The Advance

WHAT ONE WOMAN DID.

Some years ago, in a foreign city, horses were continually slipping on the smooth and icy pavement of a steep hill, up which loaded wagons and carts were constantly moving. Yet no one seemed to think of any better remedy than to beat and curse the animals who tugged and pulled and slipped on the hard stones. No one thought of a better way, except a poor old woman, who lived at the foot of the hill. It hurt her so to see the poor horses slip and fall on the slippery pavement, that every morning, old and feeble as she was, with trembling steps she climbed the hill and emptied her ash-pan, and such ashes as she could collect from her neighbors, on the smoothest spot. At first the teamsters paid her very little attention, but after a little they began to look for her, to appreciate her kindness, to be ashamed of their own cruelty, and to listen to her requests, that they would be more gentle with their beasts. The town officials heard of the old lady's work and they were ashamed too, and set to work levelling the hill and repairing the pavement. Prominent men came to know what the old woman had done, and it suggested to them an organization for doing such work as the old lady had inaugurated. All this made the teamsters so grateful, that they went among their employers and others with a subscription paper, and raised a fund which bought the lady a comfortable annuity for life. So one poor old woman and her ash-pan not only kept the poor over-loaded horses from falling, and stopped the blows and curses of their drivers, but made every animal in the city more comfortable, improved and beautified the city itself, and excited an epoch of good feeling and kindness, the end of which no one can tell.--Rev. F. M. Todd.