The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-08
SAYS UNCLE CAV

The other Cay there followed to her
grave an imposing, if motley, process
sion of men and women who thus did
honor to one who loved her kind and
had only her hands wherewith to OK
press that love. She was merely one
of the great army of earnest hearts
that long to be of use in the world. She
was different from many others of that
same inspiring company, in that where
they failed she found a way.
In the proco sion were profiigate end
priest, philanthropist and prostitute,
rihc man, poor man. begger and thief,
butcher, baker and candlestick maker,
and scores of good women who knew
her worth and were not ashamed to
rub elbows with the demi-mOn1e in
paying their last tribute.
At forty this woman had failed
The casual observer would have called
her a failure at sixty although thou
sands of grateful hearts bore testi-
money to her splendid usefulness. At
middle age she was a childless willow
and felt that she had done nothing for
the race. She was practically without
money and couldn't be a philanthropy
per- which was fortunate. She had
only her hands and they were empty,
but she decided to use them. This
woman was Mortified at the thought
that she might die without having done
a little to make the world better.
She began by buying a dress for
$2.9S at a sale held in the basement of
a department store. She laid aside the
little jewelry that she wore, put on Il
simple but attractive hat and went out
to get acquainted with her less for
tunate neighbors. She approached
them upon their own level, not hers.
She made an excuse to visit the wash
erwoman and gossiped with her. She
found common ground in widowhood.
Presently she found employment for
Jimmp, the eldest boy, and because
Jimmy needed an education, she or
ganized a neighborhood night school
with volunteer teachers who wore three
dollar dresses while on duty. The host
ler's wife became her bosom friend
and presently that family moved out
of a dingy fiat to a neat little cottage
that was found for tia cottage with
enough ground for a garden and a
place for the kiddies to play in the sun
shine. She taught the garbage haul
er's wife and daughters how to dress
cheaply and neatly and impressed Upon
them the virtues of cleanliness. She in
noculated a street cleaners family with
the seeds of the open-air sleeping fad
and converted the roof of a tenement
into a health resort.
She told her simple story of clean
Illness and health and happiness to a
hundred families, enlisted the aid of
enough for humanity to work for
nominal fees. introduced her charges !
to amateur gardeners and flower lovers !
and brought the young folk into touch |
with others of higher station who were |
over outdoor sports She |
esta blished a community playground in |
q vacant lot and a baseball field in |,
a larger one She performed the mir |
acle of finding a common ground upon |
which all could meet and made for her !
people a democracy of clean ideals |
and mutual helpfulness
By this time she was an institution
but none of her charges suspected that |
she had come among them to help
them. Nor did they guess that she was
helping herself.
Those who understood sometimes
called her the city's most valuable CHI
zen. Her hands were still empty, but
not idle. She seldom gave away a dol
ar because she had not the dollars
to give. She did not permit others to
give money to those in whom she was
She asked only that thew
give themselves and they did.
So. in the fullness of time she mad
helped thousands to help themselves.
had destroyed no mans manhood. nor
caused any woman to blush at the
thought of charity She had ONLY hor
hands, but they had worked miracles.
The moral seems to be that circurn-
stance has little to do with greatness
hat what the world most needs is mon |
md women rather than dollars-that
10 man or woman, with the love of
humanity at heart, need faiI.-(Copv-
light 1913 by the Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.)