East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-03-08
THE POOR wAsHERwoMAN

O0CkoIc, L nevo uiiu0 W pun
this bed quilt into the wash to-day
1t does not really need to 60, either,
but l think 1 will send it down"
"Why will you put it in, Mary, il
il does not need to gof" asked her
good old aunt, in her quiet and OK
pressivs way.
"Why, you see, aunt, We have but
q small wash to-day; 90 small that
Susan will get through by one o'clock,
at the latest and shall have to pay
her the same as though she worked
till night; so ="
"Stop a moment, dear" said the
old lady, gently; stop . moment,
and think. Suppose you were in tho
situation poor Susan is--obliged, you
tell me, to toll over the wash tub six
days out Of seven for the bare neoes-
saries of life--would you not be glad,
once in a while, to get through before
night, to have few hours Of daylight
to labor for yourself and family, OF
better still, a few hours Of rest? Mary,
dear, it is hard way for woman to
earn a living; begrudge not the poor
creature an easy day. This is the
fourth time she has risen by candle
light and plodded through the cold
here and there to her customers
houses, and toiled away existence
Let her go at noon if she gets through /;
who knows but that she may have
oome from the sick bed of some loved
one, and she counts the hours, yea,
the minutes, till she can return, fear
ing that she may be one too late p
Put it back on the bed, and sit down
here while / tell you what the wash
erwoman endured, because hev- en-
ployer did as you would TO make out
the wash"
And the old woman took off her
glasses, and wiped away the tears that
from some cause had gathered in her
aged eyes, and then, with tremulous
voice, related the promised story:
"There never was moro blithe-
some bridal than that Of Ada r. None
ever had higher hopes, or moro bliss
full anticipations. Welding the man
of her choice, one Of whom any wo-
man might be proud, few, indeed, had
. SUMMER life in prospect than she.
"And for ten years there fell no
shadow on her path. Her home was
one Of beauty and rare comfort her
husband the same kind, gentle, loving
man as in days of courtship; winning
lsurels every year in his profession,
adding new comforts to his home, and
new joys to his freside. And besides
these blessings, God had given an
ether, q little crib stood by the bed
side; its tenant q golden haired baby
boy, the image of its noble father, and
dearsr than aught else earth could
offer.
"But 1 must not dwell on those
happy days; my story has 10 do with
other ones. II was with them as il
has often been with others Just when
the cup was sweetest it was dashed
away. A series of misfortunes and
reverses occurred with startling rapid
ity; and swept away from them every
thing but love and the babe. Spared
to one another and to that, they bore
brave heart, and in distant city
began a new fortune. Well and
strongly did they struggle, and at
length again began to see the sunlight
Of prosperity shine upon their home.
But little while il staid, and then
the shadow fell. The husband sick
ened and lay for many month upon
weary couch, languishing not only
with mental and bodily pain, but often
times for food and medicines. All
that she could do, the wife performed
with faithful hand. She went from
one thing to another, till at length she
who had worn satin garment on her
bridal day, toiled at the wash-tub for
the scantisst living. In a dreary win
ter, long before light, she would rise
morning after morning and labor for
the dear ones of her lowly home
Often she had to set off through the
deep, cold snow, and grope her way
to kitchens, which were sometimes
smoky and gloomy, and toll at rub
bing, rinsing, and starching, and not
unfrequently wading knse-deep in the
I~.Cx. A. Lo.<<~ ~..xx A. -I~xls~. Al "A