The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-19
SPEAK YOUR GOOD WORDS
TO THE LIVING PEOPLE.

I'VE which happened that I cannot
write of anything else. It con-
Germs a daughter of toll She was the
hardest worker I ever knew. In her
girlhood and childhood in Germany she
labored in the fields Consequently she
had a strong frame and great bony
hands that seemed better fitted for
chOpping wood than for holding a nee
die. Yet she could use a needle, too,
with the best She could cook dinner
with a French chef or a southern col
ored woman.
Like the women of her race. she was
exquisitely clean. Her floors were
scrubbed white, and not a particle of
dust was allowed to rest upon her pol
ished furniture. She cooked and wash
ed and mended for her little. old hus-
band, whom / think she picked up out
of her sheer need to lavish loving care
on some living creature Certainly he
was no good at getting her a mainte-
nance. Besides taking care of him, she
earned money by labor of the hardest
sort-laundry work. scrubbing, house
cleaning. 1 am recording the doings
of a very humble life, you see. This
daughter of toll had always more tasks
ahead OF her than she could accom-
plish. Everybody who knew her want
ed her because she did her work so
thoroughly. Besides that, she was
honest as George Washington
You will conclude that this daughter
of toll was a piece of perfection Well.
not quite; her feelings were extremely
sensitive. both for good and bad If
one did her a kindness she could not be
grateful enough, could not say enough
in praise of that one. If, on the other
hand, any person wronged her she
flashed up like powder. She poured
upon the person such d torrent of
words that the individual was silenced
whether the woman who offended her
was a millionaire or one as poor as
herself. She let fly the hot words just
the same. Then, too. her hands. accus-
toned to farm labor in her youth, were
not so gentle and tender with lace and
bric-a-brac as if they had been trained
to the care of these She broke and
tore things sometimes. Yet ever she
did the best she knew according TO her
lights.
Nevertheless. ladies who employed
her complained sometimes that she
was inpertinent. which is unpardona-
BILE in a daughter of toll And when
she broke bric-a- brac-ah, when she
broke bric-a -brac-imagine the wrath,
Her little. old husband. whom she
mostly supported, was not always kind
Oftentimes he said brutal things to her
He refused to carry her laundry par
GELS. Not many kind, sympathetic
words were said to her at home or else
where, to her whose heart was so ten
der and sincere. She did not have a
very good time.
One evening at 9 o'clock the daughter
of toll went home with laundry bum
die. She said when she put it down
that it was heavy and hurt her arm.
She rubbed her arm; then in a moment
more she lay down upon the floor That
was something the daughter of toll had
the Indifferent little husband spoke to
her. That. too. was so unusual that it
startled him She generally had words
in plenty for him. In a minute more
she seemed to be unconscious Thor
oughly frightened. the man ran for a
friendly doctor whom he knew
At $3.50 the physician reached the
daughter of toll. He found the hus-
band kneeling beside her. stroking her
arms. kissing her toll worn hands, cry
ing, calling to her to speak to him. 1t
was heart piercing. the scene.
But the daughter of toll never spoke
again to the man who had been unkind
to her; never to him or to another.
She was gone where the hard hands
never needed to scrub any more, where
the tired soul had sweet rest.
Then you should have heard the splen-
did, good things everybody who knew
or had even heard of her said She
was so honest, so faithful, SO kind and
sympathetic, and she always did her
work so well. better than any other
daughter of toll had ever done Tears
came into some eyes when it was men
toned how good and capable she was
and how she was wise, Intelligent and
refined far beyond her station Two
women who had dabbled in occult in
designations said they believed she was
a splendid star soul disguised for some
exalted purpose in this incarnation as
the humblest daughter of toll.
But if they had only said these beau
tiful things to her face to face where
she could have seen the kindly eyes
and heard the sweet wordsi How hap
py it would have made her, Let US
speak our good words to the living, not
waiting till the ears they would cheer
beyond measure can hear them no
more. JANE MOSES.