Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-12-04
A SALEM INCIDENT.
Editor Capital journal:

Editor Capital Journal
An aged lady came from the Atlantic
coast to Salem. She didn t know she
was aged-but other folks did-7her life
had been 80 full of sorrowga and suffer.
ing and losses that time was forgotten.
She went to the state house to call
on the governor-he was not in, but
a backlog blazed merrily in the fire
place, and over the mantle hung pic
ture that seemed to breathe welcome.
From office to office the aged lady
went, asking for position but the
heads Of departments all had the same
answer No vacancy" Girls, girls,
everywhere no demand for aged ladies.
She had searched 50 long for work she
was physically able to do--not the kind
IT would require an Amazon to perform,
which was all that had been offered her
and now her purse was almost empty
but she spent the remainder for
room in the thirdstory, and an ad in
the paper which brought no answer,
and so bitter was her disappointment
that she prayed to die--cownrdly, was
not itR But instead of dying she is
very much alive and deeply grateful
that she does live in Salem, not because
any one gave her WORK at her own pro
fession which she loves so well not be-
cause anybody was friendly, or even
spoke TO her at church or prayer meet,
ings for they didn 't--but because she
didn't give up in despair but went on
seeking Il place to work and so one
day she sat down in large room with
a hundred others, all strangers to her,
and for the first time in her life tried
to iron the wrinkles out Of prunes with
her thumbs and lay them in straight
rows Oh, how long it did take her TO
face box with 1876 smooth prunes and
thus earn cents, She only faced 20
boxes day, while the experts faced
go or more. But that 60 cents a day
meant food and root over her head
and she was glad,
But these human beings didn Z treat
her like the ones she had seen in tho
churches of Salem, who, although they
looked at her, did not appear TO see
her, as if some magic had rendered her
invisible, But here were over a hun.
dred lovely people, ranging from sweet
10 to 70 who smiled and nodded across
the room at her and didn' Z wait for
an introduction before getting acquaint.
cd. They were as friendly as folks
used to be in by,gone days Of the com.
munity dipper and roller towel--in fact
that Is just what they had and perhaps
that IS the secret Of their fellow-feeling
II wonder II this fad OF individualism
hasn I been carried most too far and is
10 blame for the dearth OF neighhorli'
nossi Wen, the social atmosphere
worked like charm on the stranger
and she didn't mind her sore thumbs
or aching arms since everybody was so
kind TO her and didu' let her die Of
Ilonesomeness
"Let us not count the stars in our
heavenly crown,
Gazing upward we may miss a chance
TO comfort tho Aged, with sorrow east
down,
Or the joy Of life's close 90 enhance y
One Of tho pastors OF THE city recent.
| " preached about the ministry OF ang.
els; proving to his hearers beyond the
shadow Of doubt, that the angels arc
kept as busy nowadays heading US OFF
with flaming swords when we try TO
70 IN wrong direction, as was that one
which frightened BALKAN $ beast Well
with all due respect for the Invisible
angels, give me tho tangible kind AZ
well, with eyes that saw how few holes
were punched in tho strangers card
and thc amount Of hcr pay check and
the contents Of her diuncr pail--and
then what whispering there was--
iuat like before Chris,mae-- when
he went 20 her dinner pail thorc abe
found big bouquet, and a cake and