Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-12-23
THE TREAT OF TREATING.

Reason of the Seeming Follies of the
Wretched1y Poor.
A charity worker, new to her task,
was recently holding forth in tones O;
despair edged with eIasperation upon
the follies Of the very poor in expendi-
ture.
Sometimes it's money-like the
birthday party for the twins that used
up half the sum l collected for Mrs.
Mooney to carry her through the win
ter; and sometimes it's labor-like
that poor little weak-chested seam
stress, Mrs. Fresneau, sitting up two
whole nights to work on the dress her
school in; but the foolishness of it is
enough to drive body wild! And they
can't seem to see how crazy it is.
Sometimes they half apologize if they
see you disapprove, and sometimes
they stiffen up and get vexed, as if
you were impertinent to cridcise. But
either way they're not really sorry,
and you know they'd do it again. It's
beyond my comprehension how grown
people can be so childishly uncalculat-
ing"
''Is itT said an older woman. ITS
trying, know, and often there seems
no excuse, but l think l understand.
think you would have understood
too, If you'd been at the Rest Home
with us last week, when Mrs. Burke
was there. You know her, poof thing!
"a hard working chorewoman with
large family, sent down for bit Of
vacation after six weeks in hospital
: with bad ankle, to brace her up a
, Bit before going back to the everlast-
ing drudgery of her life. Well, there
, was trouble from the first, and what
, do you suppose 1t was? She wouldn't
, rest, and she would freeze the Ice
cream for a household Of fifteen peo-
2 pie.
; zone day found her rocking-chair
empty on the piazza and heard the
l.. freezer going, and started In pursuit.
found her with all the children of
the place round her in ring, fairly
wriggling with anticipation, while she
n laughed and ground, wincing and
s changing position every other minute
s to ease the ankle that was still too
n weak to stand on comfortably. She
t looked guilty; and when asked II she
e had broken the Ice herself she pro
:, tested that 1t bruk that aisy a baby
s cud ha' bruk 1t wild rattle
II II pointed to the heavy ice-pick and
s old croquet mallet she had been using
n and shook my head, telling her with
mock severity, Back you go to YOU
E rockfng-chair, Mrs. B., this instan
Q minute!
e ".Ah, no, ma'am, that I don't sh'
le answered, laughing, too, but keeping
H. her hold on the crank. Here's tn
n childher waiting for the scraping
d whin the dasher comes out, don't yo'
1t see, and it's me that promised to se
re there was fair sharing and no tight
81 ing. You'd niver have ME break m
n- worrud to thin, the darlints, nov
10 would you, ma'am? All, sure, tn
o. rocking chairs treat for me bones
er it's thrue, and looking off yon piazz
" over thin miles Of green country l
treat to me eyes, but tbs the trea
e. of treating the childher that's goo
" for me heart"
IN There are many like her. The
e' spend their money, they spend thei
III strength, and they often spend bot
oi' unwisely; but, after all, it is becaus
'r' generosity and hospitality are necess
VI, ties of their hearts, as fuel and foo
sc and clothes are of their bodies. 1
vi vi poor people Of that kind word OF oil
on suasion from a warm-hearted frien
a. a. may often be Of the greatest servlc
~ ~ but never the cold warning or cri'
~ cism of would-be helper, howeVt
sensible and practical, who cann'
herself understand 1.-The treat OF urea
-. tng."-Youth's Companion.