The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-01-21
PATHETIC SCENE ATTENDS
MEETING WHEN MRS. POR-
TER SEEKS TO WIN HER
GIRL FROM HOUSE OF GOOD
SHEPHERD.

| GIHI FROM HOUSE OF GOOL
! SHEPHERD.
Mother, / prefer to remain here
in the House of the Good Shep
herd, than to go home with you.
With those words, Lottie Porter
aged 20 years, broke the heart o.
her poor old widowed mother Mrs
L. Porter, a Woodworking woman
who yesterday noon made one last
despairing effort to win back the
love of the daughter she had lost
The drama, or mayhap 1t should
properly be styled tragedy, took
| place in one of the small visiting
rooms at the house of correction
Hung upon the walls Of the small
room were pictures of Christ and
the Virgin Mary. Seated in cor
ner, severe of aspect, sat the
Mother Superior in her milk-white
gown, made somber by black
cape worn upon the shoulders. As
the daughter repeated the words
which dashed the last fond hopes
of the aged mother, the old lady
sank Imply into chair and moan
ed The sister of charity offered
no word of coincidence.
1t was the battle of a mothers
love with the daughter-and the
mother lost Perhaps a CLEAN of
satisfaction lighted up the eyes Of
the Mother Superior. The love of
the daughter for her was greater
than for the mother who bore her!
The Catholic religion had won an
other convert!
Plead as the frail old mother
might, her daughter turned from
her-even spurned her as she ar
raigned the old mother in voice
which could be heard outside the
walls of the home. The unusual
stiffness of the place was pierced
by the voice of the girl and the
husky tones of her mother-the
one strong in denunciation, the
other weak and supplicating.
The mother sank down upon her
knees and beat with the palms of
HSl HdiuS, udl uClSu ny lOlI IOI uci
daily bread, upon the oiled and
shining oaken boarded floor. The
daugher stood for an instant with
her right hand raised over her
PROSTATE mother But the strain
was too much-the standing daugh-
ter still and silent in her dramatic
pose the mother bent and moaning
out her heart. Mother, mother!"
Those two words were the first
tones of love sounded from the
parched lips of the girl in the
hours visit.
The first love, her mothers love,
was once more asserted in those
words, which rended the form of
the girl and sob followed sob.
Even the stern Mother Superior's
voice was trembling and husky as
she placed her hands, one upon the
girls shoulder and one upon the
mothers shoulder Gods will"
she said to the mother as she took
her crucifix in her hand and raised
it to her lips.
Was the mothers love about to
gain the ascendancy over the in
fluence of the stern faced guardian?
For fully a minute profound silence
reigned Were the Mother Supe-
rior the mother and daughter in
prayer? But If the daughter
wavered between love for her ma
tural mother and love for her re-
ligious mother it was not known,
for the silence was broken by her
as she tossed back her comedy
head and repeated her oft-spoken
declaration:
Mother, I prefer to remain here
in the House of the Good Shep-
herd, than to go home with youS
"Goodbye!"
"Goodbye!"
Then a long, loving kiss and the
mother staggered out of the room,
out of the home of her child, fol-
lowed by the Mother Superior.
The above is the climax. The
story began Is months ago. Mrs.
Porter had gone East to visit rela-
tives and left Lottie with a mar
ried sister. Then the man came
upon the scene He was a great
brute of man named Swanson
dancehall proprietor whose place
of business was at Ferry, just
across the British Columbia line
where the Victoria, Vancouver &
Eastern railroad was building. He
came to Spokane to find young, at
tractive girls to work in his hell
hole, and by their wiles induce the
hard-handed toilers who would well
come their sight to part with the
hard earned money in the purchase
of drinks.
And one of the girls whom he
cast his devils spell upon was Lot
tie Porter. She was a good girl
though a little wild and romantic.
She allowed the brute to take her
to Ferry, where the officers found
her and brought her back. The