Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-19
" VEN the older Member auailed
~ when they We're fairly in the.
i room, Willie the Sympathetic

~ when they We're fairly in the
room, While the Sympathetic
Member instantly wilted.
y can't, oh. r can't!" she cried, turn
ing away faint from her first sight OF
death. For she was the very newest
membero OF the board, and this was her
FIRST round. She had not dreamed OF
anything quite ike this. When in the
ilrst flush OF enthusiasm she had nc-
ccpted the position as trustee of the
Home she had had visions of herself
lninistcrng to pallid sufferers. caress-
ing tiny waits. or reading psalms to
aged paupcrS. But In her dreams the
K sufferers were always in clean, il
bare, surroundings. tho waits were deli
cate and hlte-eyed.s the old people sill
Yer haired and gentle. Conscience. long
domant. within her, had awakened at
The rcproacl OF a busy friend. and with
the zeal which characterized all her
actions she had plunged into charitable
work with no preparation for the naked
facts of poverty. Now, brought face to
face with one OF The big city's real
tragedies, her dream world adopted
from novel and play presentations of
genteel poverty, crUmbied about her.
Want in its gauntcst form stared at
lltlF lIpifl llllS IuEeHIS IlOIlle, llllH. re-
pulsivc and unas1amel, pain and suf-
fering in their. las. stages and the
grim specter of death. The close, fetid
air of the room seemed to stifle her.
and she chung to the Still open door
and covered her eyes with her hand.
1t was the Capable Member who
alone was equal to the emergency. Adj
syancins to the edge OF the mean bed
she surveyed the wan occupant with
f,,,. "a L.
met the Reaper III Just such surround
ings She leaned down.
Is there anything we can she 4
began. and then stopped-'do for YOU
wonld not come: it was vain. empty.
can You speak to u.s." she said. final
~ with gentle insistance.
The blue lids fluttered, lifted, '.Phel-
lat she said, hoarsely.
II was then thu first sound came
from q crouching figure on the foot Of
the bed, \ very little figure 1t was,
only half clad with d tiny snub nose
red with cold. q mouth that looked a
stranger to smiles, and wide, vacant
eyes AT the whisper of the dying
woman the child crept from her place
where she had Struggled under one
corner Of the thin quilt and approach
ing her mother rested one cold cheel,
against tie white face on the pillow.
stammer. "Phelia here"
The dying woman with a conscious
effort held her lids open and looked
into the chid's face.
'Phelia" again she whispered. and
then added painfully. "The baby"
The Sympathetic Member heard the
whisper, faint as it was. and came
from her place by the door. Tho ma
glc of that word would have brought
her across con tinents.
.Baby?" she echoed with her lips
close to the sick womuns ear.
4 In reply one wandering hand went
searching under the bed coverings.
Three pairs of hands instantly aided III
the search. but it was the little girl.
Phclia. who found what the mother
sought.
Curled up in an old flannel shirt.
sucking sour milk out Of a bottle. there
was revealed n child-or was it a. mon
key? So old and wizened ii looked. |
with puckered brow and claw-like !
hands graspng the bottle. that the
three Members shuddered at the mn
canny sight.
Phelia held the little bundle carefully.
with curious maternal anxiety creep !
ing into her vacant face /
'Phelia." the voice of the mother
gathered strength as she caught sight
of the tiny creature You must be |
good to baby. Phelia tend baby--al-
ways. You-hcar-me?"