The Washington times., 1922-10-25

(Alice Edgerton is a Quakeress and
uses quaint form Of the pronoun.)
thought she was making fun Of
me, and I turned quickly to look at
her. She was looking me straight in
the eye, and was not laughing.
soon found out that the people at
April farm do not amuse themselves
at the expense Of others. Except
Harriet. And she didn't really "be.
long" I'll tell you about her later.
Story Of the Boiled Baby"
II did think II was SO tragic" Alice
continued, dolefully. Ann can tell
you that it was true. We were both
working at the same day nursery In
New York. And somebody-we never
found out who-put one OF the babks
in too hot a bath and went off and
left 1t. 1t boiled to death"
Il don't like that story much"
told Alice. BY this time was on my
knees with the others, sorting cram
berries. Doris had gone to "sepa-
rate" the milk.
May be thee would like the story
OF K. p" she tried again. "She Is a
friend Of mine, a young girl with a
great gift. She believes as we do
that when God blesses us with gift
we must not turn about and try to
sell 1t. What she has she gives away.
She Is a singer Of songs, this
friend Of mine," continued Alice.
"She writes beautiful little poems.
She could sell them II she wanted to;
her poetry is recognized by poetry
magazines and societies everywhere.
But she believes in giving her poems
away.
80 she prints them and binds
them, and her sister does the artistic
decorations on them, and her brother
helps her with the printing. And
then she gives them to everybody she
thinks might want them. Would
thee like to see the book?"
Alice jumped up and ran into the
bedroom for the book of poems.
Mine she bound with a piece of
linen that my greatgrandmother
spun on an old loom," Alice explained.
The poems were little bits of
free verse which all told stories of
"questing for the truth" offering
encouragement and love to other
"questers." and sympathy for those
for whom cold and hunger had
put out the light"
There was an idealism through.
out the poems that is reflected In
the whole attitude Of everybody 1t
April farm.
katherine lived on four dollars
a week while she was preparing
the book" Alice told me.
Where did she get the four
doilars7"
"she went out and did a wash.
ing and ironing one day a week"
he
work she felt that she could hon.
estly do and keep her convictions.
ut was hard work, but she did
It SO that others might be singers
Of songs. She never ate anything
but cream Of wheat. Now she's
writing another book, and II ID
going to be even bigger than this
one"
Shaggy Sam Enters.
At this point 4 shaggy: headed,
swarthy-skinned youth Inv rough
farm clothes came into the chicken
coop. He was introduced to me
simply as Sam" He sat down
with us on the floor and sorted
cranberries.
From the discussion Of X. p, Sam
and the others drifted to a defense
Of their beliefs on assorted sub
jects. I in each case took the mega.
tive Of their propositions for the
purpose Of giving the debate bal.
ance. Their talk was much like
that to be heard in almost any
Greenwich village tea-room, or any
undergraduate red" group on any
American campus.
Such expressions as "the masses, t"
"class consciousness" capitalist
rule" sacrificing everything for an
IDEAL" etc, were tossed about and
caught like bean bags.
The discussion. was interrupted
by the return Of Charles Garland
from North Carver, where he had
been Tor the mail.
As Barley opened the chicken
coop door, and. bending double. en-.
tered, I saw the color mount in
Doris Benson's cheeks. And for
moment the sad look left her
eyes.
CTo be continued.)