| Show I V VV V HER LIFE V DEVOTED l Good Works and Remarkable Gifts of a Poor Invalid V HER WORK AMONG POOR PEOPLE An Almoner for tho Wives of Millionaires The Mysterious Dream of Her V Husband KETV YORK April 101891 Special correspondence cor-respondence of Tnn HJItALDIt was a small brick house on Second avenue near l Twentyeighth street I knocked timidly V at tho doorfor with becoming modesty should one enter the presence of royalty Come in said a sweet voice I pushed tho lattice door gently back and walked in The coiling is low tho two windows aro hung with clear white cottage drapery and tied back with bright plaid silk ribbon There are flowers growing in pots in one window and vases filled with flowers in the other The walls arc well hung with pictures pic-tures At the head of the bed are the founders found-ers of Methodism at the foot a colored copy of the Angelus and around here and there some wellknown faces of millionaires million-aires and their wives and daughters A shelf that turns on a pivot such as a dentist has attached to his chair of torture Is hinged to the window near the head of the bed On this shelf there are pen ink paper and money A small bank deposit in fact which has for customers some of the mightiest of the mighty names of iinunco The money is not locked up There 5s HO great iron safe with a complicated combination lock but there it rests safe from harm and tho lady before us is the president receiving and paying teller all in One I observe that tho cross pieces of the head and foot of the bed are wound at tho lour corners with stout webbing about three inches wide and from hooks and iron rings in the ceiling depend tyro stort ropes and I know that this means that the occu V pant of that bed must be lifted on a canvas wlic her bedding is changed beneath Her unu that when this is dono she invariably passes a night of agony and a day in which s > bo is unable to taste food of oven the most delicate kind On this neat little bed supported sup-ported by soft pillows which were encased most daintily in tucked and embroidered slips dressed in a snowwhite gown with n line plaited besom and ruffled front the lace and ruffled cuff falling over beautiful hand a dotted mulle cap with soft lace ruffle around the face lay the daughter of the Kin The traco of her roval lineage is stamped on every feature and shines from the phosphorescent eyes when tho tongue speaks of the Fathers goodness And this is Mrs Bella Cooke for thirty five years a bedridden invalid during which time she has bestowed about seventy thousand dollars in charity and received in the neighborhood of one hundred and five thousand visitors Last Christmas she presented to poor families two hundred and ten baskets which contained either a turkey or a pair of chickens chick-ens at the choice of the recipient potatoes pota-toes tomatoes rice tea sugar and lastly a card upon which was written by Mrs Cooke herself a verse from scripture supposed J sup-posed to especially apply to the spiritual need of tile recipient A list of poor larger than many a prosperous church has this womau Tea parties to women between sixty and ninetyfive years of age are given in this little room about one of which I must tell you The daughter ofacertain wealthy lady of New York was to bo married on tho twentythird anniversary of her mothers moth-ers wedding This mother was a warm friend and great admirer of Mrs Bella Cooke and so Mrs Cooke in order to contribute con-tribute her share to the honors of the daughters wedaing gave a supper to twentythree old women Just as the bells were ringing and the newly married passed out of tho church tile twenty three old women not one of whom had ever seen tho brides or perhaps ever heard of her before sat down to a supper of the very best that the market of the city of New York could furnish They ate and drank and chatted and wished the two hearts made one all tho happiness which health and wealth can bestow Numbers of poor children sent into the country during tho heat of July and August for one or two weeks daily trips for mothers moth-ers and their sick babies two hundred and fifty children made glad at Christmas with a little toy or two and some candy five hundred and fifty garments given away at Christmas to the deserving poor young and old these arc some of the items in the work of this poor invalid last year Yet she is a poor woman rich only in the love of God But so holy is the life she leads that good men and women gataer around her like devotees at the shrine of a saint Here in this little room many of New Yorks four hundred call and if they meet a hungry careworn looking sister fashions fash-ions child forgets her money and her social standing and by the spirit that pervades the place feels the sweet kinship ot humanity human-ity ityBy Mrs Cooke are distributed the secret Charities of such as Mrs PW Vanderbilt Mrs Field Mrs W JE Dodge Mrs A G Phelps Mrs Stokes Mrs Jaffray Mrs b Murray Mrs Hunting Mrs Delamater Mrs Ellis and Mr John Stephenson the millionaire car builder But do you not find it very difficult to discriminate Are you not often imposed upon since your applicants ap-plicants come from all over the city and even from other states Is it not dangerous to be too churitablo I asked There is 1Ir much greater danger of not being chariahle enough said Mrs Cooke with a smile Then she continued We arc as caroful as V 41JViI V fRS BELLA COOKE possible and do not make many mistakes I remember one somewhat unique and orig inal deception that was practiced upon mea me-a number of years ago when I was able to walk from house to house and help a little by word and deedit was in 1654 I had I heard of a case of great distress in Thirty first street I visited the house and found the sick man lying upon some straw on the floor with several dirty ragged children child-ren and a slovenly mother Moved to pity by their distress I went to Mrs A G Phelps and Mrs James Stokes and secured flannels clothing and a ney bed from others I obtained food and moneY Miss Mary Stephenson visited tho family with me and we mad them comfortable A few 4 days later the wIfe came to me to say that her husband was dead and that she had not the money necessary for his burial I told her to do what she could and I would i do the rest She got five dollars but needed thirty dollars At the time I V was very feeble but felt that I must bury the poor man so I went forth and got twenty dollars I took it to the woman 1 found the corpso stretched out with a cloth over its face and the woman weeping andlamonting I tried J to comfort her and left Having reached the street I turned back to talk of some plans for the children but on opening tho door what was my surprise to find tho man sitting up and his wife standing beside i him as they counted the money I was i fJ startled and said You have deceived k me V 1 The woman not at all abashed replied I Sure thin its dyin he is audits the prait I himself thats just afther given him holy unction and its dead hell soon be I left well knowing he could not live long Ho lived about two weeks and then died and I saw him really dead Those who visit the poor must be prepared for any thing I learn that when you wero able to walk you did missonary work Will you tell me when and where you commenced said I When I was about seventeen years old V the superintendent of the Sunday school V where I was a teacher asked who would take the Isle a vicious district in Sheffield just about what the Five Points was in New York city in former years As no one else would take it I said J would try it and did All were surprised at my success I continued my work in Sheffield until on account ac-count of ill health I was sent to Hull Some VV W4flELL DELLA COOKES UNIQUE BOOM I time after this at my sisters house I met Mr Cooke He was a devoted Christian man and class leader in the church was in comfortable com-fortable circumstances owned two cornb mines and had shares in a third Mr Cooke was several years older than myself but from the first day of my second visit tom to-m y sisters house he began to pay attention to me He said to my sister Mrs Lees that young woman will be my wife Dont you remember a dream I told you I had soms time ago Well it is she I saw in my dream Ho had not seen me at the time of his dream He dreamed that a young woman wo-man came to the village that he offered her his hand in marriage but that she would not consent to be married except from her fathers house and the parish church in Sheffield He said that is she but do not tell her my dream nor did I hear until we were married In January 1847 my dear husbandafter repeated losses in business decided to come to New York and on the 19th of August two years later he died Having heard that Mrs Cooke was supposed sup-posed to possess the gift of prophecy I asked her to tell me some instances illustrating illus-trating her powershe answered L am not always able to feel the moving of the spirit but I can tell you of a number of instances in-stances of most positive conviction In 1873 Mrs Allen Jay of Indiana by this it will be seen thatMrs Cooke is known of by Christians far and wide came to seo me She was in great distress She had left heron s her-on Edwin with a physician to be treated for spinal trouble and was given to believe that the lad would be a cripple forlife We talked together about him I told her that the Lord had sometimes sepecially blessed me in praying for cures Then we had prayer during which I was greatly drawn out to ask that this boy be cured of his disease dis-ease When the mother arose to go I told her I believed her boy would bo cured for I had felt the power of God while at prayer and was assured that our petition was answered an-swered Some time afterwards I received a letter from that mother with the tidings that the boy was well On tho 7th of July 1SS1 had a call from Edwin Jay who was on his way to college There is a singular bond of sympathy between us He was healed by my intercession My heart goes outafter this youth that he may be a man of God mighty in faith and prayer to the pulling down of the strongholds of satan for surely his life and strength was given to him for some special purpose Another case of a woman who was very ill and whom the doctor said must die sent for me and said Mrs Cooke do you think I am going to die The doctors say I must but I cannot die What leave my husband and six children I tried to soothe her but sho was very rebellious and the utmost I could get that day was Come tomorrow anon an-on the morrow still come tomorrow Tho mother tremblingly said to mo if only Jane were ready we could let her go I went I home and plead earnestly with the Lord I that he would arouse her as she still would I I not believe that she must die I got tho answer an-swer and felt my prayer was heard I told her mother and sisters that I knew she would leave a bright testimony when she should be called On the next Saboath while wo prayed together she was seized with conviction her joy was great sho sat up in the bed rejoicing When her husband tried to quiet her she said Would you have me hide my joy and praise Lot the doctor tell me now that I must die and I shall say amen She lived on for a few weeks She had several of her dear t children chil-dren dedicated to God in baptism at her bedside Early one morning while I sat holding her hand her husband brought her a cup of coffee She could not drink it with him but looked up sweetly in his face and said No dear nothing more till wo drink tho new wine in tho Eathers King dom At noon she sweetly went to meet her risen Lord looked at her her as she lay there adorning adorn-ing hersoft whitecovcrnings and I thought of her birth on July 13 1821 and by that alone realized that on the 13th of July last she has lived sixtynino years and more than half of it on a bed her frame racked with pain for there is scarce a wrinkle in her face and hqr beautiful soft hair is not more threaded with silver than an average age of forty gives What pain she has suf fered has not left ono half themarkson her that I have noted at the opera when I looked among the boxed butterflies of fashion or on Fifth avenue when I saw Gods handiwork handi-work destroyed in the tailor made girl of hirtyJive There she lies days and weeks and monthsand years willing to go to her Fathers call or willing to stay and plead His cause here |
