The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-02-22

Ind- We Co IOl ueI cOHl1Ofly anu L1e doctor shakes his head gravely as he makes his diagnosis.
 Having done all that I could in this forlorn home I start for my own, and l have just reached the door when it sud- denly flashes across my mind that have promised to visit Mrs. Jones. Well nigh ready to drop with fatigue, men, tai as well as physical, I nevertheless retrace my steps hurriedly. Here is an- other sad case-one of sheer Restitution, with the widowed breadwinner crippled with rheumatism, one of the children ill with bronchitis, no fire, and no food save the remnants of that I sent earl fer in the day. Tickets for groceries, meat and coal are pressingly needed. and I take one of the children home with me to procure them, at the same time promising the mother a dispensary note for herself and the sick child, and a letter to benevolent friend of mine who will. I ventpre to hope, help the poor widow to satisfy her threatening landlord.
 When I reach home at last the child ren are in the midst of luncheon, and by the time I have given the little Jones child the promised benefits my little brood is well on it's way back to school. I take my place at the table infinite ly too jaded to eat, and am informed by Jane that several people have called during the moring-how devoutly thank Sul am that I was out-and that one of them is still waiting in the reception room, having positively declined to de- part without seeing me. sink back in my chair with a gasp of despair, and at the same moment my husband enters the room. He rashly undertakes the task of dismissing the importunate one, and a minute or two later have the satisfaction of hearing the front door close. But alas: my husband does not come back, and I realize remorsefully that he was probably gone with the l the caller in order to spare me-and without his luncheon! Not until din- ner time do I learn that the urgent message has come from one of our few wealthy parishioners-a hypochondric- al old maid. who imagines every other day that she is about to die, and insists that one or the other of us shall be with her when the long expected event takes place. Fortunately, on the present oc- casion she provides royal luncheon for | my famished husbands spouse, having come back to vigorous life while await ing the messengers tardy return; but, oh, the grievous waste of precious hours and energy.
 "Glancing at the clock I find must hurry if would reach my sewing class in good season. so again make a nasty toilet and set forth. The class which is held in the parish room adjoining the church, and lasts two hours, is immedi- I ately followed by the mothers meeting. There are sixty-four poor mothers pres ent. and each has her own individual troubles to tell me about and her own special need of my sympathy and help.
 When reach my own rooftree again there is no rest for me there, for I find two of my little folks in the midst of a fierce squabble- they have got tenn Epers. all of them. am sorry to say, even if they are the children df a min Iister-the eldest of my flock lying down with a bad headache, and the baby screaming for his mother as only a tired. fretful baby can scream Like 1 wise, there are two callers sitting more or less patiently in the unlighted re- cebtion room, one of whom, I discover later. wants a subscription for an edi- ton de luxe of some wholly unheard of book. while the other is anxious to ob- !, tain my advice on some personal mat ter. Of course, the children must come first: they always do with me. So summarily end the squabble. put vine- gar cloths on the aching head, and take the baby down stairs with me as the simplest way out of the difficulty with
 him. Then I dismiss the first caller
 with as much politeness as I can mus ter and with the second make an ap-
 pointment for the morrow.
 Tt is now dinner time, and this brings ! with it my husband and a college friend whom he has encounter ! unex-
 pectedly on the street; also a boy with
 a bundle of proofs from the publisher,
 marked in blue pencil Rush. for you
 must know that among my multifari-
 ous duties must be counted the edit ing of young peoples monthly. the
 emoIument from which serves to in- crease somewhat the far too meagre store of cash available for my oharita-
 ble work.
 Dinner over, our guest considerably takes his departure, and as it is all ready growing late, my husband also
 goes out, this time being bound for the prayer meeting. at which his services are. of course quite indispensable. At 1 his earnest request, however, I remain at home (though I learn afterwards thet my absence is unfavorably con- mented upon by certain of the good people present., and, after putting the children to bed. devote myself to my proofs. Hardly are these disposed of when my husband returns, bringing with him party of strangers, who had
 waited for him at the church door all through the service, and who frankly assert that they had previously sought levery other minister in town without finding any. Needless to observe, the occasion for this diligent search is wedding-a double wedding, to be exact and it soon becomes clear that neither Iof the brides will be satisfied unless I grace the ceremony with my presence although, goodness knows, there is no lack of witnesses. It is after Ii o'clock when the happy couples and their friends take their departure, and my husband immediately losses over to me the envelope which one of the bride