American telegraph., 1851-05-23
HOW RICH PEOPLE DEAL AND HOW POOR
-. PEOPLE LIVE

How many children have your"
"Four."
"An young %
"Yes, ma am. The oldest is but seven years
of age"
Have you husband?"
The woman replied, in changed voice,
eyes, maam. But he isn't much help to
me: Like great many other men, he drinks
too much. If it wasn't for that, you wouldn't
find me crying fish about the streets in the
spring, and berries through the summer, to get
all comfortably, if he was only sober for he
has good trade and is a good workman He
used to earn ten, and, sometimes, twelve dollars
q week." la4.a.4Gii ,-sg
+" How much do you make towards support
ing 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 dol
lars in week, but oftener two or three is the
most get
"How in the world can you support your
self, and husband, and four children, on three
dollars week 2"
81 have to do it," was her simple answer
There are women who would be glad to get
three dollars week. They would think them
selves well off,
But how do you live on so small o sum ?"
We have to deny ourselves almost every
little comfort, and confne ourselves down to
the mere necessaries of life. After those who
can afford to pay good prices for their market
ing have been supplied, we come in for part
OF what remains. | often get meat enough for
few cents to last me several days. And the
same way with vegetables. After the markets
are over the butchers and country people, whom
we know, let us have lots of things for almost
nothing, sooner than take them home In this
way we make our slender means go a great
deal farther than they would if we had to pay
the highest market price for every thing. But,
it too often happens that what we gain here is
lost, in the eagerness we feel to sell whatever
we have, especially when, from having walked
and cried for long time, we become much ia
tigued. Almost every one complains that we
ask too much for our things, if we happen to
be one or two cents above what somebody has
paid in market where there are almost as many
different prices as there are persons who sell.
And, in consequence, almost every one tries to
beat us down. 1t often happens 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 bought from me at all if they hadn't
known that they were making good bargains
out Of me; and this because could not bear
up any longer. , think it very hard, sometimes
when ladies, who have every thing in plenty,
take off of me nearly all my profits, after have
1 toiled through the hot sun for hours or shiv-
cred in the cold of winter 1t is no doubt right
enough for every one to be prudent, and buy
things as low as possible; but it has never
seemed to me quite just for a rich lady to beat
| down poor fsh-woman, or strawberry woman,
| q cent or two on a bunch or a basket, when
that very cent made, perhaps, one-third or one
half of her profits.
cit was only yesterday that | stopped at q
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 a profit,
madam l replied. You want too much profit,
she returned; saw just such bunch Of fish
in market yesterday for three fps Yes, but
remember | replied, that 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, Pve got a waiter whose business
it is to carry the marketing. 1t is all the same
to me. SO, if you expect to sell me 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 dread
| full headache. Ii was time for me to think about
getting home. So said, We'll, ma am, sup
pose you must take them, but it leaves me only
a mere trife for my profits servant stand
ing by took the fish, and the lady handed me
quarter, and held out her hand for the change
| first put into it a fve-cent piece. She con
tinued holdingit out, until searched about in
my pocket for penny. This next placed in
her hand. so you've cheated me out Of
quarter of n cent at last, she said, half laugh
ing and half in earnest; you are q sad rogue
little boy was standing by. Here, Charley
she said to him, is penny have just saved
You can buy candy with it.
''As / turned away from the door Of the
large, beautiful house in which that lady lived,
felt something rising in my throat and choking
me. | had bitter thoughts Of all my kind
Happily, where next stopped, | met with one
more considerate She bought two punches of
my fish at my own price-spoke very kindly to
me, and even went so far, seeing that / looked
jaded out, to tell me to 20 down into her
kitchen, and rest myself for a little while.
Leaving my tub of fish in her yard, accepted
the kind offer. II 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 a cup. | said yes for my head
was aching badly and felt faint; and, besides
nad not tasteu cup OF Tea LOT several days.
She poured it out for me with her own hands,
and with her own hands brought it to me.
think | never tasted such n 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 rs fresh as ever did in
my life. Before stopped at this kind ludy's
house, | was so worn down and out of heart,
that determined to go home, even though not
more than half my fish were sold But now
went on cheerfully and with confidence In an
hour my tray was empty, and my fish sold at
fair prices.
"You do not know, ma am" continued the
woman, chow much good few kindly-spoken
words, that cost nothing, or little generous
regard for us, does our often discouraged hearts.