The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-17
THE HELPFUL WOMAN.
Zeal in Putting a satchel on Z
Train for q Blind Man.

! be helpful; always looking out to lend
hand to her fellow wayfarers and to
make the rough paths smoother and
easier for them. She was never so
happy as when She was making some
sacrifice or serving some other person,
sharing her strength with the weak or
her plenty with the poor, and some
times she overdid it. For the purpose
of identification I will call her Mrs.
Jones.
While travelling between Utica and
Albany one day blind man was led
into the car and placed in the seat be-
hind her. Here was chance for a
good Samaritan, and she seized 1t be-
fore anybody else got ahead of her.
She saw that he was comfortably
seated, she opened her lunch basket
and offered him something to eat; she
looked at his tcicket to see that it was
right, and did everything else she could
think of to show her interest in fell
low being so afflicted. He was going to
Little Falls, and every time the train
stopped he would inquire in an anxious
way if he had reached his destination.
and whenever he heard somebody
passing through the aisle he would ask
how far it was to Little Falls. Mrs.
Jones was alert and answered every
question and assured him that she
would see to his perfect safety. She
urged him to be comfortable and con-
tented and promised to let him know
when his journey was ended.
When the train slowed I'D and a
brakeman yelled Little Falls!' she
pushed aside several officious persons
who offered to assist her, and, taking
the blind man by the hand, led him
out to the platform and delivered him
to some friends who had come to the
station to meet him. After she had babe
him goodby and returned to the car
she noticed in the seat he had occu-
pied a well-worn satchel. She seized
it instantly. rushed to the door and
threw it off toward her blind friend
on the platform with as much force
as she could exert, screaming at the
top of her voice:
You forgot your satchel."
Then she returned and took her seat
in the car with the consciousness of
having performed a Christian duty.
Pretty soon a rather rough-looking
person, who had neglected to shave
that morning and chewed tobacco,
came back from the smoking car and
began to look around curiously and in
an anxious way. Noticing that Mrs.
Jones was watching him, he looked at
her inquiringly, and then said:
Madam, have you seen a satchel
that was left in that seat ?"
Yes" she replied, promptly, cit be-
longed to a blind man, and I threw it
out to him at Little Falls -. az
The HI you did," exclaimed the I'M
shaver citizen. Whereupon Mrs. Jones,
perceiving that her friendly interest in
the blind man had possibly caused
some inconvenience to one who had two
large, blazing eyes and was addicted
to the tobacco habit, began to apollo
gize. The stranger listened with an
expression on his face as if he re-
GREETED that murder was out of style,
and when Mrs. Jones had completed
her somewhat incoherent explanation
he remarked:
! Madam, permit me to advise you
hereafter to mind your own blank bus
mess, and let blind men and other
folks gripsacks alone. I am going to
Utica to attend court to-day, and that
satchel contained all the documentary
evidence in a case that involves many
thousands of dollars. 1 have got it
| continued twice on various preteXtS,
but if I go into court to-day and tell
| the Judge that l can't go on because
lunatic has thrown my grip at a
blind man, he'll give me the laugh and
my clients will be robbed. And you
are to blame for it,
Mrs. Jones protested, apologized and
shed tears, and when the conductor
came back and sent telegram to the
=. station agent at Little Falls to find
the bag and send it to Utica by the
next train she took out her pocket
book and offered to pay all the ex-
penses. She even offered to leave the
train and go back to Little Falls her
self and bring the bag to Utica. She
was eager, anxious to do something to
repair the damage and aid the lawyer
! in saving his case. He settled down
in his seat, chewed his tobacco calmly
and let her do all the fidgeting. When
she reached home and told the story
to her daughter she solemnly prom
ised that she would never try to help
a blind man again.-Chicago Record.
|
Sousa's Pupil
/ John Philip Sousa has an intense dis
/ like for the mutilation of his musical
compositions. To hear one of his
marches played out of tune or time
not only sets his teeth on edge, but
provokes his anger beyond the power
of resistance. Not long ago, says the
Washington Post" he came down
from his home in Yonkers on the Hud-
son, to New York City, and in front of
the Grand Central Station he heard an
organ grinder playing THE Washing
ton Post March," He was turning the
wheel with the utmost slowness and
| extreme irregularity. 1t sounded like
funeral march.
Sousa stood it as long as he could,
and then rushed across the street and
exclaimed: That's not the way to play
that. Don't do it any more. It's aw-
| full"
How should I play?" asked the
grinder, impassively.
Faster, faster!"
"Ah,"
Yes. This way. Let me show you,"
and he took the crank into his hands
and turned it with so much spirit and
vigor that he soon had a crowd around
| him.
Thank you," said the organist.
''Who are you?''
I'm Sousa That's the proper way to
play that march,"
THANK you, SIR" replied the organ
list. bowling profoundly:
| The next day Sousa came to town on
the same train and found the same
| organ grinder in the same place play