People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1900-02-08

Shadows of London, the play, the great
drama with its wonderful scenery. the
sensation of New York for two months
You know we have box with the De-
lanos tonight"
Felicia turned her face toward her
sister. Her great brown eyes We're very
expressive and not altogether free from
a sparkle Of luminous heat.
"And yet we never weep over the
real thing on the actual stage Of life.
What are the shadows Of London on the
stage to the shadows Of London or Chi
cago as they really exist? Why don't
we get excited over the facts as they
are!"
Because the actual people are dirty
and disagreeable and it's too much
bother, l suppose " replied Rose care
lessly. Felicia, You never can reform
the world. What's the use? We're not
to blame for the poverty and misery.
There have always been rich and poor,
and there always will be. We ought to
be thankful we're rich. "
Suppose Christ had gone on that
principle" replied Felicia, with I'M
usual persistence. do you remember
DR.. Bruce's sermon on that verse few
Sundays ago, For We know the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though
he was rich, yet for our sakes he be-
came poor, that ye through his poverty
might become rich?' "
Il remember it well enough" said
Rose, with some petulance. "And
didn't DR.. Bruce go on to say that there
was no blame attached to people who
had wealth if they are kind and give 70
the needs Of the pOorI And l am sure
the doctor himself is pretty comfortably
settled He never gives up his luxuries
! Just because some people in the city 90
/ hungry What good would it do if he
did! tell you, Felicia, there will al
ways be poor and rich in spite Of all we
can do. Ever since Rachel has written
about the queer doings in Raymond
you have upset the whole family. Peo-
pie can't live at that concert pitch all
the time. You see if Rachel doesn't
give it up soon. It's a great pity she
doesn't come to Chicago and sing in
the Auditorium concerts. | heard today
she had received an offer I'm going to
write and urge her to come. I'm Just
dying to hear her sing.
Felicia looked out of the window and
was silent. The carriage rolled on past
two blocks of magnificent private resi-
dences and turned into a wide drive
way under a covered passage, and the
sisters hurried into the house 1t was
an elegant mansion of graystone, fur
nished like palace, every corner of it
warm with the luxury of paintings
sculpture, art and refinement.
The owner Of it all, Mr.. Charles R.
Sterling, stood before an open CRATE fire
smoking a cigar. He had made his
money in grain speculation and rail
road ventures and was reputed to be
worth something over two millions.
His wife was sister of Mrs. Winslow
of Raymond She had been an invalid
for several years. The two girls, Rose
and Felicia, were the only children.
Rose was 81 years old, fair, vivacious,
educated in fashionable college, Just
entering society and already somewhat
cynical and Indifferent, very hard
young lady to please, her father said
sometimes playfully, sometimes sternly.
Felicia was 10, with tropical beauty
somewhat like her cousin, Rachel Wins
low, with warm, generous impulses
just waking into Christian feeling, ca
pable of all sorts of expression, puzzle
to her father. a source of irritation to
her mother and with a great unsur-
veyed territory of thought and action
in herself of which she was more than
dimly conscious. There was that in
/ Felicia that would easily endure any
condition in life if only the liberty to
act fully on her conscientious convic-
tons were granted her.
Heres a letter for you. Felicia, "
said Mr.. Sterling, taking it out of his
pocket.
Felicia sat down and instantly opened
the letter, saying as she did so. ats
from Rachel "
"Well. what's the latest news from
Raymond" asked Mr.. Sterling, taking
his cigar out Of his mouth and looking
at Felicia as he often did. with half
shut eyes, as if he were studying her.
Rachel says Dr.. Bruce has been
studying in Raymond for two Sundays
and has seemed very much interested
in Mr.. Maxwells pledge in the First
church.
"What does Rachel say about her
self" asked Rose, who was lying on
couch almost buried under half dozen
elegant cushions
"She is still singing at the Rcctargle
Since the tent meetings closed she sings
in an old hall until the new buildings
her friend Virginia Page is putting up
are completed
II must write Rachel TO come to Chi
cago and visit rs She ought not to
throw away her voice in that railroad
town upon all those people who don't
appreciate her. "
Mr.. Sterling lighted a new cigar, and
Rose exclaimed
"Rachel is awfully queer. l think
She might set Chicago wild with her
voice if she sang in the Auditorium.