Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-05

a promising Si-Ihocd had been hers. He!M
Essrentaes was French and spanish'
judge her TO BE- a Mexicau..
In Upper Alton. Ill. at ShurtieT college;
she attained Il fair snare OF learning and
cultivated II natural love for books an!
music of the highest standard. 5" fond
of them did she become that one OF the
Creates, hardships of her present condi-
ton is the fact that the wash board has
long since ntde her hands TOO stiff 70 play
the piaro. even ii she had accs@- TO one.
4 mind full OF melodies and IL warning TO
hear them once more are the only remain
ing witnesses OF brighter days.
When Mrs. Leroule married her happi-
ness seemed assured. But prospects are
Yet he vil!aincus. Mrs. L,roule's soon
proved 20 be Understandable. Her husband
was 4 piano manufacturer with a good
business. His executive ability was not so
good and HIS equilibrium was decidedly
"reaching the top in any undertaking he
seemed unable to keep his balance and al
ways tnmhied heldlonS into bankruptcy.
Accordingly he failed in business and took
To piano tuning. \ fair degree OF iinan-
cial success i'll this. as in the other. was
too much for him and before long. the it
tie family of two children WAS being supp
ported entirely through the mothers efWl
forts. She gave music lessons AID after a.
time bought COWS and ~" chickens WITH WITH
and eggs proved quite lucrative and the
children. Oliver and Zelda, We're well taken
But there was one dissatisfied member
of the family. and he was the very person
one would expect to applaud Just such an
Leroule. He felt ii Incumbent unnn his
manhood to deal himself Il hand in the fam
lily affairs. lie was being treated entirely
too murh like q distinguished SueS:s So he
m"rtGagel the cows, one 10y one. unJil only
one was left. The rapidity with which tho
money he received for them disappeared
might have won him a reputation a. Il magl-
clan If it had hecn generally known Ac-
cordinc to his wife he had no bad habits
xn.Vf fhA ,Sfny pf ,r.f nts ,iiNr,,F.p,l from
his earnings with neatness and dispatch.
When Il third child came to their homo
forming the agent of the house they We're
living in that he would be responsible for
the rert no longer. Oliver WIS taken sick
with pneumonia. and the last COW had To
he sold To pay the doctors bill There was
no money with which to pay the rent when
it was demanded. and so the mother was
thrust out IF doors with IL S-T"nths-old
baby. Il: sick boy and :; little girl about .
years If age. 1t was in the early spring.
and the nights wer. cold and damp. Mrs.
Ieroule had not even m"rey enough TO pay
her ~carfarr To the ii"inin= Hand az the
Provident. Association L" ask for shelter.
She found an unfinished house. on tho
porch she gathered her little ones near her
and covered them with her shawl Z" keep
them warm. The care "f her young baby
and of her sick boy had made serious
drains on her own strength. and Il night IN
the omen air was not in the nature OF -
tonic II her. The woman who had been SO
carefully cared for found herself not only
res"rIrcclesS. but with three. helpless litti ~
creatures Itt'titsn, tntlfeiy on ner cTUrtr.
The morning came AZ last aud 2"for''s
the day was over some kindly disposed peo-
Pile had learned of Mrs. Ierouie's plIgh, and
offered her Temporary protection. Tho
frovident Association gave her II tent and
some provision and all last summer she
lived In camp-m-eting style. Mr.. I.rrcuie
was ruled otit OF the proceedings rntir .Iy.
aud his shadow never darkrnti the flap
door of her canvas home.
On the side Of a stony hill a. Thirty
eighth and oak streets stands the it'll.
franz. structure she now occupies. II "oult
hardly l.. diruiiiei Icy the name house.
for II looks like a stray room that has !oos-
.i its mornings and wandered l" the hill
side TO mediate on it, s~hor,cominss:
word to express the situation. FOR the
house Is mostly an aggregation of them in
every way. Its limited interior is well
utilized. In fact one has only To stand in
| the middle of the room and decide which
he will do-cook Il meal, wash a weeks
laundry, eat or go TO bed and it Is hut Il
| step To the iulliliment of the wish The
vicinity OF the ceiling Is the oniy place
| where "unoccupiedness" reiSns. so II one
| has sufficiently lofty IDEAS IL is not neces-
| stry To go outside 10 change one \ mind.
| for lack OF room inside. un
The winter Jd>t passed had many terroNo
for the brave woman. IL WAS all sh" "ouhr,
DO To keep enough fuel and provisions fov
her three children aad herself during thsN
bitter weather. Her chickens have died
and been stolen until now. 81 the orig
inaI ~. there remain only IA dozen.
| Three dollars q week Is as much as she
| ever takes in in cash. For this she does
several family washirgs. old clothes and
| scraps from the tables OF the wealthy res
| ilents IN Hyde park are given her In re-
turn for her services in scruhbing and
washing dishes.
| The ability to be- delighted with whatever
| comes To them - an excellent trait that
Mrs. Lerou!c has cultivated herself and in
s,illed into the hearts Of her children.
| \ minister from one of Kansas Ciry's
| churches had just brought Oliver some
clothes 70 wear 70 school and Sunday
| school. when the writer arrived on III.
scene. Oliver was in them In u. jiify. MS
| hurry probably in
| duCed by the fact