Smyrna times., 1861-10-03
THE OPPRESSED SEAMsYREss.
A True Tale,
BY MRS. E. wELLMOST.

| Some people seem to have an idea ,ba,,bou
oay too much for everything, and !, ia noe
/ itiVe duty to employ those who will work The
! cheapest "''N '"e
MIS- Ellsworth lived very sumptuously. and
net oaugh'ers dressed very elegantly. We
WONT call Them extravagant, because peoDl-
VINO nave plenty OF money are not obired TO
give an account to their neighbors of their ex.
PendItures. They were, however, discussin, :,
this very subject themselves upon the damasS
lounges, when the servant man entered .nd
presented the seamstress' bill. Such a niceIv
loIued paper always attracted the familv's a..
'ention' and having looked at the bottom and
seen the amount and exclaimed, dear mo
no" hlgh, they proceeded to examine tha
bill. ''eu ''S
"The work is done beautifully" said Ni.o
Henrietta; \" how superbly this lace il sei on -"
How splendidly this is hemstitched. decIo,a
mother, never mean to do anv work mvsolf
again, 1t Is SO much better than | can makn ~
look" 1N0 IT.
But you forget" said the mother, " il costs
great deal to hire all our sewing for a l,rye
iAmIly, II 1t be done ever 80 cheap: vet she
leit herSelt that 1t was very pleasant 10 have
garments so made. - 'u'1
81 wonder" said Sophia, tall graceful Girl
oil sixteen. to the little waiting seamstress in
the entry, "whst Jou would charge To mnks
papa ten shirts! have engaged to have them
zone oy the first day of May, and it is so long
Joo' and so vexatIous, wish / could transfer
them TO you TO finish"
Inc child was sent home to inquire of her
mother what she should charge to make ten
shlrls with full bosoms, hemstitched each side
ana ruined OF the incest fabric, and workman.
ship to correspond.
The little girl returned and artlesslv re.
piled '''
-" Mother says as how she shall cbarce
dolIati but if the young folks said they wonidn'1
give IT, rather than lose the job, she would ssv
seventy five cents apiece
Amused with the simplicity which ought n
nave excited sympathy rather than merriment
ooPh'a pretended that seventy-ive cents was
al they expected 10 give she had hoped 10 got
tnem done tor nifty cents. Mrs. Fuller gave onIv
that but she did not add Mrs. F's. sbir,s ,yora
unbleached. and very common work was mn, ;0
them. Alter some hesltancy she BROUGHT them
down, and doing up large bundle despatched
II TO the seamstress, adding:
Now my poor head and eyes are ,eliev.
ed" 'e ie'ie''
But let US see to whom this burden wos
transferred Inc same seamstress once had n
""O was prosperous merchant but
ne sPecuiated unwisely, died suddenly. and Ieft
widow with two small children 10 orannIe
with the hard fate of poverty, and the reme,n. |
brance OF "belter days" They occup Cd bn,
one room, and as her only employment, ,yss
sewing, It was difficult to make both ends moo,
with the most untlring industry.
Don't you think mother" said little EuoD |
who brought home the work, the youno I,Jr |
thought she ought to get the shirts maSo g.. |
nifty cents apiece. But, mother she sn,oIr |
could not have known what a slow procesS !, !,
10 gather, aud hemstitch, and ruffle. and do .II
'he sewing just for half a weeks rent. or sha
never would have said So" - '"e
The mother brushed a tear awav-u NJ
chIld she never sewed for living"
And, mother, she told her sister that sbo
was so glad TO get rid OF the tiring work. and
she said that her father would never know h.,
she did IT all, and she should have 6ftv ceo,s
clear on every SHIRT; what could she mean ~,
Mrs A. had heard OF such d, eeptisn beE,ro
but sbe cared not to inform her daughter ,b.,
lie young lady was probably TO receive one
hollar and quarter for each shirt. She fel,
HER business was only TO fini h the who'd nnu-
Der 10 soon as possible.
She Immediately set about the tasL =, o,,,
ting them by the pattern, asserting ,ham 49,
pilef, and getting the palmer paris for EIIan -
hems as she was very Bice in needIework os
she had learned the art--but il was sIa."s
near . 'chooltlme," and the poor child bnt H.
tie reii wed her mother.
II was at the season. too, when storms sur.
eseded eaeho,bar rapidly, and the beavsns ara
ts