person dropped it quick.
"a Catholic will wear this shrOud. II
is the uniform Of the scapUlar. All her
life she has worn the badge Of the Virgin,
and il is her wish 10 be buried in it. Dear
old soul, she viii be so thankful when
l take it TO her tonight.
You don't tell me you are going 70
hOrrify her with the sight OF her own
burial clothesi l should become a raving
maniac il I saw mine"
Granted. But Bridget wants hers
Would it not be well 10 refuse TO
humor so barbarous whim? 1t seems
10 me 1 would lead her thoughts 10 higher
things"
That would be making her die your
way instead Of her own You would be
like the girl who attended an old woman
in Jackson Alley last week The poor
, old creature asked for one chapter in the
Bible but the girl insisted upon reading
| another on the ground that it was more
/ befitting the occasion 1t might have been
more fitting, but it wasn't what the poor
soul wanted
, And do you always humOr their
, whims ?"
When don't. it's because I can't I
honestly try 70 prepare my patients for
slider myself justified in making them
travel by the same road that 1 myself
: hope TO 90 by some day.
Ny last case was an Old. old cOlOred
; | man. whose dying wish was TO hear once
! | more that old. old ditty. Jim Crow
s sang the few stray bits I could remember
| while his withered hands, clammy with
: | death, tried 70 pat Juba 10 the words
l / knew he was back again in his quar-
= ters on the old plantation and that he
: was happy with his wife and pickaninnieS
;. | at his side. l might have insisted upon
/ = gTr.FF - -
wanted what ne asked for. and 1 gratified
his wish That's what / do every time
And did he die them
: He died then-and died his own way"
THAT was your last case; tell me Of
your first
about Mary. because l always feel as
p if my life began with her death, though
it isn't easy to put the feeling in words
!, It was like this:
Il One black windy night nine years
9 ago. I was skirt dancing my way home
I from work. when Just as l was blowing
: | around a corner I stumbled against some
thing huddled against fence. 1t was
II a scrap of woman with bumped back,
e and when I touched her. she screamed.
& | The dressmaker she worked for had
/ turned her away because she pucksrei
her seams and made clumsy knots te
her threads.
She was homeless. without a cent
= When 1 got q good look at her I saw
she had coat on you could shoot straws
through and her body was nothing but
d bones. I brought her here and after
l. | had slipped her into that cot and given
| her a cup OF hot tea, she piped out-Il
- never forget it-I am so glad God has
: given you this lovely home because Vol
II are so good
g "WelI, 1 laughed, though I knew in my
ID heart l wanted to cry. for l was nothing
~ short of diabolical in those days. and yoJ
can see the room for yourself For one
thing. l was ugly. and couldn't get recon
n, ciled to it. / resented the fact that
is should look as though nature had cut me-
20 out at random like a child snips paper
h., dolls, while all around me pretty girls
were as plentiful as leaves on a summer
4s hedge. 1 hated to teach music. but
~ had to do it or starye. l IOathed living hers
alone. like an owl on a high limb. wher
l l wanted to be a magpie among my chat
d tering kind but it was cheap and I could
', practice my scales without raising tht
vi neighborhood, so there was nothing to dC
@S but stay.
81 tell you. was hateful clear through
e. but l was ashamed to let the poor littlt
d thing know what a mistake she had mads
e in me- and l pretended I liked the room
IS Mary stayed with me most two week.
re and then-then she went away. Just be
1t fore she was sent for she asked me fOl
be the last time to tell her about her futur,
home.
he 1T is a very happy place. Mary
40 said. where you can never be poor no
r lonely again
And you are sure I shall be al