The Portland daily press., 1900-06-26
A silent SHY DIVINITY !:
A Story Of College Settlement
Girl.

Inc eyes Oh LEM GCdEu WERE VI tne
color of purple violet, but they looked
out upon the world in much bewilder-
ment for the reason that their observa-
tions were supplemented by an audible
message. In other words, the little child
had no voice with which to speak her
thoughts and no hearing by which the
thoughts OF others could reach her. She
was one of big family, and all Of the
rest were without physical or mental de-
feet. They were indeed robustious fam
lily, intelligent, frugal and Industrious.
The neighbors thought well Of them.
Mrs. Scarf had the reputation Of being
the best housekeeper in the block. Jo-
seph Scarf, a contractor for ornamental
stonework, was accounted a successful
and fine workman. The boys and girls
were bright at school. They were sent
to the turner's for physical development
at the earliest possible age, and they
were conspicuous among the pupils OF
dancing school popular among the well
to do Germans in their community.
Moreover, every one of them could make
music of some sort or another, and the
front room looked more like the must
clans practice room at n theater than
the parlor of family.
But while the Scarffs appeared to have
a number of homely virtues and to be
citizens of which any city might be
proud the fact remained that there was
n certain hardness about them. 1hey
found it impossible to forgive incapablli-
ty, which they seemed to confound with
laziness. The boys invariably spoke
with contempt of schoolmate OF theirs
who was lame. The girls openly COM
miserated any of their friends who were
plain. Joseph Scarf never had much
use for any man who was out Of work,
and his wife was more apt to be irritat-
cd than sympathetic il one of the girls
was found to be III In the morning and
not able to perform her share of the
household duties.
So Lena, with the purple eyes and the
ears which would not hear and the sensi-
tive mouth which uttered no articulate
word, came as an unspeakable mortimer
ton to the Scarffs. She had been such
pretty baby that at first she had been
made much OF. but when the discovery
of her misfortunes was made nothing
more was said about her. She was Kept
in the background. When callers came,
she was hustled into an upper room, and,
as she was singularly patient child,
more and more she was left by herself
In room at the end Of the up stairs hall,
which had been set apart for her. Inc
Mace was warm in winter and cool in
summer; bars were put across the win
dow that the child might be in no danger
of falling out; the room was thoroughly
cleaned once a week, and Lena was look
ed upon by the family as being well
enough treated. A few toys were got for
her. but she seemed not much interested
In them, and after a time her relatives
ceased to make additions to this stock.
She was dressed in sacklike frocks Of
dark blue calico, and her hair was kept
shaved close to her head in order that
there might not be trouble in combing 1t.
In short, no caresses were given the little
one; no one held or comforted her or
played with her. She became, as time
went on, almost as solitary as a hermit.
Much earlier than any of the rest, she
learned to care for herself, and she in
stinctively FASTENED to her bare, sunny
little room the minute a meal was over.
In time work began to be required of her.
She was set to wiping dishes, to busting
rooms and to sewing. She did whatever
she was taught, patiently, without tears.
But the droop of the sensitive mouth
grew greater, and there was a look Of
hopelessness in the purple eyes which
nothing ever banished.
What thoughts were struggling In that
inarticulate being no one cared TO think.
There was no curiosity felt upon the sub
ject. The family went its prosperous and
well satisfied way and let the soul, silent
amid soeiability, starye for lack of the
food OF human love.
There was, not far from the house of
the Scarffs, n certain college settlement
enthusiastically sustained by a number
of disinterested young men and women,
and one of these women heard by the
merest chance Of the existence of Lena
Scarf. But to reach her was task as
difficult as that of the Prince Charming
to find the Sleeping Beauty. The Scarffs
might easily have thought themselves
fit persons to augment the working force
of a settlement, but they would never
have admitted that they could be its ben
eficiaries.
Miss Airport, the young lady from the
settlement, had need of much diplomacy
before she could as much as catch a
glimpse of the morbidly shy. pale crea-
ture, only half human In her comprehen-
sion, who chung TO the safe solitude Of
her room. And when. after much adroit
persuasion, she gained the consent of
Lena's mother to visit her, she found a
yet more serious obstacle In the sullen
suspicion of this timid wild creature. who
Rugged her prison and feared all humani-
ty. Miss Airport brought flowers and
put them in Lena's room and went away
with a smile. She left sweets in the
same way and toys OF a constructive
nature-blocks and pieces of bright cloth
or pictures or the paper Japanese flowers
that open in winter. Finally she came
TO the room and sat there sewing on some
pieces of gay embroidery or painting or
stringing beads. And at last, confidence
won. she persuaded the child to go with
her and placed her where she could have
instruction such as is given to the deaf.
The Searffs were glad to be rid Of this