The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-11-11
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THE FACTORY GIRLS
AND THE VILLAGE BELLE
BY GEORGE W. BUNGAY.
CHAPTER 7.

CHAPTER I.
Miss Travers had finished her educa
ton, and among other lessons at school
she had learned to draw line of demar
cation between the plebiaLs and patri
cians-the unwashed and the upper
ten-the vulgar, and the genteel Thi
branch Of knowledge she studied unde
teachers that received no salary for thei
services.
While her industrious mother wa
bending with aching bones over the wash,
tub, or working in the kitchen providing
food to eat, the doll of daughter would
sit in the parlor singing snatches of song,
she had learned from her school-mates,
and twanging and drumming away at
the old broken winded piano. She could
not sweep the floors, for the broomstick
might blister her delicate hands; sh,
would not make the beds because i
might pat a feather in her hair and take
one from the cap she had set for Robert
Mortar, the medical student; she did
not like to sew, for such work might i'm
pair her eye-sight, besides her time was
too precious to be pulled like ball OF
common thread through the eye of a
needle; she could not endure the
thought Of ironing, for some fattering
punster had told her she was too sharp
too touch anything that was fat, and he
might have added, too soft to do any
work that is hard.
Sophia Travcrs was rather pretty /;
some pronounced her decidedly hand
some. She had beautiful brown hair,
but it had been soaked, scorched and
twisted about so much, there were some
streaks shaded and shaped different
from the rest then above the forehead,
which was not very prominently devel-
oped, grew tuft of short stiff hair which
looked as though her comb had sunk
through soft spot in the vicinity of
lself-esteem, and was now coming out in
the neighborhood of benevolence. This
deformity was occasioned by her shaving
her forehead. She had dear little feet
and everybody will say so that ever footed
her shoe-bill Her hands were white
as snow, her form was hike, and
her manner lady-like--very!
We all have our ups and downs, and
Sophia was not exempt from the trials
and troubles of life. At the time of
which | write, she was little discon
tented, fretful and unhappy. 1t was a
cloudy Sunday. She went to church
without her parasol, and before meeting
was out the sun began to play peep-a-
boo from behind the clouds, and by the
time she was fairly on her home return,
the king of day rode through the
heavens in a chariot of gold, shining and
smiling as though he had nothing else to
do but to laugh at her.
81 declare it is too bad :" said she
to her brother Walter, who had just re-
turned from college.
"What is the matter, Sophia :" in
quired Walter.
while l was coming home from
church, in the hot sun, l was insulted. "
"Who insulted your" asked Walter,
rising from his chair, as though he was
ready to redress the grievance and wreak
revenge on the presumptuous aggressor.
"Two low-born factory girls" was
the reply.
"What did they do :"
"The saucy huzzies spoke to me. They
said, How do you do, Miss Travers 90
"Is that aH?" inquired Walter, as he
resumed his seat.
Yes-that is all !" replied Sophia
petulantly.
cannot discover anything very bad
in that" continued Walter
"They spoke to me with as much
assurance as though l was one of their
associates, and they wanted to shake
hands with me right in the presence of
the Misses Jarvis ~
She did not finish all she wanted to
say, for her. feelings choked her utterance
and she.selieved her full heart in food
of tears. When she had wiped away
the dew-drops, Walter inquired if she
knew the names of the parties who had
taken such unwarrantable liberties. -
He made use of such language to humor
the fancy of his vain and naughty sister.
Hannah Browning, and her sister
Susan" was the reply.
Walter turned red, and then became