reformed confidence woman takes in wheelers, who lived in tent
verses in jewish bible influence her to action—wants to show charity
mrs. sophie lyons-burke was reading a jewish prayer book in her home at 42 twenty-third street yesterday afternoon. she had just completed the following, which is a prayer for joyful occasions, when she had a visitor:
[pg 266]
"thou, o god, hast always been gracious unto me and hast often sent me joys even when i least deserved them. for all this abundance of thy goodness i humbly thank thee, and for the new happiness that comes to me (and my household) my soul is filled with gratitude. let me not grow overbearing in prosperity nor arrogant because of my success, but let me enjoy thy blessings with becoming gratitude and humility. nor let me ever forget that the most acceptable thank-offering is to bring light and joy to those that sit in darkness and affliction, and give heed to the hungry and comfort the broken-hearted. may i, by doing what is pleasing to thee, continue to find grace and favor in thy sight."
everybody knows sophie lyons. they know about her past and about her present husband, who got into a swedish prison through a little affair over diamonds, causing sophie to cross the sea to cheer him up. they know of her utterance that a husband should be allowed an affinity now and then to add to the zest of his life, but in this instance she appears in a different light. long ago she "squared it" with the police. now she is evidently trying to "square it" with a higher authority. and this connects the prayer with the visitor.
the man who rapped on her door was a. h. jones, inspector for the city poor commission. he was weary and almost discouraged, having been out since early morning looking for a home for the wheelers. the wheelers, husband, wife and six children, had been evicted from their residence at 92 calahan street monday, the owner desiring to sell and not to rent the place. from then on they lived in a tent-like structure in a vacant lot alongside the house they had inhabited.
"you own a cottage at 51 twenty-third street?" asked mr. jones.
"yes," was the reply; "but it is rented, i guess. anyway, a man has agreed to take it."
then followed the recital of the troubles of the wheelers, the attempts of the city agent to find shelter, the offer of $10 a month for the barn and the failure because of the children.
[pg 267]
mrs. burke thought for a moment. then she smiled:
"see here what i was reading," she said. "'the most acceptable thank-offering is to bring light and joy to that sit in darkness.' you may put that family in that house. it has been remodeled, and is just about new. it has seven rooms and a bathroom, and will be all right, i guess. i will tell you why i am doing this.
"if i have all the world and have not charity i can never enter the gates of heaven."
the wheelers moved to-day. their furniture was all arranged about the tent, so there was no taking up of carpets or anything like that, loading into a van being all that was necessary. if it rains to-night, the man, incapacitated from work, won't lie awake and shiver and wonder how long it will take the downpour to soak through his shelter. he and his will be safe beneath a roof, a roof belonging to sophie lyons-burke.
