News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1903-03-18

/
! scum. He need not worry about any
| thing
If you are not able to answer this. turn
| the whole latter over to your friend.
! shall await a letter from him or from
| Miss Andrews. The Lord bless you sir
! and may he meet you himself as you pass
! over. With respect and affection, your
friend,
MRS. CAPT. GEORGE EFFINGHAM
John Gordon reread this letter with
| glistening eyes. The hand of David
Barton seemed to reach out of the
shadows and grasp his own with his
old hearty benignant cheerfulness.
God bless you, Dayid.' Gordon said
reverently as he put the letters in his
pocket and fastened down to Hope
House to show them to Grace An
drews.
As she read her blue eyes grew
thoughtful. 1t seemed at last as If
some part of her desire for the people
was going to be gratifed.
"She does not say how much she
wants to give" Miss Andrews re-
marked as she finished reading.
mo, only she says, I want to know
how much will do something, real
Well.'"
1--WE could use almost any amount"
the words were uttered softly and the
gaze Of the blue eyes was on the scene
visible from the library windows.
The district burned over was about
three blocks on one side of Hope House
and two blocks on the other. Com
pared with the entire tenement district
it was only black speck on the city
map. The people who were burned
out were now crowded into the other
tenements. If conditions of over
crowding before the fire were indie
scribable they were now beyond en-
durance even to the Wretches who
had before endured the indescribable.
The city had begun the work of clean
ing away the debris in Bowen street,
but progress was slow. Carts were
going by filed with rubbish. Hope
House itself contained still many vic
tins whose condition was so precarious
that they could not vet be removed
to the hospitals. The resources of the
building had been taxed to it's extreme
limit. But the outside scene was what
Miss Andrews saw now with some
CLEAN of promise shining out of those
letters. Groups Of children gathered
over the burned area, poking in the
ashes or among the bricks and lime
for trifles that were eagerly treasured
as souvenirs Of the tragedy. The whole
dreary, dismal, melancholy wretched-
ness of the scene had not one ray of
comfort anywhere, except that which
lay in the two letters in her lap. And
even with that what could be done?
If that desert of ashes could be
transformed into park, Miss An
drews." Gordon suggested. They had
both reached the same conclusion at
the same time.
parks and Fairgrounds, the two
sweet P's' of my lfe,' she said visit
fully, but it would COST
How much do you suppose Mrs.
Captain George bingham is WORTH"
81 have no idea, have you?"
mot the least Why not write and
give her frank account of the facts?
If the old lady wants to add some of
the spicy fragrance of life to children,
here is her opportunity. Let Ford send
her photographs of the burned district,
including the swarms of children like
those out there now, and let us leave
it to her to give what she will"
THAT is good. VIII you write the
letter?'
NO. you write it. She knows you
by reputation. l am nobody to her"
VERY well. l will write the letter.
You and Mr.. Ford secure the photo
graphs"
Gordon and Ford went out that aft
ernOon and secured several photo
graphs taken by newspaper men at
the time of the fire itself. In two
days the group was made up and, to-
gether with Miss Andrews letter, sent
on to Mrs. Captain George Dillingham;
as strong a plea for parks and play
grounds as human language and the
camera ever presented. Gordon read
the letter and marVeled at it. 1t set his
heart atire. 1t made him long for mil
lions to give, to buy up city deserts and
transform them into paradise. 1t was
the reading of this letter that caused
him to wonder with increased amaze
ment at the eXtravagant and heart
less wickednegs of a luxurious civiliza-
ton that spends more on the things it
eats that are unnecessary in one day
than it gives to feed starved childhood
in a year. If Jesus were here on the
earth again, would he not say to the
rich men and women in the cities:
"Woe unto you, hypocrites! Calling |
yourselves, many of you, by my name, |
yet living in needless luxury, pamper- |
ing your bodies, seeking pleasure and |
ease, while the blood of little children !
spatters the wheels of your carriages |
as you drive haughtily through the |
streets! And We cry: Lord, Lord. have |
l not gone to church? Have | not paid |
the highest pew rent and attended di- |
vine service regularly in my own !
church and given something annually |
to support missionsY Yea, verify, you |
have done these things, but for every |
dollar to religion and charitable work !
you have spent a hundredfold on your |
own self satisfied existence. Verify We !
have received your reward. But the |
time is coming when there shall be
and grinding of teeth, when