The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-01-26
By THE WAY.
A Human Story.
i o o 9 o @ o . o . o o o 9 o o o

twenty-five years OF age. Dressed
neatiy-althoug perhaps not in the
latest style-she appeared to be one
''in the humber walks Of life She
sat in the union station, with a suit
case by her side, apparently await
ing the arrival of the nine o'clock
Southern passenger train-the Can
non Ball. Ordinarily, she would
not have attracted any unusual at
ntion, but she was found sitting III
the station more than an hour before
the time for the arrival Of the train
and alone. This was several nights
ago.
TO a policeman she told her story.
She lived in another city in the State,
some little distance from Newberr!,
with her cousins-these cousins be-
ing her nearest kin. She tired of b.
ing dependent upon them for sup
port. and came to Newberry to secure
work in one of the cotton mills sew
eral weeks ago. She found, after a
trial of few weeks, that she could
rot make the living which she had
hoped to make here, and decided to
go back to her home in another part
of the State
She had seen much Of the world in
recent years-with it's ups and downs.
AS member of a travelling show,
she had wandered far and wide. In
this mixed company, she had tasted
the dregs of woe. She began to &c
down-and down-and down, until
it seemed that there was nothing for
her to live for. $ Then she sud
denly came to herself! She realized
that there was a better side of life,
and she determined to enlist on tina:
better side. This realization and de-
termination came to her some months
ago-and it was in the hope Of living
down her past that she came to A
strange town to begin life anew.
With a plentiful supply of help, ths
cotton mill at which she applied for
work here could not give her a job
with which she could make a good
livelihood. So, after working as best
she could for several weeks, she de-
cided to return to her old homeland
continue to live the kind of life she
had finally determined upon.
But, she found that after paying her
expenses here, she did not have sufa-
cient funds with which to purchase
a ticket to her destination-there be-
ing only seventy-five cents left in
her purse. and a ticket would cost
about three dollars! She did not make
a direct appeal for assistance, but
seemed to be hoping against hope
that maybe, after all, something would
turn up to help her out OF her trou
BILE. And it did!
The policeman told friend the
story which had been unfolded by the
young woman, and together they
went to the station to see what could
be done towards relieving her dis
tress. The train had just blown its
station signal. The young woman
was still sitting where she had been
for more than an hour She wore
most detected expression. for her
hopes Of miracle being worked in
her case had vanished, apparently.
The train was pulling into the sta
tjon-and she did not yet have the
ticket which she had hoped for
Quietly, several policemen, who
knew her story, and a few citizens
in the station, contributed their halves
and quarters to the "ticket fund In
fact, it was all done so quietly that
very few people in the depot knew
what was being done-even the young
woman herself being ignorant. 1t
was found, upon counting the pro-
ceods. that more was needed--when a
young man, who is a newcomer to
Newberry. and who, it was thought,
did not know that collection was be-
ing taken, quietly walked up and
asked to be allowed to contribute fifty
cents to the cause. He did not. wait
to be approached on the subject, but
with the remark that he did not know
when he himself might be up against
it," he contributed his half dollar to-
wards making glad detected heart.
A ticket was quickly purchased
and the police officer took it to the
young woman She could hardly be-
lieve her eyes-or her ears-when she
found at last she could get to her
old home and kinsfolk 1t was worth
a contribution to witness such a
change in expression-and the glad
MSS which lit up the once-dejected
face, She hardly knew what to say
amid her tears and thanks-but she
did ask for the names of her bene-
factors, so that she could repay the
amount contributed OF course, the
names were not forthcoming-and she
thanked the officer again.
Then, picking up her suit case, she
hurried out of the station and board
ed the train, which was about ready
to pull ont. And she was haDpv-as