St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-06-30

HE pecullaE Inlng ABOUT Marie
Yanderpool was that she had an
incorporate appetite for happiness.
Shetook to dancing slippers as natural
ly as other folk take to goloshes or
walking boots. She sang as read
lily as other people sigh. She
discovered chance for a frolic
with the same enthusiasm that
others found an opportunity for work.
No one ever claimed that she was of
any use, and she certainly never made
any such claim herself. 1t never oc-
CURED to her that she could be useful,
and she often reflected that to a world
so .swarming with useful persons as
this appeared to be-if one judged by
the self-p1aced estimate of these per-
sons-there was plenty Of room for one
blissful creature of the nonutilitarian
sort.
All of the other members Of her fam
lily were Industrious, and several of
them were wise. They won distinction
along commercial and intellectual
lines, were noted for their philanthro-
pies, and were solicited to lend their
names to causes" They were associ-
ated with nearly all of the leading
benevolent enterprises Of the city.
Now, it is impossible for any seeing
and hearing person to go about Chi
cago without becoming aware of the
fact that a large number of the citizens
of this busy town are not having good
time. Even Marie observed it. r She
saw children with old faces, andsmen
with despair looking out.of thei eyes,
and women nervous aad crusheda ander
a burden of toll. She saw homes that
would not keep out the cold, and coats
that hung in rags from the shoulders
that supported them. And, whatwas
equally pathetic she noticed that
many persons worked SO hard to
silence "the VOLTS long how'll that
they had no heart for pleasure.
1T is as likely as not, said Marie to
herself, that they have never discoy-
cred how to be happy" And she felt
vast commisseration for them. Not
to be happy! 1t was fearful-or it was
stupid!
1t chanced that on one occasion
there was certain fe1tivity at a set
tlement house in one of the most
crowded and poyerty-stricken parts of
the city, and that Marie was invited to
go. 1t was not. perhaps, just the sort
of thing she would have selected, but as
there was nothing else doing that even
ing, for wonder. and as She had no
mind to sit down with book, SIZE con-
cluded to go. She was a good deal puz-
zled to know what to wear, for she was
particular about the proprieties, but
she hit upon costume at length that
seemed 10 be neither too plain nor too
fine. She surveyed herself with pleas
ure. It was pleasant to have large and
brilliant brown eyes, a mass Of way
ward golden hair, a snow white neck
and shoulders, nodded with tender
and abundant grace, and mouth that
smiled with more merriment than the
common run of mouths.
But what Marie saw at the settle
ment was calculated to make her for |
get, for once, the appearance of which |
she was so proud. She even forgot to |
be resentfuI because some Of the peo-
pie she met were serious. Forthe first |
time she found herself face to face with |
the serious problem of ife-for the |
first tine a dim notion that life was
given to be used, struggled up |
her consciousness. She found |
women as. well born as herself, and |
much better educated and trained, de-
voting their lives to others-and there |
fore to themselves, since in the ex-
oenditure Of life In service comes The |
best development. This type of wom- |
anhood was new to her. She had been
with many who patronized |
charities and beneyolenees, but here
were women who seund it privilege to
express life in tern.ssof love. Moreover,
she found the ''neighbors" who came to
The settlements interesting in the ex
;reme. Here was whole library of /
luman documents, SO to speak, await
ng her perusal. She looked in the
aces of the girls, serious before they
should be so. showing the signs Of close
confinement in stores and sweat ting
shops, and the binderies and tobacco
factories, and it seemed to her as If
The must pour sunlight into their lives
from the abundant source of it within
her own heart.