The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-06-21
From the New York Weekly
The Factory Girl, Or a Wife's Experi.
ment.

"Do you dare me to do it, Charles ?' /
81 dare you to do it, Emily"
"And you will grant my request, if
if / have courage to go through the or
deal ?n
bOld-spirited little girl. You see,n added
the tall, handsome man, lazily reaching
across 10 the carved marble mantle for a
match wherewith to ignite his cigar,
"there's quite n difference between raw
ing about the sufferings and oppression
Of the poor working classes aud your
self being able to share them.m
"You shall see that there will not be,
in my casew flashed Emily.
1--WE shall see, my dearm
"But I have your promise, Charles 2n
persisted the young girl, who stood in
the bay window, all in white, like the
pictured angels on the tinted glass OF
cathedral easements.
"Yes, you have my promisem
''Then that is enough. Remember
that l shall claim it soon"'
"Any more work ?"
Mr.. Parsons, the foreman, did not ex-
actly know. He couldn't tell without
reference to his books. He rather
thought not. There was such a rush OF
applicants just now, the market was
OyercrOwded. He would put the name
down, if she said so. Emily Merrill -
yes, exactly so. But he would not hold
out any certain hopes of immediate en-
plOyment. There were enough who
were willing to secure work by extra
endeavOrs, and
Emily Merrill lifted her soft eyes to
the face of the foreman in the hoop-skirt
factory, with a sort of mute surprise.
"You mean a bonus ?'' she asked,
gravely.
''Well-yes-if you choose to call it
so,n and Mr.. Parsons smoothed his
sleek-shaven chin with an air of the
most stdisinterestedi innocence. "Ofcourse
man can't be exported to use special
influence, and take extra trouble for
nothing"
"No, certainly not" and Emily's lip
curved very contemptuously. "How
much -n
"Oh! anything you please" said the
foreman, with an assumption of mod
esty. 'Ien dollars is the usual consid-
eration.n
Emily Merrill opened her pOrtmon-
naie and took out a worn ten-dollar bill.
which she laid on the green baize cover OF
the desk before which the myrmidon o.
power was seated. AS she She did so
he opened huge, leathern-bound book
'If you cared for a situation as trim
mer, now -n
"Any position would suit me-" inter
rupted Emily, eagerly.
why didn't you say so before? Tha
alters the aspect of affairs entirely.
supposed you wanted to be a cutter, or
clasper. The trimmers don't get goo,
wages, but there is a chance for promo
ton, to be sure. There Is a place vacan
among the trimmers. Eliza Martil
went home last week TO the country
with a bad touch of bleeding at tn,
lungs; you can have her place az the ia
bic if you like. Seems to me some on
told me she was dead"
Emily shuddeTed slightly.
What are the wages, sir?" she asked
"Well, our firm does the liberal thing
Three dollars a week"
'But il seems TO me that people cam
help starving on such wages as thatr'
"There's plenty would be glad ant
thankful to get the place." said Mr.. Par
sons, indifferently, as he closed the bi,
book with bang. 'If you want il, sal
so; if you don't, there's no use in AM
more palavering about the matter.n
And Emily Merrill found hersel
forced TO accept the inevitable.
The long room was full of the glean o
Mhlte, weary faces, and the buzz o
many voices, when the "new hand
Iook 9,3 her place in the nook that poo
liza Martin was destined never NOR,
70 occupy The girls looked al her viii
lnimical glanees. - '''' "i'i
rnts on airsr' said Betsev u,.do
o,o ,MOuIan't drink out o. the nail n
water until she had rinsed ont H. i -, j.
cup twlce!' said Helen Jenkins % oon e,l
we uon't want any fine ladios ,.
this trlmming-rOompi said CO oIes I IL
who tried to secure the vacant sT.,'o.ie ooies
for her sister Huldah, but had faiIad feIati9i y
consequence of not being nossasnti aalie1 II
the indispensable ten dollar biII
In vain did Emily Merrill frv !,
gentle, shrinking way, to make friarS
with the pale-faced, shrill-tongued orr
who surrounded her; II seemed TO he m
fashion generally TO snub or ignore he
They were loquaciOus enough betwee
themselves, but when she approaches
their voices died into silence, and the
looks became full Of suspicion and ic
GOODNESS.
"Why do they all dislike me so ?" 81
asked, piteously, of Laura Ellis, the OF
who was least insulting.
"0h! because you are not Of the