New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1926-09-07
Charlotte Mills Relates
First Instance of Affec-
ton Shown by Minister
r for Her Mother.

Copyright, 1926. Famous Features
Syndicate, Inc.)
(Can love ward off death? Yes,
and no! The career OF Mrs. Eleanor
Mills is a striking example of both
answers. She recovered from we'll
nigh fatal illness because the Rev.
Edward Hall sat on the edge of the
bed and pleaded, You must get
well, Eleanor-for my sake" Yet
their love did not serve as talisman
of protection against the murderer's
bullets which ended thoir lives four
years ago on lonely New Jersey
farm. Now, Charlotte Mills, the
daughter of the slain woman, tells
the true story of her mothers fatal
affeCtion).
WAR DAYS
There was one thing about my
mother that l began TO admire more
and more. She could always do
things to earn money. She was a
born worker and she had positive
way with her, and lot of enthusi-
assn. II mother had lived and she
and 1 had gone away to make
home for just our two selves, as she
wanted to do, there never would
have been any trouble about earning
living. If she couldn't do one
thing, she'd have done another.
During the war she first went
with the other ladies and made
pads, rolled bandages, packed kits
and did canteen work.
Later she decided to earn some
thing by her work and she went to
the big gas mask factory and learn
ed how they made them. She was
quick about everything. In little
while she was made government in
spector.
The queer part Of it was that my
father worked right in the room
with her, markings parts of masks.
Mother was awfully strict. She'd
turn back masks for the teeniest
little defect. There were plenty of
them too, for there were German
sympathizers there who used to put
pin hoels in the covering that you
could hardly see. They used to have
clashes, but mother went right
ahead and had her way. She was
like that. Once she was sure of
herself, sure she was right, you
couldn't bulge her.
The fact that mothers mother
and father were German never made
any difference in the way she felt
although she was fond of her folks
and proud that she could speak,
read and write German.
Mr.. Hall used to make her little
| presents of books in German, and
she was so happy about them. He
gave her a German Bible too, and
that. was one of her beloved posses
sions She didn't have many, poor
mother
1t was along about that time, I
think, when mother got sick and
had to go to the hospital. She was
| dreadfully Ill with kidney trouble
anu L hdo lltctli ~ lieNiilIS III ISell oilS
would die. felt couldn't live with
out her. She was all ] had, and
was all she had outside of her
church and Il began to sense) her
| pastor
Nothing in the least serious was
ever said about Mr.. Hall then, but
l seemed to know IN my heart that
mother thought great deal of him
and he of her. ] was very young,
but / loved Mr.. Hall so much my
self that / thought everybody just
naturally must love him, and If
mother did too, I was glad. But ]
never thought much about 1t one
way or the other at that time.
1t was not until a good while
after mother was able to come
home from the hospital that she
said something to me about Mr. Hall
Sitting on the edge Of her bed when
she was so i'll and looking at her
! in a way she felt meant something
good many things without words.
| But he did say, You must get we'll,
Eleanor-you must--for my sake"
! think she would have dragged
herself back from the door of death
after that, and it's just about what
| she did do.
Mother was afraid to think about
1t. She knew how the church peo-
pie felt toward her-that she was
from humble people and she
wouldn't put herself forward If
there was any unwelcomeness.
She didn't say anything, but she
felt lot, and she kept on working
for the church harder than ever.
Nobody at this time thought any
thing or noticed anything. Mr.. Hall
used to come to our house quite