Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-29
LIFTING Up.

the phrase, "a WORD IN season. IL WAS OF
some startling, warning sentence, which
should strike her dumb with sorrow and
shame some awful rebuke that should
rouse her, and frighten her out Of all this
weakness and misery at once.
For truly It was poor, miserable life
that she was living now; and the way
out OF it did rot appear. Ten years be-
fore, man and woman had stood up, and
promised fidelity and honor toward each
other, with az high hopes a. any two PEG.
ole, with the world all before them, and
their home 20 make in it, could have.
Five years of honest, hearty effort, a
hoEe just beginning to be theirs. four
days of illness-and widow, with mort
gagged house and three babies, was left.
At first grief for her loss, remorse for
the light appreciation Of what had been
hers, the desire to do for his children
what he had meant, sustained her; and
she worked hard and necessarily. First
in factory, where she had been weaver
before her marriage. The trouble was
about leaving the children. She let her
house. all but three rooms got girl to
come in through the day, but it did not
answer. Annie was burned; Harry fell
down the cellar stairs and the baby got
sick. After several trials Susan found q
middle-sged woman, who was out OF
work, and had no permanent home, and
who agreed to stay through the winter
on condition that she could take in sewing
and knitting when she could get them TO
do. So here the case stood Susan had
sixty dollars rent for her house; twenty
five dollars she had to pay for interest,
twelve more for insurance and taxes leav-
IN <xryn <ry% I,1no Far vpo ny@
the house, which were sure to come, and
for clothing for herself and children. She
earned five dollars, sometimes when the
work went well, six dollars, week. That
went for food and fuel. Five people were
to be warmed and fed.
Mrs. Marshall, the old lady, soon came
to love the little tatherless things, and
took good care of them. She made the
most of their mothers little means cook.
ed comfortable meals, kept the house tidy,
and ironed evenings, and felt as though
Paradise-all that could be in this world
without Henry-was regained, and dared
not think of what would be in spring. So
winter passed; they had known the real
comfort Of home. Spring came, Mrs:
Marshall was called to good place, and
young girls were the only housekeepers
that Susan could afford each made fresh
havoc, and each change was equal to re-
moval. There is saying that three re.
movals are equal to one fire. Poor Susan !;
her crockery was broken, they had barely
dishes enough TO put on the table, odd
things at last. The children's clothes
were scorched spoons were thrown out
in the dishwater; knives and forks had
their handles taken off by hot water |;
towels disappeared and left no trace.
Susan had not been an economist or 8
good manager she felt that; but che had
that interest which ones own property
inspires, and had never thrown her things
away.
The last attempt at a housekeeper was
foolish girl who was said to be teacha-
BILE and good-tempered. Alas for the
teachableness; only while you stood over
her, to point out the very place and work,
could she do anything. And very soon
the whole matter eliminated by her let.
ting the baby fall out of high. chair.
81 must give my notice, and take in
sewing" said Susan which she did. She
sewed for sale shops, and for such per-
sons IN the mill as she knew, who could
afford to put out work. For month or
SO all went well; she had little money
left of her wages, and some months rent
she did not owe. After that the pull be-
gan. By working all day, and some
hours into the night, she could earn three
dollars a week, and get through with her
house work. But it is hard to support
four people On three dollars; it aoas, I
should say, for this was before the war.
Then there were weeks when she had un-
profitable work, or when there was work
only part of the time, 30 that she only
earned two dollars, perhaps only one
dollar and half She then took extra
work when she could get it, and sat far
into the night to get it done. 1t was new,
and, for her, harder than mill work, this
sitting hour after hour, with cramped
limbs, strained eyes, and weary fingers.
Soon there were little debts that she
couldn't meet; she grew discouraged, be-
came irritable, the children's noise crazed
her; she gave them push, sometimes, in
her hurry and anxiety to finish her task.
About the middle of the following win
ter her tenants moved, and the house lay
empty. She spent much time in showing
the rooms, and in talking to applicants.
But as time passed, and nobody was suit
ed, Susan's heart sank. One Saturday
night, at the end of most unfortunate
week, her grocer pressed her for the pay
ment of his bill, and almost refused to
trust her for more goods. IL was the first
time In her life that such thing had hap
pened to her, and she was ready 10 sink
under the humiliation-though thankful
that one drop of bitterness ives spared
the middle-aged clerk, who usually waited
on her, was not BY; she could not have
borne that Yet when, an hour later, q
large package was brought to her door by
the pleasant faced boy of the establish
ment, and she was asked bumbly to &C.
cept it, Susan did not send it back, as she
had done things from the same quarter
before. THE children's necessities, her
own faded, discouraged state, prepared
her, when this hour Of temptation came,
to yield What was the use OF pride
while her children wanted bread; when
soon the house that their father worked
so hard for would refuse them shelter?
And could she ever earn enough TO pay
rent and feed and clothe them all! SO be-
fore summer che was married to Mr..
r. II e.