Three fair philanthropists

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Chapter I

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE THREE FAIR PHILANTHROPISTS AND THEIR ASSISTANTS.

In the fall of the year 18 — I, Louise Marchmount Winn, found myself with occupation gone and the necessity laid upon me of seeking some new employment. Private schools were the fields from which I had been reaping a modest competence, but the school with which I was connected having been broken up by the death of its principal I determined to try the cultivation of other soil. It does not seem possible to me now, sitting in the beautiful home which the generosity of my nephew has caused him to share with me, that so short a time ago I was fighting my way in life alone, occupying cold, cheerless hall-bedrooms in cheap lodging-houses.

Still, such is the fact. And what tended to make the hall-bedrooms all the more unattractive was the luxury that had surrounded my childhood, youth and early married life. But business failures, the sickness and death of father, husband and children resulted in leaving me penniless and alone in the great city of New York.

My story deals with the last year of my struggles after these sad events.

God spared to me only one relative, a nephew. He was my husband’s sister’s child, and was named for my husband, Henry Winn Gifford.

How I loved that boy! And he repaid my affection by never giving me a moment’s uneasiness all the hard, struggling years he lived with me ; for his parents had died when he was very young, and he never knew a mother’s love, except mine.

When I went to teach in the school I have already mentioned he started for California under the care of a business acquaintance of his father’s, who promised to look after the boy and do well for him. It was a great trial to be so far away from him, but as nothing as advantageous offered in the city I felt that I must let him go.

^^Auntie, when I make some money I shall come for you and you shall always live with me,” were his parting words. I heard from him regularly once in two weeks, while I wrote him every week. I would have written him every day had my duties allowed, I missed him so. But perhaps it was better that I should not. He always replied cheerfully, but he gave me no clew whereby I could judge how he was progressing financially. When I wrote him of the change in my plans he replied by asking me if I would not like to come out to him. I thought that it would be difficult for me to get congenial teaching or employment in a strange city. To this view of the case he said:

'^Well, if you can be happy a little while longer perhaps it would be best to stay where you are, but do not make any engagement for over a year.”

Hot a word as to his prospects. I felt quite vexed at him. No one wants to ask another point blank about his private affairs. I was not at all reassured by thQ

An Introduction

II size of the check he sent me, for I knew he was so generous that he would pinch himself for my sake.

There was nothing to do but to wait the natural unfolding of events, and I set myself about the task of finding something to do.

I had spent several weeks in a vain search when the following advertisement in a daily paper attracted my attention :

WANTED — A lady of high moral character — one interested in schemes of benevolence preferred—to act as matron in a new enterprise. The best of references required. No. — Fifth Ave.”

I was certainly interested in schemes of benevolence, although for several years past I had not been able to engage in any. But I came from a family which had been of a philanthropic turn of mind and had had the wealth to gratify such inclinations.

How delightful it would be to feel that, while I was maintaining my own existence, I would also be aiding, no doubt, in a grand work for the benefit of humanity.

I pictured to myself the ladies at the head of this enterprise. They were undoubtedly of that serene middle-life when one ceases to care for .the rush and whirl of fashion, and their aims would be the good of others instead of personal aggrandizement. The broadening, ennobling effect of such views would make their society delightful, I doubted not, and I determined to be the first applicant at the Fifth avenue residence indicated in the advertisement.

Imagine, therefore, my surprise on reaching my destination to be ushered into the presence of three fashionably dressed young ladies.

^^You have come in answer to our advertisement?^’ they asked in concert.

I replied that I had, whereupon they began, all together, to tell the object for which I would be required. They went on till they were out of breath, and then they stopped and inquired if I understood.

^^Not in the least; how could I?”

^^See here, Annie Hopper, now you and Grace Denny can just stop your talking till I make this woman understand what we want of her.”

“I would like to know why you should tell her any more than Grace or me, Kay Mettle?” angrily asked Annie Hopper.

^^Well, I guess I am the president of this undertaking.”

^That does not happen to be the president's duty. It is the secretary’s.”

should think it ought to be the treasurer’s,” lisped Grace Denny.

‘T will assume it is the president’s to-day,” replied the young lady called Ray Mettle, and a look into her cold, hard, grey eye made it seem discouraging to oppose her.

“Then you may assume to make yourself secretary at the same time,” cried Miss Hopper, throwing down her books and pencils on the table and starting to leave the room. “You ought to let her be treasurer, too, Grace,” she continued, trying to boycott her friend.

“Grace is not so unreasonable. She wants to be treasurer, and I can send over for Lou Morton to be secretary. You know she is very anxious for the position.”

“She shan’t have it while Tm alive,” replied Miss Hopper, returning and picking up her books and papers, at the same time applying to her wounded spirit the balm of interrupting and contradicting Miss Mettle whenever an opportunity offered.

An Introduction are going to have a Working Girls’ Club/’ said Miss Mettle. ^‘It will be the best in the city. We are going to have fine rooms, beautifully furnished, in the best possible location, and the girls will be taught all that it is necessary for them to know in their station in life ; and, what is more important, they will be instructed in the proper deportment due to their superiors. That is the trouble with the entire wage-earning class. They have not clear views on the question as to who their superiors are. Now, we intend to enlighten them on this point, so that we need not in the future suffer annoyance by their supercilious airs — passing the time of day with you when they are nothing but clerks behind the counter and ought to be deferential, or staring at you to catch up any new style of bonnet that may have been imported from Paris at great expense and trouble, and appearing with it the next day in such numbers as to make people think you have copied from them, instead of the reverse. They will be taught the proper way of taking samples, and they will not snatch them as though they were birds of prey and the sample a tempting morsel, as is the case now. You will see if there is not a great revolution in the conduct of those girls. People say they have such manners because they are ignorant. Now, we propose to teach them. And another thing, we do not intend to have any other society of working girls get ahead of us in any respect. We shall be the largest. We shall spend the most money. Probably we shall have to turn away applicants by the score, for we have only room for two hundred. And then I guess we shall see what Miss Eleanor Christy will think, with her miserable club down in the lower part of the city,” etc., etc.

I was not interested in Miss Mettle’s vituperative remarks regarding the rival club, so as soon as possible I interrupted her with the question:

*^And my duties will be?’’

'^You will have nothing to do, scarcely,” replied Miss Mettle.

‘Then I don’t see the need of having her,” whispered Miss Hopper.

“Be still, will you, Annie Hopper!” exclaimed Miss Denny. “Don’t you understand, it’s the style to have matrons, femmes de charge, or thing-a-hobs of that description.”

“We shall give you your room and salary,” exclaimed Miss Mettle, magnanimously waving her hand in the direction of an adjoining minute apartment, “and your duties will be to maintain the honor and dignity of the place.”

Miss Denny hid her face and audibly snickered at this, saying something about my short stature and the difficulty of inspiring dignity with a dumpling.

“Then I suppose you have another person engaged to do your visiting and investigating of cases when there are calls for aid,” I replied as pleasantly as I could, for my dreams of enjoying the broadening, ennobling companionship of my philanthropic employers were being rudely dealt with.

“Visiting; of course, not! We have no one engaged for visiting. That will be your diversion. Everybody has to have some pleasant pastime or other.”

I was not engaged at the first interview, nor the second. Neither was my salary, which in the first place was a small sum, allowed to remain at that figure, but it was cut down until I did not know but what finally they would claim a bonus for allowing me the privilege of filling the position. I discovered afterward the

An Introduction various interviews were taken in order to allow them the opportunity of selecting a more imposing-looking personage, but being disappointed in their endeavors they finally settled on plain, short-sighted, dumpy little me.

CHAPTER 11.

TREATS OF FIRE AND FLOOD.

The day selected for the formal opening of the enterprise in which I now found myself embarked occurred early in October. The morning of that day Miss Denny brought in a band-box and asked me if I would mind wearing a cap and white ^kerchief in which to receive the guests.

I replied hesitatingly that I would if they wished it, though I greatly preferred not to do so.

I found afterward that it was a foolish concession to make, for it was followed by a request to stand in the ante-room and help the ladies take off their wraps. If anybody had made such a request of me when I was younger, I fear they would not have had such a peaceful time of it as these ladies did. But I was old enough to look at the matter in a philosophical light. I quelled my rising resentment by the thought that better people than I could ever hope to be had been called to fill positions mortifying to their pride. Had not the blessed Master, when He girded Himself with a towel and washed His disciples’ feet, given us a glorious example of the beauty of true humility in service? I tell you that thought lifted the discontent from my heart very quickly and I tried to be as faithful in looking after the wraps and as careful of laces and ruffles as though I had been bom and bred a lady’s maid.

There was a large crowd of gay fashionables present.

It was too early in the fall for ^^the season’^ to have commenced, though it was late enough for large numbers to have returned from the country.

Miss Mettle, Miss Hopper and Miss Denny were resplendent in satin and lace dresses of different hues, cut in the extreme of fashion. I could see from the scowls that appeared ever and anon upon their foreheads and the glances of lightning-like displeasure they cast at each other that they were maintaining their usual amiable interchange of thought upon such subjects as who should first shake hands with the guests, how long each one should be detained, etc.

The guests offered their congratulations in various forms.

Mrs. McDuffy, a portly dame, rather given to look askance at any movement not originated by herself, said :

congratulate you, young ladies, on the work you are about beginning. I suppose you wanted to be in the fashion. My daughters have been teasing me to let them organize a club, but I have said I thought there were too many already.^^

A Mrs. Evanston, the most exquisitely featured person in the assembly, said:

^^Young ladies, I think you are deserving of the greatest honor and praise. The mere thought of the lower classes sends the cold chills all over me. If I were not so sensitive to odors and my health were not so exceedingly delicate, I should gladly put my name down in that list you are making out for helpers to come evenings and assist in your work. But I see you have a large number of names and do not need mine.”

Mrs. Evanston had just finished this speech when she turned round and the sight that greeted her eyes made her utter an exquisitely modulated note of surprise, for what did she see but some of the dreaded lower classes approaching.

Miss Mettle’s notices and advertisements had stated that the club would be opened on this evening, and, though she had not expected them, quite a company of girls had arrived.

Mrs. Evanston gasped and put her exquisite lace handkerchief to her nose.

^^Oh,” she said faintly, “if I had thought I should have been subjected to such an ordeal as this, I should have brought my bottle of stronger salts.” She sank into a chair and asked some one to fan her.

It may not have struck other persons present, but I noticed that the lady’s exquisite complexion lost none of its apparent freshness by the depressed state of her feelings.

“There, Anna, I told you so,” Mrs. McDuffy said, pulling the sleeve of one of the daughters who wanted a club. “I told you that you would have to deal with the most presumptuous creatures that ever lived, and now you see for yourself that I am right.”

A dude with flashing eye and bated breath ejaculated :

“You don’t mean to tell me that they are going to sit in the same room with us! By Jove! but that is enough to make a man feel like fighting.”

A wheezy old philosopher wiped the perspiration from his forehead as he sighed:

“Oh, the problems of the age! How they increase in number and in difiiculty!”

I could not think why one or the other of the hostesses did not go to this group of newcomers, but when I looked to see what was the trouble I discovered that each was sure it was the other’s duty and not her own.

Finally Miss Mettle motioned to me to go, and I did so. I welcomed the girls warmly, for I was sincerely glad to see them. I proceeded to seat them on campstools when Miss Mettle came up to me and said, fiercely :

‘^Winn! WinnT^ (She had said she would take that liberty with my name for the evening — a la Anglaise, I suppose.) ^^Did you not know that these young women ought to be seated in the hall?’’

^^No,” I returned calmly, did not, for I knew they would not have stayed in the hall, but have gone home. If you wish to dismiss them after having invited them you can do so.”

I presume Miss Mettle was surprised to hear such a decided remark from one who had up to this point showed such a yielding disposition; but fear lest the girls should be sent home and the club become a failure by such unwise treatment in the beginning, made me deem it expedient to speak with decision.

The speech had the desired effect. Miss Mettle took her place and the literary exercises of the evening began.

The principal address was made by a member of Congress — a stout, bald-headed, pompous gentleman — a widower, as I learned afterward, who was laying seige to Miss Mettle’s heart. He had a deep, bass voice, much too loud for the room, and when he sternly asked at the opening of his peroration: ^^ho of us does not feel thrilled at the momentous significance of the present occasion?” no one, unless stone deaf, could have denied being thrilled, at least in the region of the ears.

Isaak Walton gives to fishermen three rules whicE might be followed with great advantage by public speakers. They are : ^Tirst, hide yourself ; second, hide yourself some more; third, keep hiding yourself.”

If Mr. K. Eoundout Groups next meal had depended on his observance of these rules there is great reason to believe that a very slender repast would have been the result. Before he had reached his third sentence he was referring to what he tried to do before he went to Congress, and after that it was ^Ve Congressmen’^ and as chairman of one of the most important committees in the House,” which he afterward referred to as the committee on deciding the color of the badges to be worn on a certain occasion. Of course, next to his own praises he sang those of ^^the illustrious president of the eminently wise and beneficent philanthropic undertaking, whose birthday we celebrate.”

Miss Ray Mettle’s cold, hard face relaxed into something as near like radiance as such a face can ever displ'ay, and when she looked around and saw the scowl on Miss Annie Hopper’s countenance, her pleasurable emotions seemed to be increased. Whether her joy caused her hand to be unsteady, or whether she jarred her arm against the table and dropped a piece of the lighted taper used by the secretary for her sealing wax will never be known. But what every one in that assembly would be willing to testify in court was that Miss Mettle jumped up suddenly, screaming, ^Tire! fire!” while a cloud of smoke arose from the drapery of her long-trained dress.

For a company of people, with such intimate and extensive knowledge of etiquette, whose cheeks would all have blushed with shame if they could not have answered any question, no matter how trivial, in regard to the correct way of folding their notepaper or the size of their cards, it was astonishing to see how completely they ignored all the rules of polite society at this juncture of affairs. Mr. K. Roundout Grout, whom a short time previous you would not have thought any consideration could have forced to have stepped before a lady, now deliberately and with great expedition stepped in front of several (without offering his arm to any, by the way) and dashed off downstairs. He was closely followed by the dude whose warlike spirit had doubtless reached that stage of elevated sentiment that made him feel, in order to fight another day, he must haste and run away. And right here it might be well to add, by way of caution, if that fellow could fight as well as he showed himself able to run, he would be a dangerous adversary.

But they were the last to be able to run out of the room ; for two ladies, Mrs. McDuffy and her friend, Mrs. Bunce, both ladies of generous dimensions, being in too much haste to allow each other the right of way, endeavored to pass through the door together. The result was a complete blockade.

How the diamonds rattled round the necks of these two unfortunates as they vainly struggled to free themselves.

The excitement in the room rose higher. Everybody cleared the space before Miss Mettle, who fiew down the room crying, ‘^Blow me out V’ Miss Denny crawled down behind a sofa and Miss Hopper climbed on a chair and commenced jumping up and down, wringing her hands in fright. As Miss Mettle reached the small band of the lower classes, one of them, a tall, delicate-looking girl, picked up a rug and threw it upon the burning train, and if Miss Mettle had remained still a minute the fiames would have been out. But, as so many do in similar circumstances, she ran to get away from the fire, thus fanning it into fresh life. The courageous girl followed Miss Mettle with another rug, begging her to stand still. I felt this was no time for ceremony and that all our lives were endangered if the fire were not speedily extinguished. I therefore stepped in front of Miss Mettle and converted myself into a period by throwing my arms around her waist and dropping full weight in front of her. There was no other way but for her to come to a full stop. In a few moments by the aid of the rugs the fire was completely extinguished.

^^Winn/^ said the recently flaming lady, ^under ordinary circumstances I should not care to have you take such liberties with me.’^

She was shaking out her gown, which was entirely minus a train, and trying to resume her old bearing. I held up my burnt hafids and replied:

think I am sufficiently punished for any familiarity I have taken.^^

^^Don’t make such a fuss over a little burn,” returned Miss Mettle unsympathetically.

do not think I ought to complain,” I returned, ^Vhen this poor girl is so much worse off.”

My attention had been drawn to the girl who had also fought the fire. Her dress sleeves were both entirely consumed, revealing a pair of shapely arms disfigured with burns. Miss Mettle looked and even her hard heart seemed touched.

^^We must have a doctor look at your arms,” she said to the girl. ^^What’s the matter at the door?” she continued, not having previously noticed the sad state of the two ladies. ^^Mrs. McDuffy, will you please be so kind as to step along.”

^There is nothing I would like to do better than to step along,” returned Mrs. McDuffy. ^^But, oh dear! I am afraid, now, Mrs. Bunce and I shall never get away from here!” and the poor lady commenced to cry.

^^DonT cry,” I said, ^There are some men out there in the hall. They will surely be able to help you out.”

'^Oh, no,” replied the men referred to, 'Ve have no kid gloves on. We offered to help them but they were so afraid we should touch them^ that now they may help themselves/^

^^Where is the orator of the day, the grandiloquent champion of woman I asked.

^^Coward; chicken-hearted man; don’t mention his name to me,” said Miss Mettle. ^^After all his professions see how fast he ran when I was on fire.”

Just then the deep tones of the big-chested orator were heard at the foot of the stairs asking about the fire. When he learned that the danger had passed he gingerly ascended the stairs, all the time looking carefully about him.

^^Ah, my dear Miss Mettle !” he exclaimed as he caught sight of that lady’s tall form, have been using all my energies to serve you. I have been after the fire department.”

^^We have no need of it,” returned Miss Mettle haughtily.

^^No need of the fire department for a fire?” returned K. Koundout Grout, assuming an injured air.

^^But there is no fire,” returned Miss Mettle.

At that instant crash went a pane of glass and in rushed a stream of water with great force against the opposite wall. Here was a new element of danger. We had escaped the fire and now came the fiood.

Out darted Miss Denny from beneath the sofa, and Mrs. Evanston, who had fallen in a faint right in the track of the stream, revived very speedily at the first dash of the water in her face. The fire department had arrived sure enough, and soon the occupants of the hall had lively work to dodge the three big streams of water, turned in to extinguish a fire which had been out some time.

^^Go, and stop them quick, quick!” cried Miss Mettle. ^^Oh, look at the walls and window hangings ! Euined completely 1”

^This comes of your getting yourself on fire retorted Miss Hopper. ^‘1 never saw anybody who could upset things as you do.”

There was one benefit arising from the inflow of the water. Mrs. McDuffy and Mrs. Bunce were enabled to give such a violent jerk that they released themselves from their very trying position.

Mrs. Evanston caught sight of the ruin wrought by the water on her complexion and she was so distracted that she ran all the way home, though her carriage was waiting just round the comer to be called.

The room was soon cleared and the doctor on hand to attend to the burned arms. I had felt myself irresistibly drawn toward the girl who had shown such good sense and pluck.

I think I mentioned before that I was near sighted. It is owing to that fact that I did not discover how exceedingly pretty she was, for until I heard her utter a half-stifled groan I did not come near enough to have a good look at her. But when I asked, ^‘^Do your arms hurt you?” she turned on me a pair of hazel eyes so large and tender that my own were filled with sympathetic tears. We were firm friends from that moment.

^^And you were burned too?” she asked.

^^Only a little,” I replied.

How gently the doctor applied his bandages! but in spite of his care, his patient fainted twice.

My heart was deeply stirred by the sight. I felt that here was some one whose lot in life was similar to my own. It roused all the mother instincts of my soul. I begrudged others the privilege of waiting on her. The doctor caught sight of my hands as I was holding a cup of water for her to drink and he insisted on binding them up.

The young ladies, followed by K. Eoundout Grout and the dude, spent most of the time the doctor was attending to our wounds in going around the room estimating the losses resulting from the fire and fiood.

At the conclusion of the operations the doctor, whose quick preceptions had been his only guide, turned to Miss Mettle and asked:

believe your father is of the firm Mettle, Shaw & Co., No. — Broadway?” and he proceeded to make a memorandum.

‘‘Yes, but what has that to do with you?” asked Miss Mettle sharply. “I told you to bring a dispensary physician,” turning to the dude.

“Well, madam, supposing he had brought a dispensary physician (which I am not) do you think they are paid to attend people in your circumstances?”

He looked around at the luxurious room.

“But you were not called here to attend to me/' replied Miss Mettle scornfully.

How thankful I was for the check in my pocket! I pulled it out and said:

“You were called here for this poor girl and myself and I am glad that I can settle with you.”

“Madam,” he said, looking reproachfully at me, “do you think so contemptibly of me as to suppose for an instant that I would take anything from you ? But I should like to have Miss Mettle inform me how you and this young lady came by your burns? I don’t see any scars on these two young gentlemen. It is singular, is it not ?”

Mr. K. Koundout Grout and the dude looked very foolish. But the former, who had been gazing fixedly, in a way my inmost soul abhorred, at the beautiful girl, pulled out his purse and offered to settle the account.

“Excuse me, sir,” said I, firmly, “that is something which does not fall to your share. I am sure the doctor will see the impropriety of receiTing his fee from any one but Miss Mettle or myself.”

'^Certainly, madam/^ he replied. “1 have Mr. Mettle's business address and that is suflBcient. I bid you all a very good evening.”

‘^That's just the way,” snapped Miss Mettle; ^‘if one gets a reputation for benevolence people expect one to do everything for everybody. Here are these rooms to be gone over again after all they cost in the first place. More than half the bills., for the first furnishing are not paid, I presume. How do our affairs stand, treasurer?” turning to Grace Denny.

That young lady was interested in a lively conversation with the dude and did not care to be interrupted, so she replied carelessly:

^‘1 am sure I don't know.”

^^There is her book over there,” said Miss Hopper, ^let us Icok for ourselves.”

^^He would have to be a very astute person who could derive any information from these pages,” cried K. Eoundout Grout, turning hot and red from his attempt to eliminate the useless from the valuable.

^^Ho dates!” cried Miss Hopper; ‘^the receipts and expenditures are all mixed up on the same page and both added together at the bottom. She's put down the dollar and a half that I lent her, and has omitted to give me credit for the one hundred dollars I gave to the club !”

The laughter that greeted this statement caused Miss Denny to look over at the party who were seeking light but finding none.