Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-04

w lleI IIutl was ONNS AAioAG llOihS
again she declared it was the happiest
day she had ever had. Her mother
promised to let her go again soon.
Ethel is grown woman now, and is a
charity worker. Like her aunt, she
never tires of helping others.
MILDRED kEOGH.
Seward street, Colegrove school, age
IA, grade BS.
Dear Aunt Laurie:
They entered a store at the corner
and ascended a flight of stairs. Aunt
Helen then led the way into shabby
looking room. 1t was very bare and
there was only one window. The room
was very dark.
In one end of the room was a bed
in which was a little boy of about
or s.
His pale face frightened as he saw
his visitors.
Ethel. this is Johnny Kane. We
have brought you some flowers, Johnny.
Ethel lives i'm the country, and she has
garden of her own, where these flow
ers grew"
oh. aren't they beautiful? I never
saw such pretty ones before. Thank
you ever so much" and his face
glowed with pleasure as Ethel handed
him a bunch. She had never seen any
one so pleased.
Next they went to see little girl
who lived in a tenement house. She
was cripple and had never moved
outside of her room. Just imagine,
never having seen bit of green grass
or even a flower. for so she told Ethel.
AS Ethel thought of her own beauti
full home and lovely garden and of the
little cripple she felt very rich, and she
told the little girl all about her flowers
and her garden in the country.
The little girl did not know how to
thank her when she gave her n great
bunch of the pretty sweet peas.
Then Aunt Helen and Ethel took an
other car to a still poorer section.
The streets were miserably dirty and
so We're the houses. Aunt Helen led
the way to one of the shabbiest and
most broken down houses.
They knocked. and a thin woman
with a baby in her arms let them into
a room where there were several chill
dren playing. They were all ragged
and dirty.
Ethel gave them all punches of flow
ers from the basket. The poor little
things were so surprised and awestruck
that they did not know what to say.
They gazed with enraptured eyes at
the dainty pink and white blossoms.
The little baby thought they were some
thing alive. She hugged and kissed
them and kept saying "Oh, pity, pity"
At last Ethel and her aunt had to
take their leave as it was getting late,
so Ethel started home with the empty
basket, but a light heart, conscious
that her flowers had made a few eyes
brighten and that they had done some
good that day. She resolved to take
some more flowers soon and visit all
the children again.
NJ w. BIxBY.
R. R. No. q Long Beach.
They walked down the street until
a little cottage between two large
apartment houses was reached. This
was where Johnny and his widowed
mother lived. Aunt Helen told Ethel
that Mrs. Kane took in washing and
took care of some of the neighhors'
young children while their mothers
worked out.
Aunt Helen and her niece were ad-
mitted into a room which served as
parlor and bedroom while Johnny was
sick, and where he now lay, by Mrs.
Kane who was very glad to have
Aunt Helen call. as she had helped
them a great deal since Johnny was
injured.
Aunt Helen took a seat by the lit
tie boys bedside and asked how he
was.
"Oh. I'm getting on pretty fine"
answered Johnny, smiling.
Ethel gave him a bunch of the sweet
peas which he was delighted to get
After a while Aunt Helen and she
departed for a childrens hospital not
far distant where only the children of
the slums were taken care of.
In rows, side by side, the children lay
in their white cots, Aunt Helen, fol-
lowed by Ethel went from cot to cot,
the children being made more content
ed and joyful for their cheerful pres
ence and by the flowers. One little,
curly haired girl, who was getting
over a severe case of fever, said to
Ethel, upon receiving a bouquet of
sweet peas:
"These are the first real flowers
ever had. They are so pretty!'
Ethel promised her some more flow
ers if she ever came to the hospital
while the girl was still there.
When all the flowers were given and
all the cots visited Aunt Helen and
Ethel took the train for home where
the girl told her mother about her trip
and everything" as she put it, and
added: May / visit the slums again.