Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-02-13
Finding a
Mother
By MYRA CURTIS LANE


n fingwell Field II she had had
a son or daughter--but it seems that
that type of woman is destined to be
feet mother.
The long years through which she
bore with Field. until his fortunate
demisel Not that Field was an I'm.
speakable scoundrel. Only unfaithful.
Only coarse, infinitely beneath his wife.
How calm and dignified she always
was!
Then came the years of her widow
hood. She was still young woman.
Two or three men in town wanted her,
but she had had her experience of
marriage; they soon saw 1t was i'm
possible
With all that have only to deal as
the superintendent of our charities.
Naturally woman in my position gets
to know a good many secrets.
About Mrs. Eliza Barham and her
daughter Maggie, for instance. Did
Mrs. Efingwell Field know Just the
relationship in which Mrs. BarlIam
had stood to her husband? She must
have known--surely For / had seen
Maggie standing near Mrs. Field on
the grounds at our fair, and If Maggie
wasn't the exact reproduction of the
late Efiingwell Field. what was she?
Still an open secret may reach the
right ears last, No one was going to
tell the widow that her husband had
left daughter when he passed over.
Nor that the daughter was being
brought up in squalor out on the Flats.
because Field-iust like him-had neg
lected to make any provision for the
woman whom he had dfShonored with
his attentions
Well, should he have provided for
Der? Al any rate, without going into
past history, there was Eliza Barham,
slowly dying of an incurabe disease,
and there was Maggie, aged nine, and
alfeady asSociating with the worst ele-
ments in town. And, after all, Mr..
Field had been man of position.
We kept the mother till she died
Her last words were about Maggie.
Il could have got something at law
she whispered, "but l wouldn't go to
her I'd rather let the child starve."
Don't worry, Mrs, Barham; Wen
look after her somehow | told the
diving woman.
promise Won won't send Maggie to
an institution she begged me-
And | promised her Now that seems
strange on the part of an experienced,
middle-aged charitable worker, but I
couldn't, ! Just couldn't refuse the dy
ing woman,
We talked it over afterward Mrs.
Field might dc something for Maggie"
someone suggested. "She's a good
woman"
"But who's going TO break it to her?"
mo need to break it. One look into
+he chid's face viii tell her
"Who's going to raise the question:"
OF course il had TO be I who was
picked for The most unpleasant bust
ness I've ever had to undertake. But
no one else would do it, and 1t had
to be gone through with. SO I went
mp to Mrs. Fields large house on the
outskirts of the town, and | found her
in the garden, clipping roses.
She looked at me and smiled-yOu
know her smile There's no resist
ing it,
ITS a long time since you've been
here. my dear" she said to me- 81
shouldn't be surprised if you've come
hO. lrsj
again.
Did you know of that Mrs. Barham
who died lately?' | asked her bIuntly.
Its best to get a hard thing over
quickly-that's my experience.
'I've beard of her" answered Mrs.
Field, without a flicker on her face.
Shes left daughter. Maggie. a
girl of nine The child seems to be
getting INTO bad COMPANY We've been
wondering how we could get enough
money to pay her upbringing. We
don't want to put her in a home if we
can help it. promised the mother
We could board her. But it will cost
five dollars week"
MY dear" said Mrs Field, I'm a
childIess widow and I'sn not getting
any younger. Bring her TO me and I'll
adopt her."
And not flicker on her face. A
perfect woman. Some thought she
hadn't known. OF course she'd known.
But she wasn't going to betray that
knowledge. A wonderful woman
Mrs Eflingwell Field!