The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-07-10
CHAPTER x. x 10

BtrOng STILL in spite OF our prlVat1OlS.
am "a dreadfully strong girl. When !
was born, Katharine-I have never
told you this-all the wicked fairies
came about my cradle. One of them
said, She shall have no MOTHER and
another, sShe shall have no relations
to help her. and third, She shall
have no friends and a fourth, she
shall have no lovers and another, She
shall have no money and yet another,
She shall have no work. and another,
She shall have no food and then there
was, one, the Queen Of the Wicked
Fairies-an old woman with only two
front teeth left = and those sticking
out over her lower lip-and most
malignant eye, who carried CATO
nine-tails instead of scepter. She
stood over me and said, This child
shall be splendidly strong, SO that she
shall yearn and long horribly after all
she can not have, and she shall suffer
twice as long and twice as much as
any other woman"
Lilly! Gomething may happen yet"
ooh! yes, something may People
have been known to pick up shillings
in the streets We may beg in the
streets. We will borrow hymn book
and sing along the road, In the Sweet
By and By I've got good strong
voice. But we shan't like it. There
will be such terrible discomfort about
it that we shall go back to our starv-
ing, and begin to get through the
terrible job at once and have done
with it. Katharine, my head is full of
horrible things. Suppose" she
whispered suppose we resolve to
die at once and have done with itY'
mo, Lily. no. Let us wait and re-
ceive what is sent
1T is truly wonderful, Katharine, to
hear you talk Will nothing make you
rebel? Why, if there is no place for us
in the world, should we stay in it.?
Some women are born consumptive
and. have to die. Others, like our
selves, are born redundant 1t is a
new disease. There is now a great
deal Of redundancy among women; we
suffer from redundancy. 1t is incur
able. No drops have been found for
it and no pills. We shall have to die
Of that disease. Died, in the street on
doorstep, after long suffering, of re-
dundancy, Lily and Katharine. That
would read very sweetly, wouldn't it,
on tombstone? But there will be no
tombstone for us two, dear-we shall
be buried by the parish in the pauper's
corner, where the graves stand side by
side as thick as they can be placed,
and the dead bodies Of the men and
women molder away forgotten. It will
be like the sea that has closed over a
sinking ship without so much as a
single fragment left. In few days
we shall be as much forgotten as If we
had never lived"
Lily's bitter words fell upon Kath-
arine like blows of a scourge. She
could endure, but she would not re-
bel
leave us some hope" she said. "If
you take away that, we are indeed the
most wretched women in the world"
Just then they heard a soft step COM
ing up the stairs. Through the open
drawing room below they could hear
Miss Augusta playing the piano sweet
ly and softly. The step was that of
Miss Beatrice the CONSIDER, who came
to talk to them.
MY dears,1 she said, taking hand
of each, Il am afraid you are in terrible
trouble
Yes" said Katharine ''we are in
very sad trouble.'
Have you found nothing to do, chill
dren?"
Nothing"
Have you no friends to help you~
mot one"
"Ohl my poor children. But there is
one Friend. Think of Him.
Lily shook her head impatiently.
Have you any money Ieft?"
'No-none," said Katharine. "And
tomorrow we must pay the week in
advance, or 60"
Miss Beatrice was silent, because it
is difficult to find consolation for the
lack Of money; most of the poets and
writer's despise money; and yet here
were two girls who, because they had
no money
My dear" she said, twill the Ma
iron not give you leave to stay week
or two on credits"
"No it is against the rules"
Then Miss Beatrice exhoFted them 10
patience. and told them in her sweet
religious way how the Lord, who is the
Father, is wont to open unexpected
doors and make things possible which
had seemed impossible until even the
hard heart Of Lily melted. and they all
three wept together.
Then Miss Beatrice blessed them
and went away with another exhorta-
ton TO patience and a hint, which she
meant for a promise-but they were
stupid and did not understand that
something good and unexpected would
happen next day. Why-why did she
not tell them what had been done?
For in the drawing room there had
been collection made for them. and
out of their poverty and straightness
these poor ladies had got together the
sum Of fifteen shillings and tenpence
which was to be given to the girls in
the morning, 80 that they might pay
the Matron. and have another week
to look about them and to find some
employment, Also it was resolved
unanimously that their cruel case
should be thought before the Com
mittee. although Harley House is not
a charitable institution, in the hope
that something might be fonnd for