Hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1843-1845, 1844-11-07
THE Low EEL GIRLS.
By MISS MARTINEAU.

social condition of the indus ,riouS com
muni,y At Lowell, the following leue
from Miss Mariineau will be read will
fresh interest. The world beside
does not presen, such another scene a.
it brings before us; and the rctleetns
reader canno, fail to see that the de
lighiful exhibition OF general equality
high social cultivation and pr"Speron:
industry here presented, is The frni
of protection Of which Mr.. Clay Is tn,
founder. and which it is the cherished
purpose of the political party now
struggling for power TO uproot and des
troy:
TYNEMoUTH, May, 90, 1914.
Ny dear friend:-Your interest in
this Lowell book canno, scarcely eqna
mine, for have seen the factory girls
in their Lyceum, and have gone over
the cotton mills at Waltham. and made
myself familiar on the spot with fac
tory life in New England; SO tina, III
reading the Offering. | saw again
in my memory the stree, OF houses
built by the earnings of the girls, The
church, which is their property, and
the girls themselves trooplng to the
mill, with their healthy counienanccs
and their neat dress and quiet manners,
resembling those of the tradssman
class of our country.
My visit to Lowell was merely for
one day, in company with Mr. Elmer
sons party,-he (,he pride and boast
of New England as an author and
Phiosopher) being engaged by the
Lowell factory people TO lecture to
them, in winter course of historical
biography. Of course, The lectures
were delivered in the evening after
the mills were closed. The'glrls were
then working seventy hours week.
yet, as | looked a, the large audience
land attended more to them than to
the leciure) l saw no sign of wear
mess among any of them. They sat.
row behind row, in their own Lyra-
UNI, large hall, walnsco'ed with ma
hoeany. he platform carpeted, well
lighted, provided with handsome
table, desk and seat, adorned with
portraits Of a few worthless; and as
they thus sa, listening to their lecturer,
all wakeful and interested, all we'll
dressed and lady like. could not but
feel my heart swell a. the thought OF
what such sight would be with us.
The difference is not in rank. Tor
these Young people were all daughters
of parents who earn their bread with
their own hands. l. is not IN the
amount of wages, however usual that
supposi,ion Is, for they were then earn
mg from Que to three d liars a week :,
besides their food; the children one
dollar As. Sd. the second rate work
ers two dollars. aud the best three, the
cost of dress and necessary comforts
being much above what the same G.
expend IN ibis country. It's not III
the amount of Toll, for, as have SAID,
they work seventy clear hours per
week. The difference was III their
superior culture. Their minds are
kept. fresh and strong, and free. by
knowledge and power Of thought; and
this is tie reason why they are Hot
worn AND depressed under lahors. =
They begin with poorer chance Tor
health than our people; for the health
II ~ l.
" is no, good, owing to circumstances
of climate and other influences; bat
among the $500 women and giris III
the Lowell m lis when WAS there
the average OF health vas nol lower
ihan elsewhere; aud tne disease winch
was most mischievous was the same
that proves fatal over the whole conn.
,ry-consump,ion; while there were
no complaints peculiar to mill life.
At Wallham, where | saw the mills,
and had conversation with the people,
| had an opportunity of observing the
the invlgorating effects of mind IN q
life of labor. Twice the wages and
half the toll would no, have made the
girls saw happy and healthy, without
the culnyating of mind which afforded
them perpetual support, entertainment
and motive for activity. They wert
no, highly educated, but had pleasure
IN books and lectures. in correspond
ence with home; and their minds 81
onen tn fresh ideas, as to be drawn of
from thoughts Of themselves and lhei
own concerns. When al work they
were amused with thinking over The
las, book they had read. or with plan
ming the accoun. they should write
home Of the last Sundays sermon. o
with singing over TO ,hemaelves tn
tsong they meant TO practice in tn
ievenlng; and when evening came moth
ling was heard Of tired limbs ant
seaeerness for bed, but il it was SUM