Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-09-01


-Four
All young?'
Yes, ma am. The oldest is but seven years of
age
Have you husband?'
The woman replied in a changed voice:
'Yes, ma am. fiut he isn't much help to me-
Like great many other men, he drinks too much.
Ii 1t wasn't for that you wOuldn nd me crying fish
about the streets in the spring, and berries through
the summer. to get bread for my children He could
support us all comfortably, if he only sober; for
he has good trade, and is good workman He
used to earn ten, and, sometimes, twelve dollars
week.
How much do you make towards supporting your
family 2 | asked.
Nearly all they get to live on, and that isn't
much, she said bitterly My husband sometimes
pays the rent, and sometimes doesn't even do that
| have made as high as four doals in week, but
oitener two and three is the most get
How in the world can you support yourself, and
husband, and four children, on three dollars week.
/ have to do it, was her simple reply, There
are women who would be glad 10 get three dollars
week. They would think themselves well off,.
How do yon live on so small sum p
We have TO deny ourselves almost everv little
comfort, and confne ourselves down 10 the mere ne
cessares of life. After those who can afford to paw
good prices for their marketing have been supplied
we come in for part of what remains. often get
meat enough for few cents last me several days
And the same way with vegetables. After the mar
kes are the butchers and COUNTY, people, whom
we know, lets have lots of things for almost no.
| thing, than take them home. In this way
we make our slender means go great deal further
than they would if we had to pay the highest mar
ket price for everything. But, often happens that
what we gain here is lost, in the eagerness we feel
TO sell whatever have especially when from hav-
| ing walked and cried for long time, we become
much fatigued Almost every one complains that we
ask too much for our things, if happen to be one
or two cents above what somebody has paid In the
market, where there about many different pri-
ces there are persons to SELL And, in conse-
quenCe, almost every tries to beat US down. 1t
often happets that, after | have walked for four
hours and sold but very little, have parted with my
whole stock at cost, to some two or three ladies'
who would not have bonght them at all if they
hadn't known that they making good bargains
out of me; and this because could not bear up any
longer. think it very hard, sometimes when la
dies, who have everything in plenty, take off of me
nearly all my profits, after have oiled through the
hot for hours or shIvered in the cold of winter
1t is no doubt right enough for every TO be pIu-
dent, and buy things as low as possible; but it has
never seemed TO me quite just for rich lady TO beat
down poor tish-woman, or straw berry woman, a
cent or two bunch or a basket, when the very
cent made, is perhaps, one-third or one-haf of her
profits.
1t was only yesterday that stopped at a house
to sell bunch of FISH, The lady took fancy to a
nice bunch of small rock, for which | asked her
twenty cents. They had cost me just sixteen cents
wont you take three fps?' she asked. THAT
leaves me too small profit, madam replied.
You want too much profit she returned; | saw
just such bunch of fish in market Yesterday for
three fps Yes but remember replied, shat
here are the fish at your door, You neither have to
send for them. nor bring them home YOURSELF oh,
as to that she answered. I've got waiter whose
business ii is to carry the marketing. 1t is all the
same to me. So if you expect to sell your things,
you must put them at market prices | will give
you three fps for that bunch of fish, and no more'
| had walked great deal and sold but little. was
tired and half sick with dreadful headache. 1t
was time for me 10 think about getting home Sol
said, Well, ma am, suppose you must take them,
but 1t leaves only mere trife for my profits A
servant standing by took the fish, and the lady ham
ded me quarter, and held out her hand for the
change. first put into it fye-cent piece. She
continued holding it out, until searched about in
my pocket for penny. So you've cheated me out
of quarter of cent at last, she said, hafaugh-
ing and half in earnest; you sad rogoue.'
little boy was standing by Here, Charley she
said to him, is penny have just saved You
can buy candy with it,
'As 1 turned away from the door Of the large,
beautiful house In which that lady lived felt some
thing rising in my throat and choaking me. l had
bitter thoughts Of all my kind. Happily, where l
next stopped, | met with one more considerable She
bought two punches of fish at my own price-spake
very kindly to me- and even went so far seeing that
looked faded out, to tell me to go down into her
kitchen and rest myself for little while Leaving
my tub of fish in her yard, accepted her kind Offer.
1t so happened that the cook was making tea for
some one in the house who was sick. The lady
asked me if would not like to have cup. | said
yes, for my head aching badly and felt faint;
and, besides, had not tasted drop of tea for sew
eral days. She poured it out with her own hands
and with her own hands brought it to me. think
| never tasted such cup of tea in my life. 1t was
like cordial-God bless her When | again went
out upon the street my headache was gone, and
felt fresh ever did in my life. Before stopped
at this kind lady's house, was so much worn down
and out of heart, that determined to 90 home, even
though not more than half my fish were Sold But
now went on cheerfuy and with confidence In
an hour my tray was empty, and my fish sold at fair
price.
You do not know, madam continued the wo
man, how much good few kindly spoken words,
that cost nothing, little generous regard for us
does our often discouraged hearts, Butthese we too
rarely meet Much oftener we are talked 10 harshly
about our exorbitant prices-called cheating set
or some other such name that does not sonnd yerv
pleasant to our ears That there are amongst rs
those who have no honesty, nor, indeed, any cars
about what Is right is too true. But all are not so
To judge ALL then, by the worst Of our class, is not
right. 1t would not be well for the world if all were
well Judged
Senator Westcott. formerly of Florida, is now
|cnn cd with tha Vail