The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-01-22
PriSCiIIa'S
Philanthropy
BY Martha Cobb Sanford.


where Murphy street is?''
1t was the ffth time that Priscilla
had asked the question that afternoon,
but turn and twist as she would at
each new tumble of directions she
seemed no nearer the clearing house
of domestic panlcs.
1.-Two blocks back, miss. then three
blocks east and
Priscilla frowned. She did not wait
for the policeman to finish. but. thank
Ing him hastily. retraced her steps
with the energy born of despair.
us there anything more inhuman on
the face of the EARTH" she put TO her.
self. than maid of all work? To
think of it-running off the day be-
fore New Years without deigning to
invent an excuse even. wouldn't
have thought 1t of Della after being
with us six whole months"
Here she stopped her mental solilo-
guy long enough TO get her bearings
and turn east. rs directed.
at wouldn't matter SO much IL only
Gerald HOLSTER were not coming to
dinner. Relatives don't count Oh,
why did l invite him? He's so accus-
toned TO having everything absolutely
CONNIE II faut. Catch me letting my
sympathies run away with me again
Just because n mans family happens
to be out of town! And he could have
asked our whole family over there to
dinner and With all his servants never
bothered to lift his finger! But that
wouldn't occur TO him. It's the one
thing don't like about Gerald Hollis
ter anyway. With all his wealth you
never hear about his doing any big.
generous thing"
Just here Priscilla's rapid little mon
ologue stopped short.
She suddenly remembered that she
For the sixth time she was about to
frame automatically the monotonous
Inquiry for Murphy street when n
bright blue sign of Female Help"
Haunting itself down side street
caught her eye.
Priscilla made precipitate dash to-
ward 1t, which ended in an ignonins-
Gus collision with corner newsstand.
When both had regained their equilIb-
rum, Priscilla, giving her fur boa Il
careless toss over her shoulder, started
a second time toward the garish sym.
Dol of her hopes.
This time plaintive little wall re-
strained her. Where did 1t come from
There was not child In sight. She
walked step or two In the direction
| of the sound, and there, curled up un
der the shelter Of newsstand, wa
a mite of humanity, blue and pinchet
with the cold.
"Why, you poor dear!" exclaimed
Priscilla. where is your mother2 Ar,
| you lost?"
But the mite didn't move, only moan
ed pltifully.
Priscilla looked about perplexed
Seeing n sbopkeeper watching her GU
riOusy from behind his show window.
she beckoned him to come to her
ado you know who this child is?"
she asked almost accusingiy.
"Shure." replied the shopkeeper. "Hc
tinds the shtand and does n SMART
business too"
But he's only baby and sick and
cold" pleaded Priscilla.
ooh, he oftin cr-rawls undher ther-re
t gilt warm. The men takes their
plper-rs Just the same an laves their
pennies"
"Where does he livef" demanded
Priscilla imperatively.
The man pointed to dlngy looking
tenement house next door to the en-
plOyment office. TO his utter amaze
ment, Priscilla stopped down, gathered
the whining waif In her arms, wrap
ped her fur boa around him and walk
ed toward the house with her burden.
From the curious tenants she soon
found out which particular door led
into the chlld's home. The key was
hanging In IA dark corner near by.
Once inside. Priscilla laid the child
down on broken. disorderly bed and
then shivered as she stood helpless In
the gloom and chill of the place.
There was neither fire, fuel nor food.
Priscilla knelt down beside the child
and chafed his little cold hands Till
there was some degree of warmth In
them. Then she summoned up her
courage, knocked at the door of the
adjoining fiat and begged the woman
who answered to take the child In be-
side her fire while she herself went
out to get food for him.
She had Just returned with her arms
full of bundles when she bumped into
man in the dark hallway equally
incumbered An avalanche OF paper
bags followed.
IL beg your pardon" came stimuli
taneously from both.
Then as they stopped to the task of
picking up their respective belongings
the man ventured an inquiry.
"Can you tell me where the Horri-
gans live, wonder?'
~ haven't the least idea" replied
Priscilla I'm Il stranger here my
self"
The commotlon had caused the sud
den apparitIon of several tousled heads
from behind half opened doors, In
the dim light that fickered out Pris-
ella stole an lnquIsitive look at the
man beside her.
Gerald Hollister!" she exclaimed
excitedly and In her amazement drop
ped all her paper bags again.
priscilla Ballad" he exclaimed, and
his paper bags followed Priscllla's.
1t Is quite probable had not the
squeakng doors stretched their curlos-
ity bit too far that Priscilla and Ger
aid would have spent the rest VI the
morning dropping and picking up par
GELS. But Priscilla, catching sight of
the woman In whose care she had left
her little charge rushed past her, grab
bed up the child and commanded Ger
aid to follow her.
Imagine Mrs. Horrigan's surprise
half hour or 50 later, when she came
in from her days cleaning, to find
seated by cracking hot stove. with
little Jim In her arms, an "illigant GIN
tleman wild fur coat at the back Nv