The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-11-03

A Singular
Request
Its Purpose Could Be
Only Inferred
Qu MAN + ETHEDIDGE
By MAY c. ETHERIDGE


10 do something to divert my mind
from my trouble should be obliged
to make my own living, but l possess,
ed a few hundred dollars and could
not bring myself to begin the work
till my money was all gone.
Scanning a newspaper one day saw
an advertisement of a lady who de
sired a companion with whom to trav.
eI abroad The applicant must be be-
tween twenty and thirty-five years old,
educated and Of a cheerful disposition.
Besides her expenses. she would be
paid $50 a month
1t seemed to me that this would be
good opportunity for me If | could
obtain the situation came within
the limit of age. for I was exactly
twenty. As to the cheerful disposition,
| bore my misfortunes without intlict-
ing them on others. but I surely did
not feel cheerful answered the ad
vertisement and, having been invited
to call upon the lady. found her wild
Ow. much broken down In health.
nervous and irritable.
! was SO disappointed at the prospect
before me that ! declined the position.
This seemed to excite Mrs, Souther
lands desire for my services, and she
doubled the offer of salary. Since I
would be at no expense should re.
turn with some $1,000. which. with
what already had. would give me q
little nest egg So agreed to go.
Mrs SOutberland's son, a young man
of twenty-five, brought her on to the
steamer. where had gone shortly be
fore to prepare her stateroom for her
and unpack needed articles Roy
Southerland was evidently much har.
assed by his mother, whose nervous
condition had evidently communicated
itself TO him This is a common Oc
currence. There is, nothing that will
break down ones nerves quicker than
taking care of nervous wreck While
his mother was resting in her state
room before the ship cast off the young
man took me aside and said TO me:
n don't envy the work before you
] am sorry to turn my poor mother
over TO another, but she needs other
care than mine. Quite likely when
you return you will be in the same
condition as myself If so ] will do
what can to make 1t up to you.
don't consider your salary any pay for
what you will have to endure A
thousand dollars month would not
induce me to undertake the care of
my mother, and twice that would not
induce me to give it up TO any one
else If had not come to the end of
my rope 1t Is essential for both her
and me that she should be cared for
by some one else than me-"
could understand this situation.
and | confess the young man won my
earnest sympathy The prospect be
fore me was surely not frightened by
what be told me did not think so
much of his offer to make good what
would endure as feeling of con.
tentment at being able to bear his
burden for him while he took rest.
/ assured him that he had acted wise
~ in the matter and that he might
have perfect confidence | should de
vote myself TO his mother and stand
by her till l brought her back to
him. as | hoped. greatly benefited
Mrs. Switzerland proved to be sin
gular woman. When | returned to her
after this interview with her son she
said to me:
81 suppose you have been talking to
Roy, He is a good son to me. but he
does not realize that am perfectly
competent TO take care of my own af
fairs Besides. he considers me very
irksome and I'm sure is glad to get
rid of me. However, he is more duti.
full than most sons. who don't hesitate
TO fall In love with the first pretty face
they see. and those who have poor old
lonely mothers will not scruple to mar
~ and leave their mothers out In the
cold But Roy can't do that without
my consent unless he is willing TO give
up the family fortune. which nv his
band left entirely to me TO dispose of
as please, and Roy knows that the
moment he takes wife to usurp my
first place with him he will lose every
cent OF It"
This was but an expected sequel to
what Roy Switzerland had told me and
was not very pleasant beginning of
my term OF service. Without making
any reply to the remarks | asked the
lady what | could do for her to make
her comfortable This diverted her
mind from her unapprecIative son. and
she told me OF so many things she
wished for that | had all l wanted to
Go TO provide them.
] had accepted this situation in order
TO recover from a condition Of my own
and found myself called on to bear a
depression OF another. One would sup
pose that | had made matters worse
for myself. But this, in one respect at
least. was not so. My own distress fell
to the ground before the greater auf