Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-28
Story of a Brave Fight.

Story of Brave Fight.
Right here would seem an appropriate
place to tell the story of Mrs. Lewis
the story of a brave and cheerful strug-
gle against heavy odds that made a deep
impression on me when I first heard it.
Jane had part of it from Mrs. Lewis
herself when she called last Saturday
and details that modesty prompted her
to withhold were supplied by Mrs.
Brown.
Mr., Lewis was a bookkeeper for a
Washington business house, and never
made more than $1,000 a year. They
had two children. Bettina. the little
girl who brought us dou2hnGts and but
| ter the day after We moved. and her
brother. Tom. five years older. Tom is
! about eleven now. and one OF the man
! lest little chaps l ever met.
| Five years ago the doctors told Mr..
Lewis that he had cancer of the stom-
ach, and that the disease was too FAR
advanced to hope for recovery They
said he might possibly live two or three
| years, but probably wouldn't.
BY the strictest kind of frugality they
| had managed to save little more than
| $1,000. and Mr.. Lewis had insurance in
| a fraternal order for another $1,000.
| That was ali there would be for the
| wife and children when he was no longer
| able to provide for them.
The problem they had to solve was how
| to make 5000 secure their future. II
| could not be invested with any degree of
sa fety to earn more than 500 a year.
which would not go far toward support
ing the three and educating the child
Before her marriage Mrs. Lewis had been
a teacher in the public schools She
! might get back her position OF study
sienography. but either occupation would
! involve leaving Bettina. then only a baby.
with strangers. And either occupation, at
| the best, would provide only living.
| Neither gave promise Of home.
| Confronted with the prospect OF soon
| having to face the world alone, a home,
| however small and unpretentious. seemed
| to Mrs. Lewis the thing most to be de-
sired They figured that If that home
| be food. something which the city nigh,
| deny them.
Had Been a Country Girl.
| Mrs Lewis had been a country girl and
the prospect of rural life did not appal
her. She had raised chickens, could mill
a COW, and knew the rudiments of gar
dening Mr.. Lewis had never lived in thu
country. end knew nothing of its prob
| lens. but it was his wife who was gons
to have to fight the battle, and he yielded
to her judgment Those must have beef
dark days Immediately following pro
| nounccment of the death sentence, bu
they seem to have gone about maxim,
provision for the future with good dea
of philosophy and hard common sense.
They came out here and bought the cot
tage with four acres of ground The pric
was 81 400. and they paid 500 down, Civ
ing mortgage for the other half. Tha
was five years ago. NJ. Lewis continue,
for nearly two years to hold his position
! in the city. With the $500 they had lief
after buying the place Mrs. Lewis Sc
about to develop her prospect" Thoug
coming TO the country enabled them t
reduce the cost Of living to some extern,
her husband take, though she knew in he
heart it was vain ate up about all tn
surplus of his salary.
! But with that $500, and the s. or $40
month additional they were able to save
this determined woman accomplishe
wonders. She bought some old hens an,
good eggs and Matched nearly 200 bah.
chickens the first year. out of which
she raised so pullets. Her husband helped
her build henhouse, working evenings
and Sundays.
One of her first purchases was a COW
which furnished the family with mill
land butter with some butter to sell. which
"ave them little income almost from thu
first. That first spring Mrs. Levi!
bought and planted herself 800 red rasp
berry plants. 100 currant and severa
dozen gooseberry bushes, besides 20'
strawberry plants. Also she made {
garden and worked it almost entirel!
herself after the blowing and narrowing
had been done.
Pathetic Efforts to Help.