Smyrna times., 1871-06-14
MiSce/Ix ID e q II s.
Born Into It.


appended extract, being the conversation be- !
tween young man and young woman, both {
born and bred in Il factory. She objects to
marrying him, on the ground that she will in
cur the responsibility Of bringing into the world :
children to undergo the same mi:eries that she
has endured:
| The two young people turned a couple Of
corners on the way to the stone house in
thoughtful silence. They were almost tooyoung
| to be so thoughtful and so silent; more espe-
cialy the young man, growing nervous, and
taking turtiyc anxious gIauces at the girls
! face
1t was an in>crutahle face
She had shut her lips close; she looked
straight ahead the brown, dull tlnts Of her
ch, eks and temples came out ike curtain,
and folded all young colors and hushes and
tremoIs, all hope and fear, all longing o: pur-
pose, need or iullness in her, out of sight. She
only looked straight on and waited for Dirk to
speak.
She quite knew that and WAT he would
speak. When he began, presently, with
quivering face, ~ WE'LL Sip, | don't see that /
I'm getting on any in the mills, after all, she !
was neither surprised nor off her guard. She
was not yet twenty three but she was too old
to be put off her guard by young man with "A
quvering face. Ii She had ting to do she
meant 20 do it put her hands together in that
way she had, bent at the knuckles, reSOluteIy.
mo, she said no, you never get any
further, Dirk.
But l meant to, said Dirk, hotly. e
thought should Maybe you think it's me
that 5 the trouble, not the getting on !"
Perhaps there is trouble about you"
said Sip. honestly +" don know and ! don't
. much care whether there is or not. But l
think most Of the trouble is in the getting on.
Mills amt made to get on. |: amt easy,
know, Dirk, 1t amt. It's the StdyinQ ont of
that'S 4 bn Of 'a,D I |
>. It's the staying out that's the matter with
most of the folks in the world, it seems to me.
For we are the most OF fo.ks-us that stay out,
;, you know"
Il Are we? said Dirk, a little puzzled by
Sip social specuations. " But I'm getting
= steady pay now, Sip, at any rate; and I've a
steady chance. Garrick 5 friend o mine,
He Il keep me the watch, at least-Mr. Gar
: rick | might be worse off than on the watch,
Sip"
20 yes" said Sip; you've got good
place, Dirk.
"With a chance, repeated Dirk.
of "With a chance? Maybe, answered SIP.
nd "And now, said Dirk, trembling suddenly
what with the place and the ctance-maybe,
and the pay and the steadness, sure, We been
thinking, Sip, as the time had come to ask
you
he All the youngcolors and fushes and tremors
Ad hopes and fears, longing and need, broke ou
of the brown curtain OF Sip face. In the IN
slant she was a very lonely, very miserable lit
tie girl, not by any means over twenty-three
m, and the young man had eyes 50 cruelty kind
But she said
= "Don't, Dirk O please DON'T"
- "Well said Dirk. He stopped and drey
breath, as if she had shot him.
They had come to the stone house, and be
rs gan walking back and forth in front OF it.
But | was going to ask you to be my wife,
said Dirk. 4" It's so long that haven't dare
,Ie to ask you, and now you say don't! Don't
der But | will s; I'll ask at any rate. Sip, will yo
marry me ? There should choke if didn
lS ask. You may say what you please.
~ " | can say what | please, said Sip, IN
''' low voice, walking faster.
the " L don't know what's to hinder" said DirI
in an injured tone. . | always knew WASH
be halt fit for you, and always knew you Ougl
to have man that could get on But cons
erng the steadiness and the chance, and that
set such sight by you, Sip, and sometim
I've thought you-liked me well enough
H. continued Dirk, candidly.
3" like you, Dirk, said Sip, slowly, I'VE
enough"
"Well enough to be my wife,
~ "Wel enough to be your wife.
"Then shouldn't think" observed Dir
simply, and with a Frightening face, 9 tn
you d find it very hard saying what you p lease
t, Maybe l shouldn't said Sip, " if cOr
Mt of be your wife, but | cant"
ry, Her bent hands fell apart weakly; she d
not look at Dirk she fixed her eyes on lit
t'' clump Of dock weed at her feet, beside
fence she looked sick and faint.
"Tll not marry you, said the girl, feebl
. "I'll not marry anybody. Maybe it isn't I
way girl had ought to feel when she like
young fellow" added Sip, with kind Of pi
ent, aged bitterness crawling into her ey
But we don't live down here sos to ma
y hoy girls grow up like girls should, it seems to
81 10 Things as Wou!dn trouble rlch 1olkS trouL
= us. There's things that troubles me. I'll ne
IC marry anybody, Dirk. Ill never bring ct
lA into the world to work in the mills and if
ought not to say it, can help it, tor it's
S truth, and the reason, and I've said it to I
on my knees, many and many times.
said it before Catty died, and L We said it m
than ever since, and I'll say it till | die.
never lrng children into this world to he
NDS tory children and to be factory boys and 81
es and to be factory men and women, and to
Ie and the sights I've seen, and bear the things
borne, and to run the risks I've run, and
en- put grow up as We grown up, ana TO stop Wn
done L We stOpped--neVer. That S the way
'p2l and that's the way mean to feel. | won
- the mother of child to go and live my
over again. Ill never marry anybody"
Eco But they needn't be factory people," I
nCe, ed Dirk, with a mystifed face. The
II b. b trades and-other things"
FIJI. 81 know, know Sip shock her hea
81 know all about that. They'd never
- out of the mills It's from generation to
Grafton 1t couldn't be helped. know.
in the blood"
Z" But other folks don't take it so' III
} Dirk, after adisconsolate pause. "Other t
! Q marry, and have their homes and the count
of EN-. Other folks, if they love MAI
and VI be his wife somehow or nuther"
"Sometimes" said Sip, 1" l seem to Il
. that L m not like other folks. Things con
r.o,. tOr me someways that other folks don't unders
'-''' '0' nor care for"
.RK. She crushed the dock-weed to wOur