The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-07-11
A MORNING CALL.

This OutburSt came from Helen
Crosby. She was all out of sorts
had streak of the blues-as she ex-
pressed it. A letter she received that
morning was partly responsible for
this state of affairs.
A girl friend in the East had writ
ten to her about the gayeties of com.
mencement time-the entertainments,
the class reunions, the banquets and
lawn fetes. Of all these things Helen
was to have been part, and in con-
trast her life seemed more monoton-
Gus than ever. She sat down in the
doorway and read Jessie letter again.
"Why did it have to be, anyway"
she asked herself, all the while her
heart growing harder and more bitter.
She was too busy with her own
thoughts to notice a woman coming
up the path. In the midst of her
reverie she was aroused bya pleasant
voice saying, "Good morning. ]
hope I did not frighten you."
Helen looked up in surprise.
Strangers rarely ever found their way
to the Crosby's mountain home.
''What a fine view you have here |"
she continued, as she drank in the
beauty of the scene spread out before
her. Away to the left were lofty
peaks that lifted their snow-crowned
SUBMITS to the skies. On either side
were long ranges, and up the canyon
the mountain stream formed a success
sion of waterfalls.
"Ye.es, I supposs it is pretty"
Helen was saying, "but we are so ac-
customed to seeing it every day, we
do not think much about it. You are
a stranger here?"
Eyes. I am staying at the hotel
in the mouth Of the canyon. Several
of us started out for a carriage drive
this morning, but we had an accident
that will detain us a few hours. l
ekFsso-utnegs&n amer fgsgizn,,- r-sSihdereu
if l mightn't come here"
''I am so glad you came" Helen
cried eagerly. II am rather lonely
this morning. 1 would ask you to
come in the house, but" Here she
stopped and wondered what excuse to
offer for the untidy condition of the
rooms.
81 see you have been detained about
your work." the stranger said. "Per-
haps 1 can help you some" and she
began to remove her hat and gloves.
"I have not worked for many a
day." she continued, "but ! guess
still know how, Since we are to work
together, we shall want to get ac-
quainted. am Mrs. Palmer, and
you are"
"Helen Crosby"
1t was with some reluctance that
Helen led the way into the house, and
her face crimsoned with shame as she
saw evidences of her carelessness or
every hand. In the kitchen the
breakfast table was standing just as
they had left it, and on side table
was motley array of dirty pots and
pans. Her sewing of the day before
was piled in heap on the chair il
the sittingroom, and scraps were scat
tered all over the floor.
"Somehow haven't had any hear
for my work lately" Helen said apol
ogetically, land this morning I jus
couldn't do anything"
Mrs. Palmer appeared not to notice
the confusion and made no reply
She donned bib apron and was soor
busily engaged in clearing up th'
table.
Helen worked, too, and for th'
time being she forgot all her troubles
"This bread is ready to make out,
Mrs. Palmer announced, as she tool
a peep into the pan where the breat
was rising. AS she nodded the shape
ly loaves, Helen could not help motto
ing how she seemed to enjoy the worl
that was such a burden to her.
"Do you like to do that ?" she f
nally asked.
"Do like it? o, you don't know
what pleasure it is to do something
of this kind"
cit would be different if you ha
to work that way"
perhaps it would" Mrs. Palme
said, and added rather abruptly, 81
little while ago you said you had II
heart for your work. Do you min
telling me the reasonf"
This was the opportunity Hele
longed for, and she poured into Mrs
Palmer's ears a tale of Illustrate
plans and blighted hopes. She toll
her how, when the folks came ou
West to prospect, she stayed at schoc
in the East, living with her aunt. ]
was her last year before graduatio
and she was at the head of the clas:
But suddenly her mother died, an
she must go to the lonely home in th
mountains to keep house for fathe
and Dick.
80, it was hard" she said, "an
sometimes I think I can't stand il
Auntle had beautiful home-polisf
ed floors, Turkish rugs, fine draperis
and statuary-in fact everything thu
heart could wish for. That is som'
thing like living; 1 call this existing
Our low ceilings, rag carpets, brait
ed rugs, and scrim curtains do loo
so poor and mean. And then tt
dull monotonous life No associate
nosociety, nothing except work. tt
same dishes to be washed three tim'
a dav. sweeping and dusting, patcl