Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-09

Williams. Attorneys at Law. Aries. y
She knew nobody there except an old
cousin of her fathers whom she had
not seen in thirty years. and scarcely
remembered Wondering. she tore
open the envelope and read the few
typewriter lines it contained. and she
read them again and again. until
every word was etched on her con-
seriousness. without, however. produc-
ing any meaning. Mrs. Margaret
Davenant, whose death occurred
Thursday, May 1S-under the terms of
WHOSE ose will-you will receive the sum
Death will - sum. Gradually poor
Sarah's brain sorted out these words
and chung to them. Gradually she be
gan to understand. Then. with the
letter in her hand, she ran down the
street to Lawyer Marshall's.
Such news travels fast. Within two
days all Westmore knew that Sarah
Davenant had been left money and a
lot of it.
isn't it too bad?" people said "She
Will never get any good of it nor let
anybody else She is so selfish"
1t took Sarah full week to accus-
tom herself to the idea of having
money before even she could bring
herself to spend one penny of it. All
that time she sat in her little gray
longings and unfulfilled wishes came
crowding back to her; slowly the vision
of life unfolded.
The first thing she bought was a
plump chicken for roasting, and the
next thing was a novel at the book
store. Was it laughable? Possibly. to
those whose bodies had never persisted
Tor nourishment and whose ina gina
ton had never starved for a good
story.
From this doubtful starting point
the train of her desires gathered acu-
men steadily. She had the little gray
house enlarged and dignif1ed into a
coy bungalow. She bought soft rugs
curtains, furniture. books, pictures and
china. Somewhere she had kept safe
the knowledge of how to choose things
she had but to see in order to know
She had bulbs and shrubs and plants
set in the yard. Had she not always
ionged for flowers? She bought cloth
ing for herself-simple. refined, practi-
cal-and went as she had seen herself
clad in her dreams She even made a
Journey to the city to get certain
things not attainable at home
you cant say that Sarah Davenant
doesn't spend money" said old Mrs
Fisk. triumphantly
Very true" returned Sarahs neigh
bors. but she spends it all on herself
Sarah Davenant hasn't given one penny
away yet"
II don't blame her," rejoined old Mrs
FISK. no ever gave her anything?
No, Sarah gave nothing away. She
never thought of others; she thought
only of herself. She was like one
starving who suddenly comes up to a
table laden with food she snatched
greedily. mindful only of her own
cravings.
But time came when she had no more
munger. The thing that made her aware
OF IT was this: She was walking down
front street one day when she saw a
little child who looked underfed, rag
ged and piteously dirty 1t was not
the frst time that Sarah had met thai
child, but it was the first time she had
ever actually seen him. She stopped
hesitatingly. Still hesitatingly she
asked his name
guess you're a good ways from
home she said. TN take you back :
Folks stared to see selfish Sarah
Davenant walking with Bill Mayo's
little boys hand in hers. For Bill had
peeh sent to state prison two days be-
fore, leaving his family destitute.
lhey were no longer destitute when
Sarah Davenant came away that day:
they were provisioned, clad, comforted
Ana their gratitude and blessing fol-
lowed Sarah even to her own door.
Sarah's soul had awakened
Westmore calls her the giving LADY,
now. this same Sarah Davenant. No
pody can become ill or poor or I'M
happy without Sarah finding it out and
orering help in some beautiful ant
way What does she receive? Her
happy race tells the story
tTHE END)