The times., 1899-07-09
THE HELPFUL WOMAN.
Zeal in Putting n satchcl OF n Train
for Blind Man.
From the Chicago Record)

From the Chicago Record.)
/ knew a good woman once-God never
made a better-who on her journey through
life was always trying TO be helpful; al
ways looking out TO lend a helping hand
TO her wayfarers, and to make the
rough paths smoother and easier tor 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
sometimes she Oyerdid ii. For the pur-
pose OF Identification l will call her AIRS.
Jones.
While travelling between Utica and AL
bany one day a blind man was led into
the car and placed in the seat behind her
Here was a chance Tor good Samaritan,
and she seized ii before anybody else got
ahead of her. She saw that he was COM
fortably seated. she opened her lunch
basket and offered him something TO eat;
she locked at his ticket TO see that II was
right, and did everything else she could
think OF to show her interest in fellow
being so afflicted. He was going to Little
Falls, ana every time the train stopped he
would enquire in an anxious way il ne had
reached his destination, and whenever he
heard somebody passing through the aisle
he would ask how far ii was 10 Little Falls.
Mrs. Jones was on the alert and answered
every question and assured him that she
would see to his perfect safety. She urged
him TO be comfortable and contented, and
promised TO let him knowswhen his journey
was ended.
When the train slowed up and a brake
man yelled Little Falls. she pushed
! aside several oilicious persons who onered
to assist her, and, taking the blind man
by the hand led him out to the platform
and delivered him to some friends who
b.,d II To of i'm =
ter she had bade him good-by and returned
to the car she noticed in the seat he had
occupied a well-worn satchei. She seized
il instantly, rushed to the door, and threw
il of toward her blind friend on the pat
form with as much force as she could eX-
ert, 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 raJner rough looking per-
son, who had neglected TO shave that
: morning and chewed tobacco, came back
from the smoking car and began 10 lCok
around curiously and in an anxious way.
Noticing that Mrs. Jones was watching
him, he looked at her enquiringly, and
then said:
Madam, have you seen a satchel that
was left in that seat?,'
Yes" she replied promptly. 1T be-
longed to a blind man, and 1 threw it out
to him at Little Falls"
The HI you did" exclaimed the un-
shaven citizen. Whereupon Mrs. Jones,
perceiving that her friendly interest IN
the blind man had possibly caused some
| inconvenience to one who mad two large,
/ blazing eyes and was addicted to the to-
! bacco habit, began = apologize. The
stranger listened With an expression On
/ his lace as if he regretted that murder
was out of style, and when Mrs. Jones had
completed her somewhat incoherent eX-
PLANTATION he remarked:
Madam, permit me TO advise you here
after to mind your own blank business, and
| let blind men and ether folks gripsacks
alone. ] am gcing 10 Utica 10 attend court
today, and that satchel contained all the
| documentary evidence in a case that in
wolves many thousands of dollars. l have
| got il continued twice on various pretexts,
! but if ! go into court today and tell the
| Judge that / cant go on because a lunatic
| has thrown my grip at blind man, he'll
I give me the laugh and my clients will be
robbed. and you are 10 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
out her pocketbook and offered to pay all
the expenses. She even offered to leave
the train and go back to Little Falls her
self and bring the bag 10 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 dc
all the fidgeting. When she reached home
and told the story to her daughter she
solemnly promised that she would never
| try 10 help q blind man again