Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1905-06-10
THE rReAroF TREATING.
Reason of the Seeming Foilies of the
WretchsdIy Poor.

Reason of the SEEMING Fol1ies of the
wretchedly Poor.
A charity worker, new to her task,
was recently holding forth in tones OF
despair edged with evaporation upon
the follies of the terry poor In expendi-
ture.
Sometimes IT'D money--like the
birthday party fort twins that used
up half the sum | collected for Mrs.
Mooney to carry her through the win
ter; and sometimes it's labor-iike
that poor !sttla weak-chested seam
stress, Mrs. Fresneau, sitting up two
whole nights to work on the dress hcl
Marie graduated from the grammar
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 criticise. 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"
rs it?" said an older woman. ITS
trying, l know, and often there seems
no excuse, but think l understand
l 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, poor thing,
"a Woodworking chorewoman with o
large family, sent down for a 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 it WASP She wouldn't
rest, and she would freeze the ice
cream for a household of fifteen peo-
pie.
"One day found her rocking-chair
empty on the piazza and heard the
freezer going, and j started in pursuit
the place round her in a ring, fairlN
wriggling with anticipation, while sh
laughed and ground, wincing and
changing position every other minute
to ease the ankle that was still too
weak to stand on comfortably. She
looked guilty; and when l asked If she
had broken the ice herself she pro-
tested that 1T brut that aisy a baby
cud ha' bruk it wild rattle
II pointed to the heavy ice-pick and
old croquet mallet she had been using,
and shook my head, telling her with
mock severity, Back you go to your
rocking-chair, Mrs. B., 3his instant
minutev
"'Ah, no, ma'am, that l don't she
answered, laughing, too, but keeping
her hold on the crank. Here's the
childher waiting for the scrapings
whin the dasher comes out, don't you
see, and it's me that promised to see
there was fair sharing and no fight
ing You'd niver have me break me
worrud to thin, the dariints, now
would you, ma'am? All. sure, the
rocking-chair's a treat for me bones,
it's thrue, and looking off yon piazzy
over thin miles Of green country Is
a treat to me eyes, but tbs the treat
of treating the childher that's good
for me heart"
There are many like her. They
spend their money, they spend their
strength, and they often spend both
unwisely; but, after all, it is because
generosity and hospitality are necessi-
ties Of their hearts. as fuel and food
and clothes are Of their bodies. To
poor people of that kind word of dis
suasion from a warm-hearted friend
may often be of the greatest service.
but never the cold warning "r CD
cism Of a would-be helper, however
sensible and practical, who cannot
herself understand 1.-The treat Of treat
ing."-Youth's Companion.