The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-02-10
An Everyday story,

|
From the New York Tribune.
Last week woman died Of whom we
wish To say II word here. 1t does not
matter how or where she died She was
SO obscure, belonged to so common and
poor class, that no notice of her death
found place in even the cheapest paper,
and no one who knew her will read these
words, Only one of those thousands Of
ordinary lives that, day by day, end I'M.
noticed, no more missed by the world
than so many turned out candles. This
woman had neither beauty nor wit, nor
large culture; she brought no gilt with her
when she was born to make her greatly
welcome to the world never could sing a
song, nor write Il poem; was not even
fitted to reign in drawing.rOOm. She
was only sweet-v0iced, gentle lady, full
OF wOmAnly affection and eager tender.
ness, who had kept her pure childish be.
licIs unchanged to middle age. She was
little, siCkly, stability clothed; she lived
in tawdry house with glaring paper on
the walls, and torn, dirty mating on the
floor; the air she breathed was that of
want and vulgarity; year in and year out
she worked at Il machine, sewing dresses
for shop.girls who bulied her, not I'M.
reasonably, for she was but poor sCmp.
stress, if the truth must be told. Her hus.
band, n cOarsc.grained, gOssiping fellow
tried this trade and that, became u ward
politician, did what he could for his
family, hut felt that his wife must do her
share. lie had been used 10 raw.bnned,
stout Connecticut farm women, beside
whom she doubtless appeared inefficient
enough.
If others remembered how tendcrly
nurtnrcd she is rs girl, and that the
fortune she brought him he had flung
away, he never did. Nor did she. They
were wretChcdly poor, and it was but
Just and proper she should work. So she
worked, stopping now and then to give
birth Ia another child, 10 be nurscd ut
the tired breast and watched and prayed
over with the blind, idOlatrOus devotion
she gave 10 the others Certain logical
moralists lay down rs aXiOms that there
can be no tragedy without crime, and
that no woman, with love, II husband
AMI children, ought To ask for more
This woman never did ask Tor more.
The loud Dragging politician remained
her hero 10 the last. II her life slowly
dried and withcrcd away as u tree might,
tapped 81 all its juices nj the root, she
thought il was herself that WAS to blame
This fair lady was cursed with us finely
wrought IN organization ~ any iav0rile
OF fortune; both body and mind required
companions Of her own caste, and that
nNlrimCnt which Nature and Art give but
to few, but which that few must have or
die. Besides, not even the strongest
woman can furnish bread and butter for "A
hOuSclul of children, make their clothes,
keep their souls pure and their manners
refined, and add to the number every
year. She was not strong in any sense;
50 she stitched, and nursCd and trained
them, with the dirty walls about her and
the torn mating under foot, and the
crowd Of children grew Bhnbhier and
Coarscr and more vulgar day by day.
Onc day IN old accomplishment Of her
girlhOod required TO her : ilowcr.painting,
molding in clay, dcsigning-it docs not
matter what; work, however, in which
her real nature would have found food
and expression, and the pay for which
would have been comparative allucnCc.
She sent specimen Of her work for trial,
which was approved; hut-mcn were
employed who had been trained 10 bust
ness. Only the machine was LEFT, and
the work for her Childrcn's bodies and
souls that she could not do. 1t grew
and grew before her sight until the
dizzy came when SHE dropped as
under An intOlerablr burden. As
she lay on the bed day after day slowly
dying, husband and children were loud in
sorrow and asionishmCnt GLOW had she
come by such manifold diseases Machine
work and want ot mir 1t was inCrGdi.
bic She struggled with her work yet,
scwcd rs she lay on her back, drew her
children close 10 her with n hungry, I'M
satisfied love in her eyes that they could
not understand But as the hour came
for her 10 quit the world that had been so
niggarlly Of its comfort Of bounty to her,
she was besGt with restless ianCics, which
u her husband seemed scarcely sane.
"ShG thinks il she could sec and smell n
thOmy rose that used to grow wild about
the farms down there in Maryland where
she was born, she wOuld be well again.
Now what good could there bc in n rOsc?"
lie could not see why she would make
them put the children out Of the room,
and turn out the gas that she could not
see the machine, and so lie looking up nj
the patch Of sky above the brick walls.
When she was dcNd, he cried, 81 did what
] could; am not To blame" And Il was
true no man can 60 beyond his mature.
What was 10 blame? Not poverty not
the working for bread md butter not the
Unequal marriage. Since the world be.
gan, King C0phCtuas have married beg.
gnr girls untitled and clothed them roy.
ally in their own flames, md TitanAs have
rciOiCcd to worship an MSS. But If she Ind
been taught practically the ono occupation
for which her taste and ability fitted her ?
II NIL women were ~ Thoroughly taught
such occupations that employment would
lm open 10 them rs men? The answer
matters nothing TO her now. A day or
two ago tho wOrn'Out body WINS laid bACk
10 the earth IN which it had been drawn
by such strong and subtle kinship. To
what rest or rcCOmpCnsc the soul Ol the
gentle lady passed, only lie knows who
took It hence. Her work remains unln.
ishCd. But II is because there arO 80
many thousands Of over. worked women
around M On every side, staring hlnnkly
atthclr unConQnerahlC work, and lives
wasted nj noon day, TINT we hive told her
story, and rcvcrcntly held back her mem
e.