The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1916-05-04
GLAD TO BE OF USE
RICH WOMAN REALLY WANTED
TO HELP HER NEIGHEoR.
Offer Touched Victim IF Accident
More Than All the Condolences
and Offers Of Assistance She,
in a Measure, Expected.

1t was Sunday morning Pa len
kins, wearing a Kitchen apron, shirt
sleeves rolled up and his arms COW
cred to the elbow with -four. stood at
the kitchen table trying to make
bread Ma sat nearby and directed
the operation.
ITO think mad to go and slip and
break that arm on a Saturday. be-
moaned ma gazing disapproyingly at
her bandaged right arm and leave Us
without any fresh baking for sunday
We'll, your little OH William is on
the job, cheerfully qG,5th pa. as1ong's
I've got any muscle we'll have bread"
He lneaded with added energy
You must not work it as hard as
that, declared ms Now cut it into
pieces and make loaVes and then it'll
have to rise again E8=net ike that.
That won't make a nieezshaped loaf"
What's shape If It's good 10 eat2'
inquired pa You just stop worrying.
ma. Everythings going to be all right.
and you'd better lie down while.
Soons ! get this dough stuff OF my
hands I'll make the beds
q do hope nobody'n come in today
fused ma, thinking Of the undnsted
house and her inability to provide re-
freshments. Pa meant we'll and was
more than willing to do his burned
est" but of course he couldn't do
things right
And company came, Word had
gone abroad that Ma Jenkins had suf-
fered an accident. SO everybody called
all the neishhors and club women
and members of the Ladies Aid. and
the minister's wife and mother-in-
law
Some brought flowers and others
brought such substantiais as healthy
looking veal loaf. TWO beautiful loaves
of homemade whole wheat bread. a
couple of pans Of home-baked rolls,
huge loaf of white bread, plateful of
luscious looking eurrant jelly tarts.
glasses of Jelly and Jars of fruit and
cookies galore Besides the flowers
and the eats" all brought eondol-
enees and thrilling tales of accidents
that had happened in other families,
related with much painful detail.
Finally the callers had all departed
except one middle=aged. plainly
gowned woman whose limousine was
waiting for her. She was a member
of mas chureh-a wealthy woman.
who seldom had anything to say and
who. rumor said. had started life in
very poor circumstances
She had brought neither flowers nor
cake, and while others talked she sat
silent. looking her sympathy for ma.
When they were alone-pa had gone
down cellar to attend to the furnace
she began TO speak. hesitatingly. as IL
II was difficult to find words to ex-
press her feelings
Il didn't know there'd be so many
callers, right away" said the rich
woman. And didn't think of bring
ing anything-like the rest did. I'm
rather slow thinking about things that
way. But | did think that I might
come in and fix up your house. I'm
good at that
Now that's kind of you" answered
ma, but pas awful handy around the
house"
But man isn't like a woman to do
things" answered the caller, and l
know how a woman feels about her
house. Now there's the kitchen floor.
Couldn't scrub that for you. Let me
be of some use"
q was simply dumfounded.' said ma
to pa, afterward. But she really
meant IT, And she's going to send one
of her maids over tomorrow to stay as
long as we need her. Now who'd think
a woman as rich as that would want
to scrub my kitchen floor for me?'
Even money can't keep a good
heart. down" sententiously stated pa.
Say, that was dinged good batch
of bread turned out, all-right-all-right
now wasn't Philadelphia Bulle-
tin.