Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-06-28
AT THE BRINK.
~ CHAs. T. NETrLEToN.

Sunday morning and since the bells in
the church near by had first rung out
their reminder of the day and call to
worship she had lain awake, thinking
Where should she 90 and what should
she do? Today She must leave even this
shelter, ana She had not one penny, nor
one friend. The German woman who.
though wretcnedIy poor herself. had
sheltered her two months for no better
pay than the girls better clothes, had
warned her that at the end OF the week
she must 'trot" The ena had come
The girl felt that the end OF al things
had come.
Her lace was very pale. For many an
hour she had eaten nothing; it is hard to
live on charity. ami reluctant charity mt
that. But there was other causes for
her paleness. -Four weeks previous a
girl baby had been born. only 10 die when
seven days old. During that time of
mortal existence the babe had not only
mOaned and fcebly Wept when awake,
but when asleep. by day and night. CON.
stantly the tiny tears had crept out from
under the tiny eyelids and rolled down
the little pale cheeks. Why Because
before her birth the mothcrto-be wept
much.
DO you say this is impossible and that
| am drawing on my Imagination? Lis
J.
That babe once lived and wept by day
and night for seven days and seven
nights.
\ year ago this girl had been one Of
eight in a small tailoring establishment
n man who came to the place on bust
ness saw her. y note was slipped into
hand, then another. this time with a
present, secret meetings-and that was
all. All for Il time. When she had to
leave the house she possessed So which.
with the money obtained by pawning
the little presents he had given her
lasted Il while. Some weeks after leay-
ing the tailOr's she made an appeal ia
the man. She never made two
Higher and higher rose the sun, shin
ing, unheeded, full on her face. Sudden
Iy she became aware that the bells in
several churches were ringing loudly A
fresh thought came to her. Why, of
course, that was what she must do first
OF all. How could she have forgotten.
That was what she had been irving to
think of all the morning. perhaps without
haf knowing it, for nad she not bought
1t weeks before and put it, already load-
ed in the dry goods box? For herself.
she had been thinking of the river. But
this thing in the box would do for both.
And she knew, too, Just where to find
him on this day-Sunday; had she once
not seen his name in the paper in the
list OF officers of st. Johns Church, and
would he not be at the church on this
day?
,HurriedIy she sprang from the bed.
glahclhg as she did so at the line of sun
hight on the wall, her only clock. She
put ON her shoes and hat-the rest Of
her clothes she slept in, for the bed was
chiefly of wood-then staggered and SAT-
down, or rather fell, on it.
she thought of girl whom shop
mate mad once pointed out to her. girl
VINO Tor two or three years had lived in
luxury, then slowly descended from
health and a fine house to the merciless
merles of the street. Would it not have
been better if she. too, had entered
slmlIar house? y woman had suggested
II 10 her as the only thing to do But.
II9f her child's sake. she had put the
lnouEht from her. Now, in Il dull way.
she was glad; she could leave the world
Wlih D good consclence-after, of course.
doing justice go
She was reused by the voice Of her
lahoiadE' VINO wanted to know if She
should send for the police
\ rev minutes after II o'clock she
reached the church. 1t had been long
walk. She had not thought of food She
felt very weak.
Few people were entering Those who
were glanced curiously ut her. One. n
gentleman, gray-haired and kind-loollinr
asked her to come inside She shook her
head. He asked if he could helm her in
hhnS way at the same time putting his
inahu III ms pocket. AS she looked at
nm AGAIN she retreated i'm alarm. she
was thinking, lie, too, is man"
n woman, richly dressed. came nm tbe
STEP she stopped and gazed at her. Then
she came near and sat down close he
side her. and spoke:
You are H.. or in fropbIo. ,,,o,.1I,
you?" '''''''' may heip
The girl looked up angriIv. WHY corid
they, not leave her alone? ~ N'''u
Go ill., she said, sullenlv. pointipg IN
the door. Il can help myself"
Inc woman did not move. Very gcntlv
sue rtpit"d; How can you help your
self, little onef' 80 '''i
Hardly knowing what she did. the girl
I ,o:S. our !u, her pistol and patted it and
said; When he comes"
The woman had been raised in nvurv
out was neither coward nor a fool
ne church is no place for me" She
Saiu quietly, If YOU are in trouble
wiz NOT go IN to worship my God and
AVuI H"u ana leave you alone with your
sorrow. l, too. have seen great tronhle
l,;iI weeks ago death took both of nv
tel me all my sister"
grasp. 'iie" %
II am not Your sister," she said. ..bc.
CduSc ahl-am not woman"
i, ne stranger, comprehending. for ono
heeting, instant, hcsitated. then reached
ont and took the girls two thin, waal
Solied hands in her own. The harr;cr
was broken, and the girl put her face
down in the rich woman's Ian and sob-
bed aloud. In few minutes The woman
SAID; Come, let us 80 home and have
After lunch she drew from tho si,s
me whole story. At the close she asked
the name of the man. Her own brntb.
erS name was uttered, innocently, nv tho
girl. ~ the
In the afternoon. after talking with
her husband, she weat to the cir}s he'd.
room and knelt down by the side of Inc
bed and said; NV home is your home
My husband and l live alone. And von
shall live with us as long as Won win.
In that same hour the girl began n
believe in the spirit of love and the nos.
Sibilitv Of God
o, supreme One. God of man and
woman and time and eternity. Thon
whom We feel and know to be love per-
Sonited, but whose mystic WAYS infin-
iteSimal man cannot interpret. we. Thy
weak and wavward children. do arjentiy
beSeeCh Thee to quicken in each ono Of