Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-12-16
Near St. Anne's
By JANE OSBORN

ga 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
Matron of an "old ladies' home
Madge Gray! If you had seen her as
she set out that Thanksgiving eve you
too, would have rebelled against the
fate that had forced Madge to her de
cision. 1t had been merely the result
of little arithmetic. She received
$50 week-a sum that would once
have seemed munificent-for her work
as filing clerk In a downtown once.
For board and lodging in tiny han
bedroom she had to deduct 81. There
were six lunches besides. and clothes
and carfares and all those little Incl
dentals that, no matter what your IN
come, always come to work havoc WIN
your budget. At st. Anne's Madge had
been offered $50 a month-but there
would be no expenses-no carfare,
board, lodging, lunch or laundry. IL
was not that institutional life seemed
to hold out any attractions to MadGe'
but simply because she was tired or
putting up the fight that seemed nee
essary in adjusting her standard OF
living to that $40 week. So Madge
was interested when Mrs. Saunders,
who had known Madge before Mr.
Gray's death and the collapse of the
Gray affairs, wrote telling her in let
ter full of pity that St. Anne's home,
Of which Mrs. Saunders was q direc-
tor, was in need of matron and that
Mrs. Saunders remembered how tact
full Madge had been with the OLD
ladies at the hotel where they had
once spent the summer. Her letter
did not very successfully conceal the
fact that the .matronship Of st. Anne's
had not been a position very much
sought after and that the $50 had not
been deemed sufficient to the other
matrons to persuade them to exert the
supreme tact needed to get on with
the "aged gentlewomen' who lived at
ST. Anne's.
Imagine the fair-haired Madge,
scarce more than a child herself,
mothering all those old ladies. But
to her there was nothing incongruouS
In the idea. So having no more inter,
esting plans to make for the holiday,
she told Mrs. Saunders that she would
go out to st. Annes to "look things
over" and see if she thought she
could possibly assume the responsible
ity that the position required.
Mrs. Saunders had thereupon
asked her to go cut Wednesday after
noon and spend the Thanksgiving
weekend there. She wrote to the de-
parting matron to receive Madge and
to try to make ST. Anne's seem as at
tractive as possible.
So when twenty-year-old Madge
started out by train to the unfrequent-
ed suburb that harbored st. Anne's it
was with the feeling that if she ac-
cepted the poSition-and there seemed
not the faintest doubt but that she
would-her last decision would have
been reached. She would simply re-
So far there hadn't been very much
else for her but disappointment, she
reflected-poor little Madge who was
capable of so much enjoyment-and
for such as her a retreat like st.
Annes was the best that life could af-
ford. Never had one of the inmates of
st. Anne's approached that vine-cov-
cred house in the country feeling any
older than did Madge that Thanksgiv-
ing eve.
P1Itc oh NJ 20, !
The demure little hat and the mex,
pensive plain dark suit greatly became
her. 1t did not require sables and vel |
vets to set off the prettiness of Madge. |
In fact, Madge was of that winsome,
artless type that appear best when
most simply dressed.
She sat in her seat In the rail- |
road train watching the retreating
landscape-the cold gray November |
sky and the ponds In the meadows
showing a border of ice around the |
edge.
And as she looked a tear welled M |
from each of those violet eyes and |
met at the bridge of her dainty nose |
and then splashed down on Madge's
hands that lay folded before her. What |
was the use Of wiping it away? There
was no one to see, or, at least, no one |
to care.
Then two more tears started, but
suddenly were checked. Some one |
was leaning over her. She looked I'D |
and stified little cry with the hand
that had risen to wipe away the
vestiges Of her foolish tears.
''Bob," said Madge, and Bob said
Madge." Then he sat down beside
her. "Well, whatever are you doing?'
be asked, and Madge said: "Oh, Just
going to Malvern. Are your"
Bob said he was, and then: "Wha.
can you be going to Malvern for?"
"Oh, to see scme people," said
,Iadge, coloring. for there was very
little out at Malvern, save st. Anne's
, pickle factory and a stone quarry.
She was wondering what could have
.alled Bob to that part Of the coun-
.ry. Bob, whom In those days before