Smyrna times., 1900-07-25
.Gbe
Damctm0
Geacber.

derpool was that she had an intemper-
ate appe tito for happiness. She took
TO dancing slippers as naturally as
as other folks take to goloshes or walk
inc boots. She sang as readily as
other people sigh. She discovered
chance for a frolic with the same en-
thusiasm that others found an oppor-
tunity for work.
No one ever claimed that she was of |
any use, and she certainly never made
anv 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-placed 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
family were industrious, and several
of them were wise. They won dis
tinction along commercial and intel
l6Cludl llu0S, WGI0 uOlCN lOI buClI pull-
anthropies, and were solicited to lend
their names to causes" They were
associated with nearly all of the lead
ing 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 large number of the citizens
of this busy town are not having a good
time. Even Marie noticed it. She
saw children with old faces, and men
with despair looking out of their eyes,
and women nervous and crushed under
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, what was
equally pathetic, she noticed that many
persons worked so hard to silence ''the
VOLTS long howl that they had no
heart for pleasure.
''It is as likely as not, said Marie to
herself, "that they have never discov
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 a certain festivity at set
tlement house in one of the most
crowded and poverty-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
evening, for wonder, and as she had
no mind to sit down with book, she
concluded to go. She was good deal
puzzled to know what to wear, for she
was particular about the proprieties,
but she hit upon costume at length
that seemed to be neither too plain mol
too fine. She surveyed herself with
pleasure. 1t was pleasant to have large
and brilliant brown eyes, mass Of
wayward golden hair, a snow white
neck and shoulders, nodded with ten
der and loving grace, and mouth thai
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 proud. She even forgot to bt
resentful because some of the people
she met were serious. For the frs
time she found herself face to face will
the serious problem of life-for tn
first time a dim notion that life wa
given to be used, struggled up through
her conscious. She found women a
we'll born as herself, and much bette
educated and trained, devoting thei
lives to others-and therefore to them
selves, since in the expenditure of life il
service comes the best development
This type of woman was new to her
She had been acquainted with man
who patronized charities and benevo
lances, but here were women VIII
found it a privilege to express life IL
terms of love. Moreover, she foun
the ''neighbors' who came to the sci
Elements interesting in the extreme
1 Here was a whole library of huma
l documents, so to speak, awaiting he
\ perusal. She looked in the faces
\ the girls serious before they shoul
n be so, showing signs of close contin'
4 ment in stores and sweating shops, an
\ the binderies and tobacco factories
n and it seemed to her as if she mui
1 pour sunlight into their lives from th
4 abundant source of it within her ow
heart.
4 But could do nothing. she SAT-
4 delectedly, to one of the residents.
4 should only be in the way"
4 L don't think you could be in IL
4 way anywhere, Miss Vanderpool," Il
4 lady had replied gently. eff you wou
only Just come here and laugh for !
occasionally, as you know how,
n seems fo NJ "a L. -, sx,x IN lr1o \,