The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-06

of danger, when ~
 the madness of
 or when glory -~l flutters like flag before you. Far greater is the cold courage that fights with its back to the wall through dreary years, alone and un- noted, and that lays its whole eyes upon the altar Cf thankless duty.
 And this is what the oldest daughter in a poor family does; so much as a>matter of course that no one notices that she does it, and she does mot even know her self how fine and splendid is the deed she does.
 To the world, she is just poor Ma mic Smith. To her family, she Is noth- ing but a burden bearer, an unconsid- cred slave. To herself, she is a sort of living apology. She feels that she should have done something more with her life somehow, but she never dreams of laying the blame on fate. Still less does she ever think of herself as he roic figure.
 She is not much to look at, this wo' man of whom I write. Homely. Com monplace. Thin. Stoop-shouldered Dowdy. You would never give her a second glance if you passed her on the street or she waited upon you in a shop.
 Yet for a moment youth looked eagerly out from her eyes and girl hood Haunted its red signal in her cheeks. Her lips curled them selves to the shape of a kiss and potential prettiness was there if only she could have grasped and held it.
 But her blooming was as brief as that of frail spring flower that perishes in the cold. It takes time and money for a woman to make herself beautiful, and Mamie had neither.
 She had no leisure in which to brusf her hair till it shone, or to manicure her hands until they were soft ant white with pink-tipped. nails, or to tend her skin and keep it satin sofl and smooth and without blemish.
 Nor had she the money to buy the pretty clothes that enhance a woman's prettiness as a frame does picture There was no coquetry of laces for her no flattering charm of soft colors and rich fabrics to throw into higher relief her good points and soften her bad ones.
 Mamie's father was a shiftless ne-er- do-well. Ambitionless. Purposelesss Too lazy to work, except at odd jobs Much given to hanging around garages and pool rooms and discoursing about the wrongs of the workingman. Drunk whenever he could get liquor. Mamie $ mother was an idle slattern, who spent most of her days hanging out ot a window gOssiping with her neighbors And there were too many babies There was always a baby, and little baby, and the littlest baby, crawling over the floor.
 Mamie never played with dolls.
 Almost from the time she could
 walk she was nursing her smaller
 brother or sister and mOtherlng
 the brood that came tumbling over each others heels. Somebody must
 do the work of q household, and
 when the mother won't do 1t the
 job falls on the oldest daughter.
 So Mamie never had any childhood herself. While other little girls of hel age were playing hopscotch, and jumI the rope, and lady -come-to-see Mamie was cooking, and washing, and sewing and walking the baby with the collie.
 Mamie didn't get much educa-
 ton. Just grammar school. As
 soon as she could get her working
 papers she got place as errand girl in a shop, because father work ed less and less, and the children were growing up, and there was more and more need for money at home. Mamie's hand was such poor, little weak hand to fight off the wolf from the door, and its weapon was such Il futile, made quate thing to fight with, but somehow she did it.
 Once a great temptation came. It was in the few months ill her whole life that she was young and pretty. A man fell in love with her and want ed to marry her. A fine young chap, and Mamie loved him, and had vision of what life might be in home of her own with plenty and with strong arm to lift her load and carry 1t.
 She knew that this was her only chance to happiness, and she turned eager eyes toward it, and reached out her hands to clasp it, But just then the baby cried, the poor, little, neglected, hungry baby, and she suddenly knew, as she stopped and took it into her arms, that she would never cradle a baby of her own on her breast. She couldn't turn her back on these helpless ones who depended upon her.
 Because she knows from experience how the worker is handicapped for lack of an education. Mamie is toiline to the limit of her strength to keep her younger brothers and sisters in clhnnI la, ,l--nn Inn