Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-29

Miss Marsh ,that
Mr.. Gordon is very
l i'll. II is doubtful -
That dread full
place and work have killed him. ex-
claimed Luella. Her face had paled at
sight of Miss Andrews. 1t blanched
now, and her exclamation contained
certain tone of reproach as if the VIC
man in front of her were to blame.
And if they have, is 1t not better for
him to die there after having fought
good fight for humanity than to live
elsewhere and carry no burdens that
kill"
1t was q question provoked 10y the
entire social cruelty of that world rep
resented by such women as Lucia and
Mrs Pcnrose. The gentle. patient, sac
rificine spirit of the blue eyed woman
who had given her whole life to lift
the human burden burst out Of its ha-
bitual repression Of feeling and swept
up and over I.uella as if She were tho
incarnation of social setishness which
in all great cities of the world seeks
ease and pleasure and luxury and de-
MES all claims OF brotherhood refuses
TO share its strength with the weak
and never dream; Of such thing as
personal responsibility for childhoods
ways Of mankind's suffering.
1t seemed long time that Lucia
was silent After awhile she raised her
| eyes to Miss Andrews.
Il am all that you think l am. And
yet
and yet, Miss Marsh, John Gordon
loves you. He wants to see you before
/ he
Did he send you here
NO. But know he longs TO see
/ you. VIII You Gomez
YES" Luella tremblcd. But | am
sure he does not love NE, oh, Miss An
| drews, Have pity IN me. If | loved
! him truly, would ! refuse to accept his
! test for me: Why do | shrink from
! that
| 10 you expect me TO answer all the
! contradictions of your heart: You have
| been born into a social life that rcCk-
onS up its wealth in physical things. 1t
* also true pardon me for saying it
! but il is true that You women of wealth
and social activities are as Il class ues-
! titute of any real love for humanity.
! You can feel romOrsc or mOlncntary
pity. You Will weep at the representa-
ton of wrongs upon the stage i'll Il
well lighted, warmed and upholstered
lheater from comfortable seat for
( which NOu have paid an cXorhitant
! price, but you viii not take the price of
that seat and 20 with it yourself TO
real human sufferer, or if you do it
! it is in Il spaSmpdic effort to relieve a
duh day or a compound with Il con
science that will not always leave YOU
alone in your ScfishncsS. The broad
basic element of genuine love of hu-
! mainly IS not known by YOU or women
like you. The richest, most cultured,
most favored women in this city are as
a rule destitute Of real human love for
the masses. They are born without il,
they live without it, and, may God have
mercy on them, they win die without it
and receive the final condemnation
spoken 10 those who. like the rich man
in Jesus story, have their good things
in this world, but win be shut out by
an impassabe chasm from the joys Of
Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham.'
Again the spirit of this woman, who
had for all those drealy years of lone
some burden bearing felt the crushing
weight Of n proud city's wealth and
fashion which lifted no finger TO help
in proportion TO its enormous RESPONSE
bility, rose up and flowed over its life
long repression In the presence of n
woman who had refused the great love
of great man because she did not
want to miss the things that Lazarus
had to do without.
And again Lucia was painfully still
She uttered no denial she apparently
did not resent n syllable. She simply
looked down, folding her hands in her
lap, and Miss Andrews, gazing at her
could see no sign of anger or pride.
But suddenly Lucia rose, and
stretching out her hands toward her
, visitor, she said, while tears We're il
, her eyes:
: "All this may he true, but you say
l he is dying. Is it the time 10 say all thi
r to me now? | love him, | do love him
You do not, o. you would not be sayinf
I these things to me now-while he Is
dying"
She came up close to Miss Andrew
and stood near her, with her hands
, cliached and her whole attitude ex
r. pressive of the deepest feeling. 1T Il
. no wonder John Gordon loved her,
! Grace Andrews said TO herself with {
pang at the thought of n beauty tina
@ had been dulled by years of contac
% with trouble, for Lucia was magnili
% cent in her strong young womanhood
and it needed only that one hum2n low