Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-02-11

Hilda turned red, and at first Bar
bara thought she was about to give
an angry reply. Instead of that she
began to laugh little.
Eyes, he calls sometimes. He's in
the packing-house on night force"
Barbara looked at Hilda earnestly a
moment, then abruptly turned, saving
"Good-bye," as she left. She did not
look back, but was as certain as if she
had that the young man had instantly
crossed the street and joined Hilda,
And what business is it of mine if
he has?' Barbara vexed herself with
the question as she walked along. II
am glad she said he called. Mrs. Vane
must know it. What business is it of
mine if the girl meets him this way7
He probably has very little other time.
Shall girl out at service have no So
ciety, no company? o, the whole thing
is of miserable piece with the entire
miserable condition of service. What
is to prevent girls like Hilda throw
Ing themselves away on young men
like this one? And who is either to
blame her or care one way or the other
If she does? And what possible pros
pect is there for me or any one to
change the present condition of
things?"
Barbara walked slowly back to her
work, depressed by the events of the
afternoon. What, indeed, could she do,
ii, as Mrs. Vane said, the very people
that needed to be helped into better
ways of living did not care to be
helped; if, like Hilda, they saw no far
Their and cared no more for better
things than the little episode of the
store and the young man suggested.
She felt so helpless in view of future
progress that when she went up to her
room that evening she was in great
need of comfort, and in her search for
the passages having servants in mind
she came upon that one in Titus, Sec
ond chapter, ninth verse:
"Exhort servants to be in subsection
to their own masters and to be we'll
pleasing to them in all things; not
gainsaying; not purloining; but show
ing all good fidelity; that they may
| adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour
in all things
II don't think there is any danger of
my 'purloining,'" Barbara said, smil-
ing little. 'Although I have some
times been tempted to do a little
'gainsaying,' especially when Mrs.
Ward has one of her severe headaches.
I really believe 1 have tried to be well
pleasing and also esta blish reputa-
ton for good fidelity But that is a
wonderful end to the exhortation:
That they may adorn the doctrine OF
God our Saviour in all things If a
servant, slave in Paul's time, could go
on serving with that end in view, what
shall I say of myself? Is my service
of such character that it adorns like
a jewel that which in itself is jewel
to begin with, the doctrine of God our
Saviour? This is high standard TO,
a hired girl, Barbara. If you live up tc
it, it will keep you busy
She offered her prayer with great
earnestness that she might have thu
leading of the Spirit of Light, and il
her prayer she remembered Hilda
fearing she knew not what for thu
girl, realizing as she never before hac
realized the many dangers that face
working girls in large cities, and real
izing, too, that, if she accomplished
any great things as she sometimes
dreamed she ight, it must be done by
the aid of a power greater than he,
own, for never before had she felt he1
own human weakness so strongly.
For the next three weeks the days
went by in an ordinary way for Bar
bara; but, when she had time to reflect
on them, she acknowledged that they
had contained important events fol
her. 1t is because we are not able tt
see the bearing of what occurs day by
day upon the entire programme of life
that very often we do not count eacl
days sum as part of the sum total.
Barbara had been unusually con
fined to the homework. Mrs. Ward hal
been again subject to an attack O,
nervous headache, and tho whole Of
the care had been thrown upon Bar.
bara. Mrs. Ward had now learned tc
trust her implicitly. This did not
mean that the sharpness of her man
ner under stress Of her headaches hac
entirely disappeared; but Barbara had
learned almost perfectly how to antic
ipate her wishes, and the girls grea1
love for Carl and his complete trust il
her, together with Barbara's cheerful
competent handling of the entire
kitchen, had all united to capture Mrs
Wards affections. She was content
even in her enforced idleness, to liz
still with her pain and indulge in .
great feeling of thankfulness for sucl
q treasure in the house.
She was talking Of it one evening
with her husband.
do you realize, Richard, what ,
prize we have in Barbara?"
'She is certainly most remarkabl,
girl. The most competent servant W,
ever had in the house, isn't she?'
without any comparison. And
want you to build that room as soon a.
you can"
Mrs. Ward had mentioned the mat
ter of the room over the kitchen, an,
he had agreed that it was not suitabl,
for q o;r1 1il.o Rar hara