The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-03-27


My Dear Miss Andrews-Pardon my de.
lay in answering your beautiful letter.
My grandson has been very i'll, and the
care of him has confined me constantly al
his bedside. l am not quite young as
used to be and begin TO feel the weight
OF my years on my body. though my soul
Is still fresh and vigorous, thank God.
So poor Mr.. Barton has passed on.
shall enjoy having time enough TO make
his acquaintance over there. He was a
brave and noble soul and Is now enjoy
ing his reward. i do not know that you
were al all acquainted with him. OF
course, but it was. as you know. through
his correspondence that / first was infiu-
enced to think of your particular work as
worthy place into which little money
might go for humanityS sake. In one
sense. therefore. he Is the real donor OF
whatever seems to come from me.
On condition that my name Is not used
anywhere on any buildings that may be
erected and also on condition that the pa
pers do not get hold of the matter and
ask for my photograph. with a biograph-
zeal sketch. I would like to give $100 900 to
Hope House to use in any way you and
your workers think best When you have
used that up. will give another hundred
thousand to be spent in the same or in
any other manner you may decide.
Now, my dear friend. don't draw up any
resolutions of thanks. Just simply cash
the check have today deposited with the
Bank of Commerce and use it as quick as
you can TO help those poor little children:
] don't see myself, what you can do to
better or brighten their lives very much.
You said in your letter TO that the
tenement house conditions themselves
were getting worse all the time. If you
put in parks and Fairgrounds. 1t will only
help the situation in the way of relieving
misery 1t won't remove the cause of
t. DIT tha I ,>rI hot
In this world of all kinds of trouble we
are to do the best we can under condi-
lions as they are and hope some time to
get deep enough down to humanity's sin
and suffering so as to reach the real causes
of human trouble and remove them.
When we get to that place. l am con-
WINGED we shall simply find that God and
man have got to work together like good
friends to bring about results.
With the best of wishes to you in your
noble work and with prayers that those
children may have some good times to
make up for all they suffer. am heartily
your friend,
MRS. CAPT. GEORGE EFFINGHAM
John Gordon had read the letter
aloud so that Falmouth could hear. as
Miss Andrews said she wanted him to
know the good news. When Gordon
finished, Falmouth exclaimed: We'll,
II that isn't a tonic to restore ones
faith in humanity! Two hundred thou
sand dollars. Why, Miss Andrews.
you can work miracles with all that
money"
81 could use a million without touch
ing much more than the edge of all
this misery" she said quickly, and then
added with self accusing tone: God
forgive me. What am saying? This
great gift from this old lady will save
hundreds-yes. thousands-of lives. We
can work miracles with it. We can do
wonders Mr. Gordon"
She was trembling with unrSuaI emo
fion. 1t is nothing to be wondering
about, good men and women iii the
cities This great soul is beginning to
see some CLEAN of light piercing the
heavy blackness of childhood. Her
soul is straining at the thought of the
lessening of even some small degree of
pain and anguish, as they have smitten
her these many. many dreary years.
Its like a story" Gordon said. while
his eye cleaned and his figure tingled
with the excitement of the news. THE
first time l saw the old lady ! had
dim idea that she was not real but a
sort of incarnation of some character
In a novel that was too good to be sim
pie fiction. After reading her letters
am sure my theory is true"
Then maybe the check she mentions
as being in the bank is fiction too"
Falmouth suggested. 'And the next
thing you know the old lady will van
ish, and you will have to hunt for her
In the pages of some colonial romance
10 which she has returned"
Heaven forbidr' Gordon answered
KraveIy, as if he actually feared it
might be true.
Miss Andrews smiled. 81 was ip- the
Bank of Commerce this morning and
was informed of the deposit there. So
whether Mrs. Captain George Effing
ham is real or not, her check is certi-
aed as good for the amount" She
laughed at the look of actual relief in
John Gordon's face.
ut seems too good to be true" Cor
don said. returning the laugh. IF
were an author, would put the old
lady into a book, if she has not already
been immortalized. But you cannot
persuade me that she is just ordinary
flesh and blood"
Before night every one in Hope
House knew of the great gift of $780,
70 l1n Tho liffln
of residents at the supper table was
In a fine state of excitement. Plans
were discussed for redemption of sur
roundings that would have shamed the
widest tales of Aladdin and the slaves
of the magic lamp. Miss Andrews,
seated at the head of the table, looked
ten years younger. One of the young
women spoke of it to John Gordon.
.Do you notice how handsome Miss
Andrews looks tonight? She must
have been remarkably striking wom-
an ten years ago."
"Not more so than now, do you
think?, Gordon did not intend that
the head of the house should hear, and
supposed that the noise of general
conversation at table had made it i'm
possible for her to catch either the
question or the answer But faint
color appeared in Miss Andrews
cheeks as she turned to the young wo-
man and said, with laugh, when |
was as young as you. my dear Miss
Hammond, assure you l was quite
noted for my good looks"
"We all think you have renewed your
youth. Miss Andrews" Gordon spoke.
and Ford led off pleasant ripple of