Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1901-11-08
BORN TO JERUE
.o.,,vsrAa - sy 0ssIss 4 RsIA..-I
BY CHARLES ~. JHELDON


faltered. by the terms OF the trust
the money can now be used for any
benevolent or philanthropic purpose.
l have heard Barbara mention a plan
that might succeed il il were wisely
carried out. She thinks that if a
building were put up in Crawford and
dedicated to the training of young
women for domestic service, prepar-
ing them for competent cooks and
housekeepers, that great deal might
be done to elevate the labor of the
kitchen and bring intelligent Amer
lean girls into il. What do you think 2"
81 think it is highly probable. AT
any rate, anything is preferable to the
condition of things we endured before
Barbara came. Anything is worth
trying that will by any possibility tend
20 help matters"
"How much is Aunt Wallace's leg
acy?"
att amounts to about $1,000 now
That would not go far toward such a
building as Barbara probably has In
mind"
mo, but it would be a beginning,
and l think / know where j could get
more TO go with it," Mrs. Ward was
growing very interested, and Mr..
Ward was obliged to caution her
against excitement; so the matter
was dropped there.
But in a few days Mrs. Ward brought
it up again in Barbara's presence.
81 think something could be done
with a properly equipped building"
Barbara said in answer to question
put by Mrs. Ward. They had discussed
the matter several times before Mrs.
Nane's invitation to Barbara TO come
to her evening gathering. Mrs Ward
had not yet limited at any means for
realizing such project.
"How much do you suppose such
building would cost?" Mrs. Ward
asked, noting Barbara's growing in
terest.
80, I've no real idea. Almost any
amount. 1t would cost a good deal TO
maintain it, also. The greatest diff
Guilty would be 10 secure proper per-
son for superintendent"
And then the next thing would be
to get the girls to attend the house
keeping school"
II think we could find plenty of
girls"
I'm not so sanguine as you are, Bar
bara," Mrs. Ward answered. slowly.
but Mr.. Ward and / are willing TO
show our faith in such an attempt by
given s., 900 towards the erection Of
such a building"
She explained to Barbara Aunt Wal
lace's legacy. and added that Mr..
Ward had offered to put $500 more
with it to make 1t 1900.
IL think Mrs. Vane and some Of the
other ladies in our church and society
will give something, SO that we can
begin with . pretty good building and
have enough TO equip and run it, Sup
pose you GO over AID see Mrs. Vane
some day this week and have . talk
with her about it."
81 will said Barbara, tingling with
eagerness. Something real and tan
gible seemed about to come to pass IN
her career. She grew excited as she
thought of possibilities. A building
of the kind she had dreamed of was
not by any means an answer TO the
servant girl problem. but il was 1T
least q real thing. and IL the idea was
properly worked cut IL might result
in great things.
So she talked with herself a. she
song at her work that afternoon and
resolved to 70 over to Mrs. Vane's at
once, and yet even in the midst of her
growing excitement and her genuine
interest in her career, Barbara was
not altogether free from . depression
that had its origin In the best feeling
she had ever known. This feeling
was her love for the young minister,
Mr.. Morton. Barbara no longer tried
to conceal from herself that he had
become a real part Of her life. The
trouble in the Ward household had al
tended indirectly to increase her ad
miration for him. With the tenderest
sympathy he had entered into the
that in the weeks that followed Carrs
death Mr.. Morton should call fire.
quently at the house where he had
become such a familiar guest in col
lege days. Scarcely day passed
when he did not drop in for a meal,
or to spend part of an evening.
In one way and another Barbara
met him good deal. He was always
the same earnest, gentlemanly, kindly
speaker and listener. Gradually in
little moments of conversation when
Mrs. Ward was not able to come down,
and Mr.. Ward and Morton had lin
gered over a little talk on social ques-
tions after tea, Barbara had taken an
unconscious part in the discussion.
More than once she had with almost
guilty haste gone out Of the sitting
room after one of those important
discussions in which she had revealed
a part of her ambitions TO the young
minister and Mr.. Ward; and in the
midst of her work, as she finished
some kitchen task, she reproached
her heart for yielding TO what seemed
like a hopeless affection. But the
girls life was opening into full bios
som under the spell of a power as old
as the human race, as divine an in