Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-05-21
Slaves of the Wheel.
ny Mrs. HALLowELL.

"Shes very pretty girl" thought, as
| watched her at the window, across the
street from mine. An intellectual face,
with its clear, gray eyes and low, broad
brow--a pure profile of the Greek type bat
relieved from impassyeness by the full pout
of her mouth. The hair, too, in its dark
richness of chestnut brown, though it was
wonderful in band, and braid, and glossy
spiral, frames rarely that graceful head.
Ii is early in the morning, and she wears
a close-fttiug dress Of some dark brown
stuff, with u clear rutile at the throat. Day
after day she sits there, aud all day long
and | eau divine by the me tion of her
shoulders, and the lift of her arm now aud
then, that she sits at the sewing machine.
Aud yet see her 90 down the street
sometimes, arrayed like the lilies-not the
shy one OF the valley; and superb in all
the mysteries OF a many-rufiied, gorgeous
street costume. Evidently she is girl, as
girls 60, with money enough for each pass
ing fancy, and time all her own. Indeed,
believe that she is the only child Of a
father "well-to-do" in worldly goods.
have it She is sewing for Boston, as
We all sewed for Chicago last year Some
Of those pathetic appeals Of Jennie Collins
have reached her, and she is at work for
these "burned out" shop girls. Bless her
dear heart How her beauty glows and
grows as she bends over her work, too in.
tent on il to notice watching me.
| stand on tip-toe that | may see still
farther into the room; may penetrate into
the henrt of this girlsh mystery, that has
held her already many days.
What is it that sce3 Pink silk, fold
on fold Of it, on chairs and on table, and
her white fingers, guiding the flying wheel,
are turning aud puihng, with marvellous
dexterity, shining ruffie of the same.
A balldress Aud that is the meaning
of these hard. working days9 The fair girl
that had been my text Tor such gracious
sermon in my thought seemed now, as she
bent over the wheel, like devotee before
some ghosily idol. IL was almost suttee
she was performing, as her cheeks glowed
with the mad eagerness Of her work. Ii
was making sad waste aud havoc Of the
young energy, the concentrated will, and
the golden morning hours. All those bright,
girlish thoughts pinned down to one point
sixteen rose.colored rufiles
| let fall my curtain; | would look no
more. The fair thing she had seemed--the
type of womanly helpfulness for those other
women aiar oif--she was wrapped in self;
l could see it now.
And when, an hour later, she appears at
her door, in another marvellous creation OF
cloth and velvet, piled with loop and fold,
and intricate with fur traeery, ! turn away
with shiver For now know what this
magnificent walking-dress represents--not
the expense Of the milliner's bill, would
that it did but days aud weeks Of her
own young life, stitched away and dead
among its folds.
" Well. there is no pleasing some folks"
my clear eyed damsel opposite would say,
# told her this. Ii had bought that
lress, il would have eost--yes'-two hun
dred dollars, easily Because made it
myself, and it costs nothing, 10 comparision.
Why should you care have plenty OF
time nothing else to do, in fact :"