The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-08-13
MY WANT
OF WISDOM
BY MOLLIE K. WETHERELL

| my father and mother both being
dead, and /. not Saving a cent In the
world, said to friend one day that
| thought | would take a trip to Europe.
l we'll remember the look she gave me.
Indeed, so impressed was she with the
absurdity of my idea that she didn't
| think it worth while to remark upon
It. The truth isl was dreaming aloud
But a few weeks later learned
that l had been left legacy of $500.
Then ! put my dream to practice.
Dreamers are not understood. There
is likely to be some method In their
madness. but their more practical ac-
quaintances take no cognizance of this.
There was method In my madness,
though / hardly understood it myself.
Perhaps my story will explain it
What / did with my $500 was to buy
two months trip to England and
the continent of Europe.
When my friends heard Of what l
was about to do they wondered If they
had not better shut me up in lunatic
asylum.
shes certainly gone daft" said one.
what is she going TO live on when
she gets back?" remarked another.
DO some hard work." put in a
third. THAT will take the nonsense
out Of her.
One of my chums repeated these re-
marks TO me that | might benefit by
them. But didn't / prepared for
my Journey and sailed away, remark
ing that / would have one good time
in my life If | never had another. The
last words heard from the dock were:
"Are you coming home with that for
tune?"
"Yes. A pleasant outing Is a fortune
in itself"
Now. ! didn't know any more than
they what was to happen TO me. GER
tainly had no idea that my trip was TO
be completely spoiled. as 1t was. My
room mate on the ship going out was a
grabbed old maid She was not only
seasick, but afflicted with an incurable
disease. She was so stingy that she
would not tip the room stewardess,
who would do nothing for her. Being
unable to go TO the dining saloon for
meals. the invalid ordered the steward
ess to bring them in to her. The stew
ardess would say. Yes, m'm," go away
and would not return.
What could / do-see the creature
starve? OF course not. waited on
her all the way over. and when we
reached Southampton, she being unable
to leave the ship without assistance,
was obliged to take her ashore with
me- When | got her there | felt COM
PEELED to take her to London.
Hadn't you any relatives TO come
with you?" asked
mo, and couldn't afford TO pay the
way OF any of them IL had"
Cant you afford to hire some one to
take care of your"
mo"
Well, the woman continued to grow
worse. | had the choice of deserving
her. leaving her to the tender mercies
of nobody or staying with her. didn't
scruple 10 tell her that she was spoil
ing my trip. Her reply was that had
better go on and leave her TO her fate.
She might as well have told me to give
her poison to get rid of her. At first
she wouldn't do anything TO relieve me
If she could. and afterward she
couldn't. She continued to sink. but
alive. so that | couldn't get
away from her and pursue my trip.
There was one curiosity in London !
had always wished to see. One morn.
ing ! give n maid half a crown TO at
tend to the invalid for few hours !
while / went TO The tower. When
returned the maid told me that her
charge had sent her out with note fol |
a man. who had come to her and been /
shut up with her for half an hour. He
had taken other persons into the room,
but only for few minutes.
| didn't care to ask an explanation
of this of the sick woman, for 1t was
none of my business. Her illness con-
tinued so long that the time and
l had put aside for my trip
were nearly exhausted. One day the
invalid called me to her and said to
me: I'm going to die. l don't wish
any doctor to tell me so. He would
charge me e. at least and l know II
myself. After my death you will find
Eve sovereigns in my trunk. Bury
me here Ny bones are not worth TAX