The Portland daily press., 1899-12-21

NJ" sHe"ss
No far search Is needed along the wind
swept coast of New England to lind wo-
men Of heroic fiber and a 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"
fept 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
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
shrieked outside, dashing the snow
against the pancs, 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 sleepless house
wife went to the window and looked out.
She could see little. for the flying snow
was as thick as smoke. Only now and
then n 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 nigh.
be mistaken.
',rhere Is some one out there, and
there's n team in the street stuck fast!'
The husband reused himself and strug-
"a. To-,
short time he had lantern lit and was
out, capped and mittened. in the storm.
while his wife made swift preparations
to receive Il guest.
1t was a sorry looking figure that the
man of the house brought in with him
cap and coat, hair, beard and eyebrows
powdered whitc-the efigy of half fro
zen teamster who had been stalled in the
snow on his way from Marbiehead to Sa-
lem. The warmth of the room soon
brought him to himself, and few min
utes later he was sitting by the fire drink
ing hot coffee and finding out where he
was.
"Ths Is comfort" he said, "but my
poor horses-faithful old fellows, hadn't
a thought but | could get home when r.
"But," interrupted the lady. "we are
not going to let your horses freeze. There's
a 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 extricate 1t without help.
my dear madam" said the stranger,
"my horses could not be forced n step
farther They're swamped in the snow
bank. and the wind in their faces blinds
'em-"
"Then unhitch them and bring them
up on the veranda and blanket them.
They will be out of the wind there-part.
ly at least. No; let me think. We can
do better than that" she added. Lead
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.
gested 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 teamster looked up inquirngiy
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. wen dig out those horses. new
cribs washtubs would make"
After a good deal of laundering the
men succeeded In leading the tagged and
bewiIdered beasts TO the basement door
and stabling them in the laundry. They
were a fine pair OF grays. and the lady
welcomed them with admiring pity. Then
another hospitnble impulse seized her as
she looked at their snow covered backs
and sides.
1.-The poor. dear things! They are cold
Take them into the cellar where the fur.
mace is. Rub them down, and well give
them a hot supper"
Her husband winked to the teamster.
"All right" he said. ut takes a woman
10 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. ibid you ever see
such a woman for eXr edients? It's al
ways so. l 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 pcrceptibly when the
practical woman came down cellar with
the feed" in big bucket and two big
brimmed old straw hats for nose baskets.
Have You got coffee and baked beans
In the pail?" quzzod her husband
The good wife was laughing now her
self, and the hilarity became general
when she explained:
There was only little Indian meal
but l emptied all the oatmeal. cracked
wheat. graham and crackers into the pail
and made a hot water mush, and | put
in little salt and a 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 possible-he felt an en-
barrassment OF gratitude, for his bene-
factors would take no money.
"After I'd gone to bed last night. think
ing of the way you entertain strangers"
he said to his hostess. "some OF my Bible
came back to me. and l told myself was
no angel. but, considering the pains you
took for me, l ought to be one. Many