Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-09

In HoWards S book IF Christ Came to
Congress" there are chapters which should
be circulated as public documents, or rather
reprinted in every newspaper in the land,
where they would be read and serve as a
warning to women seeking employment in
the Government departments of this city.
The matter following is as true today as
when Mr.. Howard penned 1t in 1894 and at
present has a most striking application to
more than a dozen cases of which the GLOBE
has personal knowledge. Mr.. Howard in
chapter fifteen says;
A short time after the events related in
the last chapter Congressman Madison was
discussing with Mr.. Harcourt the evils of
the ofice-seeking spirit and the amount of
sin and suffering which the same had been
the direct or indirect cause Of when they
were joined by an Alabama Congressman,
who had only begun to get some insight in
10 the awful depths into which people were
sinking in the mad scramble for place
Gentlemen, " said he, Il have Just had
a profound but most pairful impression
made on my mind; indeed it was terrible
revelation to me, and if your time will ad-
init viii tell you the incident
"A few days since lady came to see me.
She was poorly clad and had a look of pain
and despair in her face. She told me her
name and said:
Don't you remember little Mary Blank
down in Alabama with whom you went to
school Then / tried to see some resemb-
lauce in this woman, tired of the battle of
life, to the fair haired. bright-eyed little
girl | had known at school, but not one
feature remained / knew her when she
was only a child and we grew up together.
She was the daughter of a Methodist minis
ter, and % family stood fairer and no girl
was purer than Mary. When she had
reached a ripe young womanhood she
married young physician and for a few
years all went well with them He was
ambitious and skillfu and worked early
and late to build up a large practice aud
make great reputation. On one terrible
December night lie was called to the coun.
try 10 see a patient who was dangerously
ILL., and although his wife pleaded with him
not TO go out into the terrible sleet and
snow. his feelings of humanity prompted
him to go and see the dying man who was
his friend and eudeavor to soothe his last
hours. He did not return until almost
morning, chilled to the bone. Soon there
came hectic flush to his cheeks aud in a
short time he became violently i'll The
disease developed into that most dreadful
ally of the King Of Terrors, Consumption,
from whose cold breath and skeleton hands
there is no escape. For weeks, for months
he sank lower and lower. his faithful wife
watched by his bedside, trying will all her
soul TO call back the bloom Of health to his
cheeks. but vain vain! we're all her efforts.
and one evening, Just as the sun was set
ting, lighting the treetops with arrows of
gold, his poor. tired spirit left the mortal
clay and on the wings of the wind mounted
up. up TO a fairer country where there is 10
disease, no death, where the sun does not
go down in blackest night. but where its
golden spleudor forever falls on the castled
walls of the New jerusalem and bathes the
limpid waters OF the river of life in a
glorious radiance
Sadly, with broken heart, did the young
widow lay away In the cold earth to rot and
decay the frail shattered casket which so
lately held to her earths most precious
jewel. Wien the funeral expenses were
paid there was not dollar left She was
pauper with two children to support A
little boy of seven and tiny girl Of four.
What could she do2
She tried to look into the future, but il
was all SO dark and gloomy that she shrank
back from the terrible picture Oh God,
dost temper the winds to the shoru lamb
wilt Thou hear the Orphans cry when my
little ones beg for bread? Kind Father.
what shall dO2 Where shall / go' Lead
me- show me some way in which I can keep
my children from starving Help us for
Jesus sake or we die
She came to my hotel again last night,
and this is the remainder Of the story she
told me which will give you iu her own
language, but 1 can never make you feel the
anguish, the despair, the sckening sinking
of the heart, thousand times worse than
death which she felt and which were con-
veyed in every tone Of her voice. her
bowed head aud the flush of shame on her
cheek
I did not know what to do 80 / wrote
to a gentleman in Washington TO get me a
position. He promptly answered aud said
chat he could procure me a place where /
could earn twelve hundred dollars a year
and urged me to come at once Friends
loaned me money to pay our travelling ex-
penses, and I. with my two little ones,
came on here. This was year ago When
I arrived went TO see the gentleman who
had so kindly offered to help NE, and he
politely told me the place was ready for
me. Oh how / thanked him could
have fallen upon the floor at his feet and
have bathed them with my tears. tried to
tell MIN how much appreciated his kind.
ness, but when looked up in his face 1 saw
a cold. treacherous smile there which froze
the blood in my veins
Oh do not thank me, said he. 4 am
the one who feels the obligation, for / have
long been an admirer Of your beauty, your
well rounded form, aud Of course you uu-
derstand what it means when procure you
position.
I sprang TO my feet, my heart was
beating wildly, my face as white as the face
of my poor dead husband, but 1 managed to
say. I do not understand you sir
Then / will be more explicit. You in
return for a good position, are TO submit
yourself to me- be my mistress in other
words
4 was frozen into stone for a moment
then the hot blood mantled my cheeks, my
frame was quivering with indignation
shame, anger mOrti6catOn Then my brain
seemed on ERE.
Mo- MOI Ny Cod. no. / shrieked
never, never, never I'll die 6rst starve,