Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1853-04-14
i THE SEAMSTRESs,, eat !.
Or. The Halua of Labor. :


neat sewer she hoped to get work, and
earn food and scant clothing at least
She applies to several, and was still with
out the means of earning dollar, when
her last one was spent. Just at this sad
moment. the fact of her destitution be-
coming known, Mrs. II sent for her.
After she is seated the following con-
'versation ensues !: $3.50
"Can you doaplain sewing ?" %
Yes, ma'am, as well as most persons"
What is your price for fine shirts ~
-sa /" havn't set any price yet, but I will
work as low as any one.1 - eu5f 81
ac {" But you know that to get work you
will have to do it a little lower than or.
dinary." ..f ...l -
he (" Well ma'ams am in want, and will
work at almost any price. .''r1g5 ai sa
suppose you viii make fine shirt
for quarter!" gu -'. ..l''9
/" Yes, maam," - :;
"And Galley dresses for the same 7"
/ eyes, ma'amu
Well, that's reasonable. Boys' com
mon shirts you will not charge over
shilling forlp TaisH1raa sTs7sa
! "No, ma 'amg',Z zso'sa7o" a- af
Z "That's reasonable, and I'll Go all I
can for you. q It gives me pleasursfo help
the poor. Come down tomorrow, md HI
have some work ready for you" aad Is
I The widow departed. o aToi -aas7 I
i2 "Well wife, said Mr. ----, when he
saw the woman depart, DAT what price,
will she work ~ 80 a.aT EEEss zll
T -"At just half what Miss R. charges
"Well, that something like, It gives
me pleasure to befriend any one who is
willing to work at reasonable price
Why this will save US almost a dollar a
week the whole year round"
( ''Yes, if you want it."
/ "Well III do my best. 1t is shameful
what some of these eseamstresses charge" /"
4 Boys shirts, at 123 cents, were her
! first prices of work. Two of these by
hard work she managed to get done in a
day. - EiLsal3 ,sa5eeE t5 asraos 81 .
+ Next morning she was up early. tho
her head ached badly, and she was faint
and weak from having sat 50 steadily
through the. whole preceding day. Her
children were taken up, washed and dress
I ed her rooms cleaned, and scanty meal
of mush and milk prepared for the little
ones and a cup of tea for herself. Her
own stomach refused the food, of which
her children partook with keen appetites,
and she could only swallow a few mouth
fuls of dry stale bread.
1t was nearly ten o'clock when she got
fairly down to work, her head still aching
and almost binding her. Some how or
other she could not get on at all fast, and
it was long past the usual dinner hour be-
fore she had finished the first garment.
da After dinner Mrs. s. worked hard
and in much bodily pain and misery, to
finish the last shirt, in which the last
stitch was taken at nine o'clock at night.
l. Soon after breakfast the next morning,
she took the shirts home to Mrs. T,
her thoughts mostly occupied with the
comfortable food she was to buy her chill
dren with the half dollar she had earned.
For it was sad truth that she had laid
ont the last half-dollar for the meal with
which she was making mush for her little
4 ones. 90 gE'eHos $3.50 '5 .In55l
j~T g.. .tf Er4E fn ts sAt l1 .
] After examing every seam, every hem,
and every line ofstitching, Mrs. t. :
I expressed appreciation of the work, and
/ banded the poor woman couple of fine
shirts, for Mr. IT - and calico
I dress for herself. She did not offer
to pay her for the work she had done =
After lingering few moments, Mrs. S.
dyentured to hint that she would like to
have a part Of what she earned. a.
90, dear, | never pay seamstresses until
their bills amount to FIVE. dollars. 1t is
50, troublesome to keep, account Of small
sums. When gou haro madefVe dollars
IIwilI pay you .'.a cent - ...e1 %.
Nj Mrs. s. So ---lrae retired, but With heart
that seemed like lead in her bosom. =
r "When shall 1 earn five dollars-=7not
tor whole month at this rate, were
the words that formed themselves in her
) thoughts. - -. go >. TO. se
4 ...ss1 l. zoL aF .ba Hoor md q