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Show ' "Back Poof Appeals; Investigate Them "Much knocking Rt our doors and hearts has thoro been these last few months and wo aro kept busy responding to appeals. It so chanced ono day recently, when my family and also tho maids were out that I was nummonod to all four doors within tho short spaco of half an hour. 1 DAILY DEMANDS. I i "The appeals wero bo different and yet so allko ln their pathos and 'humanncss that I afterward found myself analyzing them, as woll uS my manner of approaching approach-ing and answorlng them. The result of my analysis was humiliating but enlightening. enlight-ening. " 'The back door can wait,' I thought ns I smoothed my hair and summoned my best company face and manner to answer tho front door boll. "My visitor was an old and privileged friend. Wo ofton talked ovor family mat-tors mat-tors together and this morning It was an outpouring on her part of tho extrava-ganco extrava-ganco of hor college sons nnd daughters and their refusnl to accept advlco ln certain cer-tain vital matters that meant hor happiness happi-ness and their futuro wolfaro ns woll. Hor wealth and social position afforded 1 her no solace as nho talked to mo of tho 'unthinking cruelty of children.' 1 " 'Tho back door can wait,' 1 again thought us I hastened to tho clamorous telephone. "With the polite, suave company voice ono uses ln conversing on tho 'phono I replied re-plied to an acquaintance evidently suffering suffer-ing from ennui and nerves who Just wanted to chat a fow minutes. " 'Tell mo something cheerful tell me something to help my nervousness,' she begged. " 'Somo ono's coming ln, a caller ex-cuso ex-cuso mo.' I replied, adding hurriedly:-'Do hurriedly:-'Do somo war work or get out Into the sunshlno for your nerves.' " Tho back door will havo to wait I again said to myself a3 I went to my side door to meet an old lady neighbor who pays mo frequent visits. Sho told mo of her daughter-in-law's unklndness to her and how hor son 'takes up for her. " 'They think I ain't got no sonsc. Why. last night that baby-just two months old-cried all night anU. don't you know, thoy wouldn't let mo mako it somo tea. "T waa both amused and touched and found myself wondorlng how long this pleco of 'song has been gathering dust and gorms, but also I wondered If It mlghl not havo helped the 'little foller If made Into a good, hot brew by this old mothor of eloven stalwart sons and daughters. "And now tho back door at last But I took to It no smllo of wolcome, no enthusiasm enthus-iasm just a matter of business, of trade and barter, Is to be gone through with perfunctorily. per-functorily. "A wistful, patient boy of thirteen stooC ' 1 SimnwrifF -WMMana"a!r hi mmm there with body bent under tho weight of IH potatoes and apples slung across his shoul- 1 der. Ho told mo Incidentally, as I helped tH him to mcasuro out apples, of how "hard Tmm times are with them and of his mothor, J'l who had 'somo kind of a fit' when his brother deserted from tho army. 11 " 'A fltr I asked. What kind of a fltr ! " 'Oh, a kind of a pain In her heart she Mm can't git over.' ho replied, adding: 'Sho says thero ain't never been a deserter be- Wmm foro ln tho family.' I'l I GENUINE NEED. J ? $ "How my heart ached for this poor mothor with tho 'pain in her heart sho , can't git over,' and how trivial seemed ( thc woes of my front door caller, who, was I suffering only tho to be expected results of her own ovor Indulgence to hor children. chil-dren. And how really disgusting seemed ; tho plaint of my telcphono caller with her ; story of 'norves and "nothing to do aa I compared to tho pathos of thc story of my back door visitor. Even tho old grand- mother who dally appears at my side door had no ehamoful taint no deserter In her ' . family. Sho bad no "hard times' to com- j bat i " 'Back door ministry.' It camo to mo I clearly this particular morning, and moro j Insistently clear as I mentally rovlowcd the opportunities for doing real good I had let ! slip by unnoticed In my solicitude for my : front, sldo door and telephono callers. |