Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-26

RI, \iCholScS were III uciicSHtc
lss;,ion-therc could be no doubt
eia mat. They had been growing
~ and poorer ever since Mr..
pnn,s died which was natural
H,,eI TO be sure, in the case OF Il
V .3aw with six children, none of them.
VIZ" W ,ecently. old enough to earn Il
W." ~ money. but al blessed with
90 ornetitcs and the healthful vigor
makes short work Of cheap cloth
And poverty. when it is SO
I'D and lonc continued as to be-
'onc depressing and discourasing,
s.,nrs other evils in its train-shift-
,l,sness neglect. dirt. loss of self
inset loss of courage. and in sen
, relaxed hold upon the best ana
.,as, improving things of life.
those final and most unfortunate re-
,ts ~ poverty the Nicholses had not
.s,aned though for years the hard
king widow had fought them off.
~, a, last her courage gave out. and
-ha struggled no longer TO maintain an
If respectability. Her little place
o., lawn. Her children played in the
.,ot ragged and dirty. Her own
ncrsonal appearance pcSdH " 80
sn,irs, her. and often prevented ncr
ao,,inc the work upon which the whole
f,r,ily depended for subsistence. Md.
:. tho uualitv of work itself is deter
,,;nod largely by the spirit in which it
= lone Mrs. Nichols seemed To lose
,nnrh Of the neatness and thoroughness
o,d dispatch which had formerly char
.etnrized her paid service. so that her
rahor was less and less in demand.
This Of course. added to her discour-
agsment. until, finally. she ceased TO
lax for work, and the family was in
danger as The saying is, OF coming
en- the town.
Il was at this juncture that the
benevolent ladies' of the little Union
,hnrrh in the village took hold of the
qaso and strovc to right it. They be-
can r. sending a visiting committee"
IA "sae" Mrs Nichols. ana spy ou'. as
il we're the leanness of her land of
mycyty. The committee recon-
mended an immediate consignment of
supplies.
Now the trouble with Mrs. Nichols
vas that She had lost heart. and. moor
the heart restored to her. That is what
We all need when life begins to go
backward with us. Charity is. or ought
10 be. a kind Of yeast put into the
bread Of lifa TO work there ana raise
and tighten it. But we are too apt to
bring the whole baked loaf and fling il
in at the door These good church
ladies'. as so many have done before
them, chose ready-madC charity in
their dealing with the Nicholses. And
for wonder it fitted and supplied the
need as the sequel will show. But.
let it be remembered. il is the excep-
ton that proves the rule rule, and not
theory,
The morning after the visit of the
church committee a large basket was
left at Mrs. Nichols door. Upon being
uncovered it was found to contain a
generous supply of catables of all
Kinds. from raw meat to cookies. and
some loose garments for little girls.
Mrs Nichols mechanically and in an
absent minded way cooked satory
breakf2st-and then. suddenly, while
the eager children were standing
around snufTing and smacking lheir
llpS, took off the stOVe-coVers and slid
the whole repaSt into the hungry fire.
men she sat down in tho rocking
chair ana had 4 good cry in which she
was rociferously joined by every one
Of the six children. from fourteen
yeaf-od Lucinda down to baby Ned.
- ma why did you do it," sobbcd
Betty the middle girl" 1T smeIt so
ever. oh, dear
Mrs. Nichols rose up as suddenly as
she had sat down. She took the basket
tohtalning the rcmaindeisof the church
uohatlon. carried it outside the yard
ana dropped it in the grass. There it
@tS' she remarked, determinedly. as
sue re-entercd the house. until some
oue comes after it. Don't one of you
young ones touch it,"
lhen Mrs. Nichols went down cellar
brought up the last of the potatoes
shd chunk Of pork, and cooked her
hungry children a meal which satisfied
.ie region below the palate if it didn't
oiP palate itself. After breakfast she
Iolied IN her sleeves and confronted
"eF brood. Fire was flashing from her
rs ana there was more color in hei
'He'kS than there had been when she
was a girl.
Look here" she said. cutting every
"ord OF crisp and clean with her lips
ook here. Lucinda. and the rest o
Iou. There's been enough moping anC
wdhhg in this house. It's got to stop
"eie going to rise up again. we Mich
uses right off. And we're not Soin;
DE pulled up nor pushed up. Were
gong TO step up ourselves. Were go
"S 10 eat our own victuals and YEA
Our own clothes. We're going to b.
INDEPENDENT, if we have to live OF
'oVuchuck meat and take tucks il
WI SKINS TO keep our bones in. Mint
"VN' SO long as the Lord gives u
"sditn and strength and the power L
YIN nobody is going 10 say that tn
Aolses were supported by an.
Aufch We haven't been yet. and W
oat be And we're going to take tn
N step today. Lucinda. YOU AM
sues get the fiye-quart pail and e
and pick it full of blaCkbe"ries: an
r,+' you come home until you dc
E' you're good hand to fish. Yo1
loWn to the brook and catch
sS Of trout for dinner. Emma. yo
10y at home and take care of Luc
/ l me baby. I'll wash the dishes
,h N 'hen I'm going up to the house o
tn a c