The sun., 1903-06-21
TRAGEDIES OF THE VERY POOR
TOLD, 600 4 MONTH, IN A
LITTLE ROOM DOWN TOWN.
Some OF Those Legal AID Society Lawyer
Heard in, . Day-The Defrauded Guest
and tho thrifty Borrower-Her Lost
Carpet-They whom Nobody Pays


Heard In, Day-The Defrauded Guest
and tho thrifty Borrower-Her Lost
Carpet-They whom Nobody Pays.
The seeker after tragedies need not 60
90 far as Servia to find them. They are
here at first hand.
But he who has one OF the best opportun-
tiles for observing 'unrecognized and COM
mon-place tragedies is the lawpar at the
desk in a certain crowded little room down.
town. He is In the employ OF that Legal
Aid Society whose object ID to furnish
not charity but justice to the poor: AMI
his work is to interview the applicants as
they present themselves, ono after another,
before him. 1t Is a tiny room. only large
enough for the lawyers desk. covered
with papers; tho stenographer's table and
typewriter, and the chair for the would-b,
client-a chair, old and battered, but a
most fortunate resting place for the OPP
pressed poor.
1t is a long day for the lawyer and soo
cases q month pass before him. So he Is
in a position to find out about the tragedies.
for the stories told include all varieties,
from the all too common wages troubles
to swindles OF the most highly individualized
order. Outside Of the commoner cases.
each hour brings in some client with au
entirely new sort Of grievance. Such. the
other day, was that Of the old lady with
curly white hair and neat blue cotton gown.
whose Handsome carpet" when returned
from the storage house. was 30 much less
in bulk than when 1t left her that she made
haste to get out her tape measure before
the men who brought it could leave ths
house. Whereupon the latter hastily
seized the carpet, and amid her unavailing
protests made OF with it. She was poor
and they thought she would be powerless
to do otherwise than finally accept what
they might choose to give her.
Another unusual case was that Of q large
lady from across the seas. She had lent
her friend, Mrs Grady, $3.50, all the money
she had In the world. and had been invited
to live with that lady the rest Of her life.
$50 long as have roof over my head.
Norah, there'll be a place for you" Mrs
Grady had said, when she urged her to come
So the elderly Mrs. Norah had been living
there for nine months, had done all the
housework and much Of the sewing, as
she would have done in her own HON:
and everything was apparently going
smoothly when Mrs. Grady suddenly asked
her guest to leave, gave her back half Of tho
money she had lent. and said she wou Id
keep the rest as board money. and as pa
ment for certain articles she had bestowed
upon her friend during the nine months
Mrs. Norah's face famed with indigua-
ton as she produced battered paper
bearing the itemized account Of these
gifts and their values which the business
like Mrs. Grady had triumphantly brought
forward at the end. in lieu Of the money
she had borrowed:
N ,,tnt.,r ste 4
Neck golfers 90
Black skirt.''. ig
My coral chain so
and 80 on, the long list of cast-off clothing
OF her own which the thrifty Mrs. Grady
had conferred.
Il told her many's the time, that didn't
want them" walled the injured friend,
who had apparently not refrained from
looking the gift horse in the mouth. -for
what she couldn't use was no use to me,
termined Tsid to give Them to me dat ! took
them SO as not to hurt her feelinge-worse
luck And now she sends a bill fof them!"
The client who followed this was . short.
in Wonderland" She was as stern Of
aspect as the celebrated Red Queen. But
appearances are deceptive. Her story was
pitiful yet she showed no vindictiveness
at all.
More than two years ago lady" had
given her an order to crochet a large bed
covering, or counterpane. They decided
on the pattern together, and the lady e2-
pressed herself as delighted that she could
Of Germany. Then the old German house
wife set to work, employing all her leisure
time in crocheting this wonderful quilt
She was busy during the day, SO she worked
at it far into the night; and as It was most
elaborate piece OF work. 1t took long
time n COn1nIafo IL
"Two years, working early and late
she said. or course it was Incredibly ul-
businesslike. and she showed the most
sublime and guileless confidence, by work
ployer again But she was old and simple,
and German. Finally she finished The
great masterpiece and took it to the adj
dress given-only to find that her lady
had moved. no one knew there.
with the quilt under my arm. For weeks
IN vas so bunting so for her. up and ndnG Gwn"p m
one place and l would 60 there. and then
some one would send me far away to az,
tell me to try somewhere else. And It j.
long walking il New York and I couldn't
spend carfare.'
At last her search was successful, hu'
maid refused TO let her in. She sent word
that she had brought the beautiful quilt
quite finished. but the mistress returned
answer that she did not want to see it, and
the old woman must go away.
Here in her story the client stopped and
bit her lips hard. The lawyer, to create
diversion. asked II he could see the quilt,
and with trembling hands she united the
string around her newspaper bundle ard
proudly displayed it,
An odor Of moth balls pervaded the
room as the work was unfolded; marvel,
indeed, very large, very German. very
perfectly done-repreeenting in white crc-
cheted work the Father Of his Country
the Lady Martha. and two little Cuetises
sitting in a straight line along the middle Of
the counterpane; heavy fringe surround
ing the whole. The creator surveyed i:
with melancholy admiration.
And now she won't look at IT, abe said
eadly."after it's all done What can I
do with It? 'Aoh Gott, what can do with
such a handsome thing?" And abe olasped
her hands and looked despairingly at 'he
what would you take for it?' he asked
i don't know that" she answered. 'Ths
stuff in it cost me fifteen whole dollars,
and the pattern 75 cente. And then there''
two years work. hut don't know how
MICH 20 ask fo- that. You know. r..'.
The lawyer took notes and dismlsseo
her. He would investigate. and n her
story. proved correct would do what hs
could. though this was case in which
that ro,i1A ifoatIv ~ Etxln