Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-03-10
WHOLE NUMBER sOl.
! The Oppressed Seamstress,
A TRUE TALE. u ,ss
Z By MRS. v. wELnoN9.

4 Some people seem to hare an idea that.
they pay too mich for every things and il "A
Is positive duty TO employ those who vii.
work the cheapest. vH5 ss o, ri .gy.g.t-4
Mrs. Ellsworth lived very sum,uotsly
and her daughters dressed very elegantly, 10.
We don't call them extravagan beeause 81
people who have plenty Of money are sno,,s,.
\ obliged TO give an account to their neigh-
bors of their expenditure. They we're.
however, discussing The very subjecfihein-
4 selves upon the danask lounges. when fhe 2
servnnt man entered and presented gKe -;
seamstress's bill Such nice folded pm. q
per always attracts the iamilyis atisStisal 81
and having looked at the bottom aud %
amount, exclaimed:osT ed % h.1es stsss iaaj
. Hear mo how nigh.n ga!sssqa - 0esd s,s
They then proceeded ste examine the
can,en,s Of the bundle which accompanied ~
the bill, fSabA aat sHi{a5 ,ftaiiar'9eo fisFa
r. The work ia done Ibeautifully,' lsaid ~
Miss flenrieitn. how superhly this lace issas
set on-towsI l,ndid iiiis Is hetnstiiched.-
! declare mother, I never Intend to do anyaai
work myself again, II is so much betief ~
Than can nuke il look. % a's &c saa1f8e7 slSS
f. 'f,ut you forgot said The mother. ssthsp y
! il costs great denl 10 hire all our sewiagsss
tdfHit u u O0 uouO Cfef S't-'f-
cheap; Ell SHE felt herself that II was pless "
ant te have the garIneRts inadssI ,spoifls1ssss
Y VI wondef.' said Sophia. aataa srnesfslssa
girpsf sixteen. iaothe iitle waiting sssaasSsq
stress inthe entry will yo1 chorges@
| 10 make papa ten shirts. 5l'f hsssoenga gtdss
Ia hive them done bytFe 6Es:l day of Mayisai
andsii Ism hong hi lauds vsxasions.lswisa
ceuid dirsnster them ti, ynuto finish 3Hmsss
/ The child Was senr home tn sehqnife .foii
her mother whntshe wnuld charge ~ makeatf
ten shirts with full busoms hemsti,chedaH
each side, nnd riiHied.a fihe nices. iabriasss
and workmnnsi-i $40 ctrrespond.Iisl & og biaa
r The lit;ls giti returned aId artlessly rs,aa
!; pliedl ofJls8 aS~sassl lsfaiaa ghif auoS VtaE
4 .Motheri ssays5 low she si.all sehnrge iasss
dollar; botif slhe soung stulks snid ,hegsks
wouldn't gises. rather iInm knnesihe job, 81
she wou'd lay sesentw6ysscenis apiecell'ssFn
+ Amused with the Il nplic " which ought
to have excited sinpaIhy rather than mer'
ri,nent, Sophia pretended thai seyenty, i've
a cents MAS all she expected 10 give; she had :,
4 hoped IN get Them, done for s6ity cenisI NF.s,
I, Fuller gave aIiiy that. but she did moi add
th,t Mr.. L shirts. we've unb cached, ai,d =
very common work was put in than, -
Alter some hesitation; she brought Them
i down,t aud daii,g up a large bundle, des's
patched il - the sea,nslress addipg,rs 4;,6S
7 .Now my pour head and eyes are is.sv
| liz vad vHtIie ys.5fs..s,. Il s,,.s,.si ~
But lei us see to whom The bundle wna
i ttrnnsleri cd; The same seanistress once
had husband who was a prosperous mer'~s
fcbant, but he speoulaled pnwisely, died
suddenly, aud leii widow with Two small s
Fthildrenl 10 grapple With The hard fate OF,
+ nverty aud remembrance of better days.
4 They nccuned but one rofn, and ms her
only employment WINS sesing, il was diffi'
cult to make both ends meet Milh the mnst
unriring industry. 81 s..5 ."....,..s.-,...S
I Don't you think mother.' said little Ellen
who brought heme tho work, THE young
/ lady thought she ought TO get the shiris
ftnade for lilly cents apiece! But mother
she surely could not have known what
slow process i, is, TO gather heinstich and
rutie, mud do all the sewing Just for half
weeks rentpr she never coud have sail
|so.'' ~ s.-,.y...-,,.. -, -
7 The mother brushed tsar away. No
ltchild she never sewed for a living. ,.a..l
4 And mother she told her sister that she
was so glad to get rid Of the turing work.
and she sad her father would never know
but what she id it oil, and she would have
fifty cents clear on every shirt, what could
shs meant ''-''''' .S s+eS.@ aia'S
\; Mr.. A bad heard Of such deception be,
fore, but she cared not 10 inform her %
daughter that The young lady was probably
TO receive one dollar aud a quarter for each
] shirt. She felt her business was only to
finish her whole number as soon as posi-
BILE. She Immediately set about the task
j of cutting them by the pattern, asserting
Them intop piles, and get the palmer parts
ready for Ellen to hem, as she was very
;hnice in needle. e.work as far as she had learn
ed tbs art. But il was always neas
'schnol time and the poor child but lhtlsa
4 relieved her mother. s4 ss44as.osq sSA
] Itwns at that season too. when storms
succeeded each other in rapid succession 70
and the heavens are often overcast, and nsst
the tenement Of the window was badly
lighted, il began to omake sad havoc Of her.
4 vision. gag s5te' -.i l9} f7f i3}s zsst'eaf
! Her eyes we're wenry from continual
use, and when the long Job was patiently
accomplished, who could tell the aches and
pains by which it was oil the way attended,
Miss Landon, in speaking oi such Poor.s
saidt, II z4sss4;i4 ~ --t Sc tvzsrfk
j l, ,, 'We little think how wsarily, "a, .s..i
+ - " The aching head lies down, lh athti
! Long before the promised time, Ellen
carried home the ponderous bundle Of ten
4 shirts. .5.f. ...s.,.-'., - s's'.,
i Miss Sophia severely scrutinized thens9
pulling the rufles, next looking at the
4 gathers, then The stitching, and finally
] tossing them into henp. addedi = ~esS
!. .Tel your mother they are worth no
more than fifty cents, and Twill give her
that iE she will receipt the bill. gte4
y The child returned with n heavy heart
and Impaired the information 80 r., -
:, The eeams,ress wepl bitleriy-she look
ed every now and then upon the picture