Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-08-04
MERRIMENT IN THE SLUMS

Wholesome sense of humor are not
lacking opportunities of a laugh in
their daily rounds. 1t is not all
barren in the Slums, and the slum
workers often 60 their rounds with
smiles on their faces. They come
across much of the unconsciously
humorous in their work, and the
point of view of some of the people
they are trying to hip often has
its amusing side. An instance #
senslbility with the edge somru hat
worn is given in the csse &c v. ~
an of the slums whose husband bed
been missing for several weeks. Re-
ferring to this fact the c;t, =, coiig
wife said placidly to charity M.!..-
er going her daily rounds.
"It's a little awk ard not know
in if you are a widder or no. an if
you have a husband you'd ruther
like to have him where you can put
your finger on him, an that is more
than | can do, by George! | read in
a mornin' paper of man bein'
killed by the cars over on the East
Side, an the description just fit my
husband, duds an all. When I
first read it | thought of coin over
there and seein' if it was him Thon
| says to myself, says |: ~; ;
tbs good of spendin' ten ccn;s -
an uncertainty?' You see it Wo, |
of cost me dime to traipse ~. :
over there, an like enough wl.rn [
got there I'd find some other man
an there I'd be out of dime an
nothin' to show for it. So didn't
go. I'd ruther if | am a widder or
no, but | amt got no money to
fool away runnin around lookin' at
dead men to see if | am the relick of
any of them. Men are mighty un-
certain critters as you'd know,
Miss, if you wus married to one of
EN-.
The tenements are sure to abound
in petty quarrels, and the state
ment of these differences often gives
the charity worker, a good dealof
concern. A worker found in one
of the tenements a woman very
much wrought up over scrap she
had had with a neighbor whom she
characterized as that agervatin'
limb, Mis- Pettyman, with whom
she had quarreled before.
But, my dear sister, said the
worker with a note of appeal in her
voice, 1 have told you to heap
Goals of fire onher head.
'Yes'm l know was the reply,
and if | didn't exactly heap Goals of
fire on her head when she stuck out
her tongue at me yesterday
| come the next thing to it, for l
let her have pan of ashes all over
her head, and she was the mad one
we'll | guess.
Another city worker found a
huge colored woman, in a state of
fearful detection because of beat
ng she had received at the hands
of her worthless husband whom her
daily toll supported.
Well Susan, said the worker, |
am very sorry for you and | NTH
| could help you, hut all can think
of is to advise you to pray, and
pray as you have never prayed be-
fore. Pray for yourself that you
may have patience. Perhaps the
Lord means this as real test of
your strength and faith. Then pray
for your husband as you have never
prayed for him before. Will you
Susan?
Yes'm. will said Susan with q
sob in ner voice. 1 is already made
up my mind that l would pray one
mo- good pra'r for him. Den if he
me again after that | is gwlnter
break his dam ole neck!'
How is your husband today?'
asked charity worker of woman
she met on the street.
Worse ma a'am. A whole lot
worse. He amt a-goin' to get well.
I'm just taken his overcoat out to
Sc what l can git for it--poor man!
He won't need any oyercoats where
he's goin''.'
AYoung woman charity worker