Kansas weekly herald., 1855-05-18
Mrs. Smiths Charity.
By ELLEN ASHTON.

"Isn't that seamstress come yet p
Mrs. Smith, as she spoke, leaned oyel
the balustrade, calling down the Staircase
to the footman.
| "No num-"
81 declare" muttered the the lady; bu
lquite loud enough for the servant to hear
''that lazy thing ought to be turned off,
It's eight o'clock already. A pretty days
work it will be, begun at such an hour
john" and she raised her voice to loud.
er key, "be sure you tell the coachman te
be around by eleven, for I've got to go col
.ecting, with Mrs. Huntley for the poor
this morning."
She left the staircase as she spoke, and
passed to her chamber, where she expec-
ted to spend the next two hours in dress
ing to go out.
1t was cold, wet morning in March,
While this scene was transacting In the ell
egant mansion, a thinly clad, delicate look
ing girl was feebly struggling against the
| the rain ON her way to Mrs Smiths. She
had been awake for half the night. tend
| ing her sick sister, who lay dying of con.
sumption, In the comfortless and freless
room which they occupied together, up
three pair of stairs, in narrow, il-yentil-
lated alley. For breakfast she had eaten
nothing but dry crust, and drank nothing
but cup of cold water. And now with
faded summer shawl, a pair of thin, worn
shoes, and an umbrella that only half pro-
tected her, she was Drawing the inclement
weather in order to do Mrs. Smiths
plain sewing at dollar and quarter a
week.
The bell rang, and the rich lady throw
ing on splendid dressing gown, went to
the head of the staircase.
"Ah! that's you at last Miss Jones. is
| ?'' she said sharply. ssA full hour be-
hind time. Recollect, Miss. what I told
you. shall keep my word, and take off
shilling for every day you are so Late
Goat once into the back room, where eve
rything' waiting for you."
Too heart-broken to demonstrate, the
girl did as she was directed, and took her
place In an apartment, which, as it was to
be occupied ssonly by the seamstress," as
Mrs. Smith said, was, from motives oil
economy, never more than half heated
Here, the girl sewed, in her damp clothes
and wet feet, all day, there not being
warmth enough at the hue to dry either:
and at night went home through the storm
I to her sick sister, and the cold. unfurnish-
ed room they occupied.
All that morning, Mrs. Smith, protect
| ed from the rain by her comfortable car.
riage, drove about ostensibly to collect fol
the poor, but really to indulge in gossip,
and crafty her vanity bysbeing called be-
Inevolent. While exhibiting her splendid
tablets, on which to write the names of do
nors, and expatiating sentimentally on the
suferings of the INDECENT, she took good
care to soy nothing of the needfewomaI
she had left working at a starvation price,
| in a cold unhealthy room.
The next day the seamstress did moi
come at ALL. Mrs. Smith was highly In
nant, especially as piece of work. which
he had particularly wished to be finished
was incomplete.
You may tell Miss Jones, if sheco
again tomorrow !" she said, angrilys late
in the day, that don want her services
any longer. People who work for me
must be punctuah -
When the foctman went back into the
kitchen, and rehearsed the message with
which he had been charged, there was q
tgeneral outcry among the servants