The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-17
"Swing low. sweet chariot,
Swing low. sweet chariot.

Hun-comin TOR 10 carry mo homer
The haunting. savage beauty of the
melody. the words softly slurred in darby
fashion. might have risen direct from
some negro camp meeting instead Of
from our kitchen.
But l descended tho stairs none the
less sternly. sounding to myself the
Slogan, "Burned omelet." .
- As l opened the door the singing
ceased and old Emmeiino crossed the
Kitchen In her iinping way to put away
q dish. clicking her tongue against the
roof of her mouth rs, she did so..
Sho had a blue bingham cap on her
head and q blue Bingham apron on and
altogether looked much neater than I
had expected. II was q relief.
WELL" said. "Emmeline, here are
the orders for the week"
"Yas'm," said Enimeline, giving me
wise look, EMILY she'll read 'em to
ne. l on'y got no count eyesight.''
So she couldn't read
is everything convenient for you now?
You must let mo know II the new sink
10 the right heisht and II the stove and
the oven work properly"
II isn't consplnlnin'..
Sha stood with her hands on her hips,
pscring ut mo with so much curiosity
and reserve judgment that felt quite
embarrassed
'Emmeline." said, hurrying over my
words. you're doing very nicely and
appreciate 1t. But you mustn't burn the
omsletts another morning. It's too much
OF a waste. you know. Eggs are too
high. Please be moro careful"
Huh! They does burn. aigs! I see
ZEN tcs blncls right up when you puts
'em In the pan, like they got devil
into EN-"
Then the pans too hot. Emmeline.
D'in't let it get so hot
"Yas'm.' enthusiastically: them pans
get jest rcd hot sometimes see 'em"
With her great sombre eyes upon me.
dlmost believed she was as stupid as
she pretended to be.
Remember" said. no more burned
onielettes.'
And fled. feeling had done my duty.
As I went out through the pantry she
began singing again:
SISTER: brudder. glib yo' heart to de
And yo' will find a new hidln' place
some day!
De rocks and de mountains will all fee
away,
But 20 will find new hidln' place
some day.
cast a look for my conscience's sake
eiOHB lnc pantry SHELVES ana decided
that my duties OF the day were over.
I strolled out OF doors to walk among
roses and see where the surveyors had
placed the limits OF our property. Just
as a tired but resolute figure appeared
at the gate and walked toward the
house.
1t was Elizabeth Redheld.
81 Just had to come TO see you" she
said. 81 wanted to talk to you so much.
How heavenly 1t seems to be in the
country"
We walked back through the house
again to the back piazza. that haven
of all the household. 1t was cool and
fresh with the breeze blowing the scent
OF honeysuekle and roses from the
tangled garden.
placed a chair for her and one for
myself, and sat watching her profile
intently.
shes too sensitive said to my
self. "for what she's seen. Unless that
tension breaks"
And suddenly I saw that Elizabeth
Redfeld was crying
"Tell me everything" I said snatch
ing her hand. Tell me, Elizabeth
IT didn't mean 10 be a fool" she said,
shaking my hand from her and wip-
ing her eyes. I'm little tired,
guess"
She got up and began pacing up and
down the piazza, her hands clasped
over her head. The expression that she
had withheld SO long seemed to over
whelm her.
The Problem OF Poverty.
at makes me furious that the demo-
cratic state hasn't solved the problem of
poverty. It's got thousands OF people
by the throat l tell you. and nothing
that you or I or any one can do seems
10 do any good. All day long. all day
long they come to us in a steady stream
until we get so used to tales Of despera-
ton that we are like stone. Trouble
and sickness and deadly ignorance! Oh.
when I think OF my mother and her
wounded pride II makes me want to
laugh out loud! Some time think IL a
giant could go through New York and
crack open the tenements so that all the
world could see inside them and then
pry out a few sample Inhabitants ana
show them to Fifth avenue and tell their
story from birth all the great tragedies
that ever were written would seem laugh
able. Human beings. wounded In body
and wounded in spirit and wounded in
soul, with about as much chance OF liv-
ing normal, healthy, happy lives as half
dead insectsi
"a man I saw to-day has walked the
streets ever since he was out of job.
I got six children he said, and II
was home / might 60 to the bread box
and take 1t out o their mouths, get
that hungry
IAN night long the faces go through
my dreams, simple and bewildered. al
ways hoping and hoping for thing TO De
better until there's no chance left
"I saw Lees sweetheart the other DAY
"a fragile, lovely little thing. covered
with exquisite hand made clothes ana
very proud and naughty. wanted 10
slap her
"Oh, I know it's unreasonable She
can't help being what she's been taught
10 be. And love beautiful clothes, too.
But It's the pride hate. What on earth
has any one born TO comfort to be proud
of? / say, let them have the grace to
be humble IN their good fortune. They
can always reflect that dozens OF their
physical and mental prototypes the world
over have less than nothing In compari-
son to them, Oh. I've seen my moth
er's type With ten cents between her ana
starvation And she was Drawer than
mother at that"
Elizabeth Is More Cheerful.
/ was glad to see Elizabeth indignant,
IL was safer than the FIRST mood.
"Imagine my mother" with bitter
laugh, adopting half dozen, penniless
orphans out of sympathy. That's the
kind Of thing mothers In the tenements
do. oh. the world Is full OF other