Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-09-05

like a rescue. But men do not rear
monuments to this sort of heroism.
Barbara walked on in silence, but in
her heart she also had a feeling of
gratitude for the young preacher
whose courteous greeting no less than
his helpful sermon had given her cour-
age. At the same time, she was con-
scious of little whisper in her mind
which said: Nevertheless, Barbara
Clark, in the very nature of the case
you are not privileged to move in the
society of young men like Mr.. Morton,
as long as you are servant. You may
be college bred, and you may be as re-
fined and intelligent as he is; but he
could never look on you as an equal.
His courtesy was paid to you as min
lister would be courteous to any wom-
an, but not as an equal in any sense.
You never could expect to sit down
and talk together, you never could an
ticipate the enjoyment of his COM
pany or-or-eXpect that he could ever
call to see you as-as he might call to
see"
Barbara colored deeply as she al
lowed the whisper to die away in
uncompleted fragments of magma
ton. She was the last girl in the
world to have foolish, romantic
dreams of young men. She had never
had a lover. No one had ever made
her think of any such possibility. She
was singularly free from any silly
sentiment such as girls of her age
metimes allow to spoil the fresh
ness and strength of womanly
heart. But she was romantic in many
ways; and, being a woman and not
an angel or a statue, she had thought
at times of some brave, helpful,
strong life that might become part
of hers. The world-old cry of the
| heart for companionship, the hunger,
i God given to men and women. was
not unknown to Barbara within the
/ last year or two when she had be-
! gun to blossom into womanhood. The
| thought that her choice of a career
/ in service had put her outside the
| pale of a common humanity's loving
smote her with another pang as she
walked along. Ii seemed that there
were depths and heights to this serv-
ant-girl problem that she was con-
stantly discovering, into which she
might never descend, and out to which
she might never climb.
Carl awoke her from her thoughts
by dragging at her dress, and saying:
"Come, Barbara, let's hurry. I'm
hungry. Let's hurry now and get
dinner"
Barbara looked at Mrs. Ward.
"Yes, GO on with him if you want
to. Lewis will be impatient. He ran
on ahead before his father could
stop him. | don't feel well enough
to walk faster.''
So Barbara hurried on with Carl
and as she pasesd several groups of
churchgoers she was conscious that
she herself was the object of con-
versation. She could not hear very
well, but caught fragments of SEN
tences, some spoken before, some
after, she had passed different peo-
pie.
"a freak of Mrs. Wards" "Mrs.
Vane's queer ideas" "Perfectly alb
surd to try to equalize up" "Girls
have no right to demand" "Ought
to know their places" "No way to
help solve the trouble" etc, were
remarks by the different members of
Marble Square church that set Bar
bara's pulses beating and colored her
cheek with anger.
''You hurt me, Barbara" exclaimed
Carl as Barbara unconsciously
gripped his little hand.
80 dearie, l am so sorry. I didn't
mean to-" In an instant she was calm
again. What! Barbara Clark! You
have not endured anything to-day!
She had not anticipated anything be-
fore going to church. She had sim
ply made up her mind to take what
came and abide by it. What had
actually happened was not a sample
of what might happen Sunday after
Sunday. Probably not. But it all
went with the place she had chosen
Perhaps it was not at all the thing
for Mrs. Ward to do. 1t might not
accomplish any good. But then, it
she stopped thinking about it and
went on to the house to prepare the
lunch. When Mrs Ward came in, she
found Carl satisfied with a bowl OF
bread and milk and Barbara quietly
busy getting lunch for the rest
Mrs. Ward offered to help with the
work; but Barbara saw that she
was very tired, and insisted on her
lying down.
'I'll have everything ready very
soon," she said cheerfully; and as
she went back into the kitchen, she
was humming one of the hymns sung
in the service
"What do you think about to-day?'
Mr.. Ward asked in low voice as
his wife lay down on a lounge ir
the dining-room.
"You mean Barbara's sitting with
us?"
''Yes. Will it help matters any?"
, so, / don't know. / never would
have done it if / hadn't happened tc
think of Mrs. Vane. She's rich ant
: has an assured place in society. Hei
girls always come with her and she
: introduces them right and left tc
! everybody"