The deepest chord of her nature, mother love, was touched;
and for her children's sake she rose up once more and faced the
hard problems of her life. Putting on her bonnet and thin shawl
(she had parted with much that she now so sorely needed), she went
out into the cold December wind. The sky was clouded like her
hopes, and the light, even in the morning hours, was dim and
leaden-hued.
She first called on Mr. Jackson, the agent from whom she rented
her home, and besought him to give her a little more time.
"I will beg for work from door to door," she said. "Surely in this
Christian city there must be those who will give me work; and that
is all I ask."
The sleek, comfortable man, in his well-appointed office, was
touched slightly, and said in a voice that was not so gruff as he
at first had intended it should be:
"Well, I will wait a week or two longer. If then you cannot pay
something on what is already due, my duty to my employers will
compel me to take the usual course. You have told me all along
that your husband would surely return, and I have hated to say a
word to discourage you; but I fear you will have to bring yourself
to face the truth and act accordingly, as so many others have
done.
Pages:
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535