The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-10-09
.AWOMAN5WH0WoIjLD
SHE WAS EQUAL 70 EVERY PHASE or
THE EMERGENCY.

winter BlxE0rO was 10 sharpen
Her Faculties and Make Her Think
Quicker Than Usual.
No far search Is needed along the wind
swept coast of New England to find wo-
men Of heroic fiber and fertility Of re-
source as notable as their unselfshness.
During the night of the great "Febru-
airy blizzard" Of 1899 one of these good
women, living on one of the thorough
fares Of the Massachusetts north shore"
kept light burning and supply Of hot
coffee ready for possible need. 1t was
not the first time this ''lady bountiful'
had watched on wild winter nights lest a
sufferer should struggle by her door I'M
| seen.
Her husband lay on the sofa, and the
rest of the family were abed. The wind
shriekcd outside, dashing the snow
against the panes, and the very house
shuddered in the plunges of the storm.
Tree branches broke, telegraph poles
snapped and fell, and the drifts in the
streets piled higher and higher.
Every little while the slecplcss house
wife went to the window and looked out.
She could see little, for the flying snow
was as thick us smoke. Only now and
then flash when the wind blew the fall
en- electric wires together made darkness
visible" and showed her where the road
lay. One of these flashes revealed some
thing that startled her. She called to her
husband
There's a man wandering round in
the snow out on the lawn"
The drowsy husband thought she might
be mistaken.
There Is some one out there, and
there's team in the street stuck fast!'
The husband reused himself and strug-
gled into his boots and ulster. In very
short time he had lantern lit and was
out capped and mittened. in the storm,
while his wife made swift preparations
to receive guest.
1t was sorry looking figure that the
man Of the house brought in with him
cap and coat, hair, beard and eyebrows
powdered white-the efiigy of half fro
zen teamster who had been stalled in the
snow on his way from Marblehead to Sa-
lem. The warmth Of the room soon
brought him to himself, and few min
utcs later he was sitting by the fire drink
ing hot coffee and finding out where he
was.
This is comfort" he said, "but my
poor horses faithful old fellows! hadn't
thought but could get home when r.
- But" interrupted the lady, 1--WE are
not going toilet your horses freeze. There's
barn at our next neighbours few rods
farther on"
Her husband stood in his storm rig,
thinking of the team, but doubling his
ability to eXtrcate it without help
"My dear madam" said the stranger,
my horses could not be forced step
farther. They're swamped in the snow
bank. and the wind in their faces blinds
EN-"
'Then unhtch them and bring them
up on the vcranda and blanket them.
They will be out Of the wind there-pari
ly at least. No: let me think. We can
do better than that" she added. "Lcad
the poor creatures into the basement
laundry. I'll move things out of the way
and open the door"
The lady's husband was wondering
what would come next. He mildly sug-
gcsted that the back yard gate was snow
ed in and could not be opened, but her re-
ply was quick and decisive:
Lift it off the hinges"
The tcamstcr looked up inqurinsly.
Her prompt and friendly interest in his
case put new life into him. His host was
beginning to laugh.
What she says goes" he exclaimed
Come we'll dig out those horses. l new
cr thought before what capital fodder
cribs washtubs would make"
After n good deal of houndering the
men succeeded in leading the tagged and
bcwildered beasts to the basement door
and stabling them in the laundry They
were fine pair Of grays. and the lady
welcomed them with admiring pity. Then
another hospitable impulse seized her as
she looked at their snow covered backs
and sides
''The poor. dear thir =! They are cold.
Take them into the cellar where the fur.
mace is. Rub thcm down, and we'll give
them hot supper"
Her husband winked to the teamstcr,
Gan right" he said at takes a woman
to know what horse wants. But where's
the feed?"
"You wait" replied the lady, and skip
ped up stairs.
doesn't she beat all?" remarked the
man Of the house. Did you ever See
such woman for eXpedents? It's al
ways so. | call her general caretaker,'
for she takes in the whole world. I'm
only private when she commands"
The teamster gave hearty and compli-
mentary assent, but the amused wonder
of both men grew perceptiby when the
practical woman came down cellar with
the feed in n big bucket and two biz
brimmed old straw hats for nose baskets.
Have you got coffee and baked beans
in the pail?" quizzed her husband.
The good wife was laughing now her
self, and the hlarity became general
when she explained:
There was only little Indian meal.
but l empted all the oatmeal, cracked
wheat, graham and crackers into the pail
and made hot water mush, and | put
in little salt and pinch or two of gin
ger"
But the horses ate it.
When the guest took his leave the next
day-as soon as the road was broken out
to make travel possiblc-he felt an en-
barrhssmcnt Of gratitude, for his bcne-
factors would take no money.
after I'd gone to bed last night, think.
ing Of the way yon entertain Strangers"
ne Sahl 10 MS hpS'eSS, some OF my Bible
came back to me, and told myself was
no angel, but. considering the pains you
took for me, ought to be one. Many
daughters have done virtuously. but thou
eycellcst them all Guodbv, and God
bless yon, and | only wish women like
YOU could vote"
And, shaking hands warmly, the honest
teamster parted from two friends whom
he will never forget. Probably his horses
never will 50 long as they travel that
road.-Youth's Companion
Mixed on the Ball..