Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-01-18
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lief even in the face Of the interview
with her grandmother, and when the
door shut and she was in the wide hall
with her homeless outcast she felt equal
10 anything that might now come.
Nine. Page was in the library. Hear
ing Virginia come in, she came into the
hall Virginia stood there supporting
Loreen, who stared stupidity at the rich
maauificence of the furnishings around
her
"Grandmother - Virginia spoke
without hesitation and very clearly
~ have brought one Of my friends
from The Rectangle She IS in trouble
and has no home. l am going to care
for her little while"
Nine. Page glanced from her grand
daughter to Lorcen in establishment.
"Did You say she was one of your
friends?" she asked in cold, sneering
voice that hurt Virginia more than any
thing she had yet felt
Yes; | said so. Virgsnia's face
flushed, but she seemed 10 recall the
verse that AIr. Gray had used for one
OF his recent sermons, "A friend Of pub
licans and sinners. Surely Jesus would
do this that she was doing.
..Do you know what this girl isr''
asked Nine. Page in an angry whisper,
stepping near Virginia.
~ know very well. She is an ont
cast. You need not tell me, grand
mother. | know it even better than you
do. She is drunk at this minute. But
she is also d child of God. | have seen
her on her knees repentant, and have
seen he'll reach out its horrible fingers
after her again, and, by the grace of
Christ, feel that the least ] can do is
to rescue her from such peril Grand
mother we call ourselves Christians.
Here is Il poor, lost human creature
without a home slipping into possible
eternal loss, and we have more than
enough / have brought her here and
shall keep her
Mime. Page glared at Virginia and
clinched her hands All this was CON
trary to her social code of conduct
How could society excuse such famil-
iarity with the scum of the streets?
w IldI MOul'l ' II ma > ttNtipii9 Np'N t4AS
family in the way of criticism and the
loss of standing and all that long list Of
necessary relations which people Of
wealth and position must sustain to the
leaders Of society? To Mime. Page so
ciety represented more than the church
or any other institution. 1t was pow
er to be feared and obeyed. The loss of
its good will was a loss more to be
dreaded than anything, except the loss
Of wealth itself
She stood erect and stern and CON
fronted Virginia, fully reused and de
ter1nined. Virginia placed her arm
about Lorccn and calmly looked her
grandmother in the face.
lyon shall not do this, Virginia.
You can send her to the asylum for
helpless women. We can pay all the ex
peIsas We cannot afford, for the sake
of our regulations, to shelter such
person.
"GrandmotEer, do not wish to do
anything that is displeasing to you,
but | am going to keep Loreen here to-
night and longer if think it is best. .
"Then you can answer for the conse-
quences. | do not stay in the same
house with a miserable Nine Page
lost her self control Virginia stopped
her before she could speak the next
word
Grandmother, this house is mine.
1t is your home with me as long as you
choose to remain, lu, i'll this matter |
shall act az fully believe Jesus would
in my place. / am willing to bear all
that society may say or do Society is
not my God BY the side Of this poor,
lost soul do not count the verdict Of
society as Of any value"
81 shall not remain here, then, said
Mime. Page. She turned suddenly and
walked to the end Of the hall. She then
came back and said, with an emphasis
that revealed her intense excitement
and passion:
"You can always remember that you
have driven your grandmother ont Of
your house in favor of n drunken wom-
an. D." Then, without waiting for Vir-
ginia TO reply, she turned again and
went up stairs.
Virginia called for servant and
soon had Loreen cared for She was fast
lapsing into wrctchcd condition. Dur
ing the brief scene in the hall she had
clung to Virginia so hard that Vir-
ginia's arm was sore from the clutch Of
the girl y fingers.
Virginia did not know whether her
grandmother would leave the house or
not. She had abundant means of her
own, was perfectly well and vigorous
and capable Of caring for herself. She
had sisters and brothers living in the
south and was in the habit Of spending
several weeks in the year with them.
Virginia was not anxious about her
welfare go far IA that went, but the in
terview had been painful one 60 her
Going over 1t, as she did in her room
before she went down to tea, she found
little cause for regret, however. "What
would Jesus DOR There was no qucs-
tion in Virginia's mind that she had
done the right thing. If she had made
mistake, il was one Of the judgment
and not Of the heart. When the bell
rang for tea, she went down, and her
grandmother did not appear She sent
a servant TO her room, and the servant
brought back word that Mime. Page
was not there. A few minutes later
Rollin came in. He brought word that
his grandmother had taken the evening
train for the south He had been nj
the station 10 see some friends off and
had by chance met his grandmother as
he was coming out. She told him her
reason for going.
Virginia and Rollin confronted each
other Mt the table with earnest, sad
faces.
"Rollin, " said Virginia, and for tho
first time almost since his conversion
she realized what wonderful thing her
brothcr's y change Of life meant TO her.
edo you blame met Am / wrongr'
"No, dear; | cannot believe you are.
This il very painful for us, but if you
think this poor creature owes her safety
and salvation TO your personal care it
was the only thing for you TO do. Oh,
Virginia, 10 think that we have all
these years enjoyed our beautiful home
and all these luxurics sclfishly, forget
full of the-multitude like this womanl
Surely Jesus in our places would do
what yOu have done.
And 30 Rollin comforted Virginia and
counscled with her that evening, and
Of all the wonderful changes that Nir
ginia was hcnceforth to know on ac-
count of her great pledge nothing af-
fcctcd her 50 powerfully as the thought
Of Rollins change in life. Truly, this