Marshall County Republican., 1865-03-30
Extract from Miss anna E. Dickinson
on Woman and Labor, in Henry
Ward Beecher's Church.
Ernm thr NeX Ynrk WOrld,

There arc thousands and tens o. thousands OF
young girls today whose honor is resting by a
needles point, and hanging by single thread,
and year by year they crushed down until per
, chance the honor slips from the needles point
and the tiny thread, breaking strand by strand,
gives way at last, and drops these women into in
fanny and shame. Miss Dickinson referred 10 some
Of the prices paid now to sewing girls These
women meet this question ofthe death oi the body
and tie death of the soul with starvation, destitu
tion and despair, driving them on, and so falling
into this life are perchance, driven into il, saving
the body ut the expense of the soul. Society
sweeps on no matter how hard these women strive
to do better-no matter how they may long-po
matter how they may pray-no matter how th'y
may stretch up eager hands out of this gulf OF deg
radiation and despair--society, sweeping on tears
loose the cnging hands, and prcss,s them down,
down, down, eternally down. into this frshtfu
living, breathing, enduring death.
STORY OF GIRLS LIFE.
Will you let me tell you little story to illus
ira tc the whole matter1 Some time ago was go
ing home one night, just the shades were closing
round; it commenced to rain, and | saw walking
before me a beautifully dressed woman unshelter
cd. | went up to her and ssd 'Mad,m, will you
have part of my umbrella, will you walk with me
UP the strect?' She looked at me and shaking
her head slowly, said. II don't think you know
what you are siying." "Oh yes" responded,"l
say will you walk up the street with me under my
umbrellal" She said again, II don't think YOU
know what YOU saying. You don't know who
am" Still | said, "ilIat makes no difference, i
don't care whether you know Inc or not: shall VIC GO
up the street ioge,hcr?' NO" she said, Il don't
think you would care to have anybody who knows
you meet you walking up the street with such
woman as met" and l turned, looking into he.'
face as the gasight struck across it, saw there the
traces of life that always leaves its traces know
Ing tha. tic young and beautiful woman standing
beside me was one upon whom society had brand
cd ''outcast'' and Abandoned" and | sud, ''no
matter, We will GO ON together. And as We walked
said to her: "What could have brought YOU to
such life; YOU young, you very pretty,
you look well; what could have brought YOU TO
such lfe?" She told me her story and queS-
tionng thereafter found ,ha. the story strict
y true.
She was daughter of clergyman in West
renns ylrania, who had died. leaving his widow and
herself fpenniless and unprovdcd for. The girl
tried to find something to d.. II was the common
story repeated She tried 70 stand behind tho
counter. but they preferred young men; she tried
to keep school, but there only one in the vii
lage, and hat had teacher; she tried to sew, but
could no: find the work there to support herself
and mother by it, and so they found their way to
the great busy busting city in pursuit OF work
She tried to keep school there, but could not ob
tain appointment. She tried to get into store.
bat told that she must frs! six months
t an apprentice without pay. She was not SO com
pletcly learned in her accomplishments as to teach
them. She was drive to the slop shop, making her
miserable pi,tancc by sewing. Ono Saturday she
took her work TO her employer and asked her
pay. lie looked at il, and airing it apar! and
nging il back TO her told her to do it again.
She carried il back and the next week bringing it
home received no pay, but told to carry it back
again; and 50 for five weeks she received no mon
cy. She had sold pawned everything she had
for bread, that she could live and har &c alitte fire
beside which she might WORK and she stood before
her employer with clasped h. ads and tears trick
, ling over her face begging for the money she had
righ fully earned, and it still withheld from
her, and this man said to her: 'You are beauti-
fu and young; you need not labor for such price
as this; YOU might get plenty Of m3ney if you
, wo uld.
She did. mother, what your daughter would have
done she left the store indignant, and outraged,
and wandered up and down that city hour after
, hour, ard went up one stree. and Gown another,
- E.. =
kind hearted people said to her. ave would give
you work If VIC could, but We have 500 such appli-
cations every day. or, perchancc, they would
+ ask from her certificate from her last employer,
and she had none to show; others turned away
carelessly, and Jthers nsrlted and outraged her
her old employer had done, and so, she said. at 10
O'Clock that Saturday night she found herself
standing without work, without money, in front OF
her old store. There she stood, in the night. and
the Storm and the cold; thsrc she stood. the gloom
D gathering about her, The wind driving the rain in
gusts into her face, aid through her garments.
Oh she said, do not think hesitatcd then. She
q looked up this long street, dark with the night
5 and tempest, up alleys, and passageways,
up winding flights Of stairs, into little garct
I, room, all poor and empty. into the fre-place-no
: fire thcre--not stick Of wood-not cent to buy
any with; into the little cupboard, all bare
n aud empty, not even a crust Of bread not a cent
, to buy any with. Ah she said, don't think that
!, hesitatcd then. Don't think so meanly of me as
that. But looking into this little room. poor,
starved wretched, miserable looking round il into
. one corner, there, sAe said, ] saw my poor, poor
mother. dying of hunger and cold. Oh, what
: marvel that she fell. And SO she had gene on
!, lower and lower, step after step. l said, "you
r must stop this life; you shall so with me. maybe
c can find you something to do. You shall stand
e all honored and respectable woman once MORE"
$ "No, no, she said, "don't try it; you need not
t talk to me so. / have tried it again and again.
r and am always discovered and driven back. You
need not try to help me. There is no hope, there
is no help for such woman as l." and thon turn
T ing and looking at me--oh men, oh women. care
less and indifferent. Oh that you could have seen
: the girls face, and could have heard her say,
t "You are young, you are handsomely dressed,
# maybe you have position, may be influence. oh
4 beg you,I pray you TO use them all to save 9th