Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-02-24

tailor, stood at his cutting board, q
poorly dressed woman entered the shop,
and approaching him, asked, with some
embarrassment and timidity, if he had
any work to give out.
''What can you do ?" asked the tail
or, looking rather celdly upon his Wis
itor.
81 can make pantaloons and vests"
replied the girl.
"Have you ever worked for a mer-
chant tailor :"
eyes, sir, l have worked for MIR.
Wright"
elias he nothing for you to do -
''No F; not just now. He has regular
hands who always get the preference"
''Did your work suit him ?"
d ''He never found fault with it.''
"Where do you live %
Gin Cherry street, at No."
Mr.. Lawson stood and mused for
short time.
81 have . vest here" he at length
said, taking small bundle from the
shelf, (which I want by tomorrow
evening at the latest. If you think you
can do it very neatly, and have it done
in time, you can take it."
cit shall be done in time" said the
woman, reaching out eagerly for the
bundle. =.
"And remember, I shall expect to
have it done we'll. If I like your work
/ will give you more"
81 will try to please you," returned
the young girl.
Tomorrow evening, recollect."
eyes sir, I will have it done.''
The girl turned and went quickly
away. In back room in the third
story of an old house in Cherry street,
was the home of the poor sewing girl.
As she entered she said in a cheerful
voice to her sick sister, "Mary, l have
got work ; it is vest, and must have
it done by tomorrow evening"
s'Can you finish it in time % inquir-
ed the invalid, in feeble voice.
"Oh, yes, easily"
''It proved to be a white Marseilles
As soon as the invalid sister saw this
she said 81 am afraid you will not be
able to get it done in time, Ellen. You
are not very swift with a needle, and
besides, you are very far from being
we'll"
'.Don't fear in the least, Mary;
will do all l engaged to do.''
It was after dark the next nigh
when Ellen finished the garment. Sht
was weary and faint, having taken nc
food since morning. The want of ev.
erything, and particularly for herself
and sister, made seventy-fve cents, the
sum which she expected to receive TO,
making the garment, treasure in he,
Imagination. She hurried off with the
vest the moment it was done, saying te
her sister, 81 will be back as soon as
possible, and bring you some cordial
and something for our supper ano
breakfast"
'sHere it is half past eight o'clock.
and the vest not yet in" said MIR.
Lawson, in fretful tone. 1 had my
doubts about the girl when I gave it te
her. But she looked so poor, auc
seemed so earnest about the work, tina
I was weak enough to give it to her.
At this moment Ellen came in anl
laid the vest on the counter, where Mr.
Lawson was standing. She said moth
ing, neither did he. Taking the vest
he unfolded it in manner which plain
ly showed him not to be in very
pleasant frame of mind.
Goodness he CALCULATED, turning
over the garment and looking at tn
girl. She shrank back from the coun
ter and looked frightened.
''Well, this is pretty job for one t;
bring in - said the tailor, in an exct
ed tone of voice, ga pretty job, indeedn
at the same time tossing the vest away
from him in angry contempt, and walk
ing off to another part Of the store.
Ellen remained at the counter. A
length he said to her, ''you need no
stand there, Miss, thinking I am going
to pay you for running a. job. It is bae
enough to lose my Customer and mate.
rial. In justice you should pay me fol
the vest, but there is no hope for that
so take yourself off, and never let me
set eyes upon you again"
Ellen made no reply; she turned
round, raised her hands to her fore
head, and bursting into tears, she
walked slowly away.
After Ellen had gone Mr.. Lawson
returned to the front part of the store,
and taking up the vest brought it tc
where an elderly man was sitting, and
holding it towards him, said, by way
Of apology for the part he lad taken
in the little scene, ''that is beautiful
article for a gentleman to wear, isn't
it," The man made no reply, and the
tailor, after pause, added, "Irefused
to pay her, as a matter Of principle. =
She knew she could not make the gar
ment when she took it away. She will
be more careful how she tries to i'm
pose herself upon customer tailors as a
good vest Maker
"Perhaps," said the elderly gentle
man, in mild way, necessity COM
PEELED her to undertake a job that re-
quired greater skill than she possessed.
She certainly looked very poor.''
cit was because she locked so poor
and miserable that I was weak enough
to place the vest in her hands" replied
Mr.. Lawson, in a less severe tone Of
voice. "But it was an imposition for
her to ask for work when she did not
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