The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-07-21

Maggie had downtown business
fairly paying business, too-t
which she attended every day, busi
ness with movable Office and n
rent to pay.
Maggie was blind certainly blind
There was really no mistake and n,
pretending about it,
Everyone who passed her believed
it. For there were truly holes wher,
the eyes ought to be, and tn,
lids were pinched close together
closer than fringca gentians ever trie(
to be-they looked as if they never
would come open, even if you tool
both hands to make them do it.
Mamma Maggie might have been IL
instead of 30, she was SO tiny.
Mercy was made sweet every morn.
ing and dropped in at the free kin
dergarten as Maggie and the Irish
neighbor passed on the way to the
Office.
Maggie carried big book and Mr..
McMooney, the Irish neighbor, carried
low little black chair, and gallantly
held Maggie's arm and guided her
over crossings and through the busy
throngs.
The chair was placed on a sunny
corner, if the day was clear, and there
Maggie and the Lord kept office all
the day. The Lord appealed to the
hearts of the people while Maggie
made her voice strong and clear as
she read from the big book, which had
raised letters.
A little worn tin cup always set on
tho edge Of the page.
1t was a noisy place. Every mo-
ment the cable cars ran past and the
elevated trains roared overhead,
Numberless heavy truck wheels and
hundreds Of iron shod feet kept grind
ing and crunching on the iron rails
and on the cobble stones, and scores
OF eather-shol feet passed where
Mother Maggie sat. The scuff-
scuffle of these feet close by was
more acute 10 her sensitive ears than
all the other noises. For she knew
that they were human feet and above
them throbbed human hearts. So
she read high and loud, telling with
her tongue what words her fingers
mad traced On the pages on the big
book.
Ihe book was large because the let
.ers were raised and very large. It
took only a few words to cover quite
sspace on the thick white pages.
Mrs. Maggie read about tho pretty
nowers and the green fields and the
woods. Those who stopped to listen
'nousht it an old, worn theme, but a
wonderfully curious way of reading
soout It, nevertheless. anil in pity
oroppel their pennies into the cup
and passed on.
!, ~ had been not always thus with
maggie. Once there had been hus-
:, vano. John was born blind, but
maggie was so by accident. John
was well educated and held position
y !: teacher in the asylum. But he
aisd. And SO came about the mov-
aOle Office and the little old tin cup.
Inc cup was never full Deary me!
Maggie knew better than to let it
ges full. She considered it best al.
ways to present an empty cup.
lennies mostly fell in, and nickels,
sua rarely silver bit.
They all vanished into the big {
pocket that hung in the folds of Mag
gie e, $ rusty black skirt and was hidden
WIN the big old-fashioned cape that
Maggie from the weather.
Mercy kept house alono when the |
Aanaergarten was dismissed.
oh, yes, her eyes were all right +
! utignt and clear and brown as eyes f
~ ,1ald be That is why she was named '
ae,cy when she came. She appreci- S
'.eu "s.. nose eyes, too, and helped her S
ru'nef =, to see whatever was to be seen. Y
.nea she was alone she busted the '
VI Lrni,nre and talked and waited and a
a,nsu ms through hours and hours.
"nen she stood at the window of G
" one little scrap of room where |.
WIG people ana the teams
way down in The street seemed so G
= ' on that she played they were only
llsae,Deileve. 1t was all as if in fancy :,
e. tue horses slipped and fell and = =
gre lashed by their drivers, the news :
oys scufrled and squeaIed (for their :,
aOa's were not very loud by the time y
.ey reached her window and the
!. ..,'ases flashed in the sun aud car q
81 beautiful ladies. Her window Il
.1,hg invariably came after she %
listed \ the furniture. The window 81
" vas painless and also speckless, Il
,uaose as she gazed and thought. and 81
a,ed Y, she rubbed and scrubbed at it IL
~ . tiny wet rag. When the win