The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-04-24

But few knew that, and few
er cared.
When. however, the light of official in
vestigation fell on her, every fact of her
Insignificant life was made clear to the
dullest gaze. Nobody, except the astute
police, supposes that she knew aught of
the murder. But her relations with the |
murdered man were clearly not ire
proachable. Whereupon a morning |
daily observes loftly, 1T is plain that |
much good sympathy and pity have been |
wasted upon her" But this is precisely |
the point which, to our thinking, is not |
plain Indeed, it is safe to say that if
this pity and sympathy, and the saving
virtue of common sense had been early
brought to bear upon the girl, this tragic
al story of the woman need never have
been written.
Lueette Myers is the daughter of New
England parents. Having her living to
get she knew but one way thereto--sew-
ing Perhaps to escape that endless and
weary bondage she married early, and
unhappily Her husband dying, she
married again into like misery. Once
more a widow, she took up once more
the inevitable needle, to maintain herself
and her child. A widowed sister with
her baby joined her, and the two earned
seven dollars a week. The father and
mother being feeble, destitute, and alone
this brave Lucette thought it their chill
dren's duty to care for them and they
were sent for. But her way lay always
| in shadow. The sister grew i'll and lost
her place, and Lucette's enigma of life
was to solve the impossible equation be-
tween need and store. She was remark
ably capable and industrious. She earned,
therefore, by shopwork all day, and but
ton-holing by night, three dollars and
half week; ffty-eight cents to clothe,
feed, and warm a human creature for
seven days and nights; eight cents a
day!
The world has had the full benefit of
nearly two thousand years of experience
since Jesus walked and taught among
men that the curse must fall on whoever
tempted the weak ones to offend. Yet a
Christian society has not yet found any
better alternative to offer to thousands
of miserable women than sewing or
degradation. This woman seems to have
pricked back dishonor for months with
the end of her needle. 1t is not strange
that when a rich man importuned her
with offers of money, she should have
thought no price too high to pay for it.
Scanty enough even her wages of sin
seem to have been, for up to the moment
of the death of her tempter she was still
| drudge toiling from Monday morning
, to Saturday night, from early breakfast
to late bedtime for her weekly pittance.
There is no loveliness in this picture
| that it should be desired. There could
), not be a duller heroine of romance than
: Lucette Myers. Not very young, not
very pretty, ill-bred, dowdy, shabby, ig
norant, given to slang, and careless Of
i her fnger-nails, what has poet or story
teller to do with her? Yet she has laio
her gaunt hand on the heart of every
: honorable man, of every tender woman
: in the community, and bade it beat less
! lightly. She asked of the world only
: chance to earn narrow living for hersel
/ and hers. 1t answered her that the sun
+ of her talents, such as they were, kindleC
S by the strong impulse of her filial devo
tion, was less than the price of bread anC
fire and rags. One possession she had
/ and one alone which was certain of
9 ready sale and q cash purchaser. Th
3 responsibility does not rest finally will
> the seller, as it seems to US, in societ,
= which makes an average woman's bod,
a her highest marketable commodity.
Lucette Myers stands for five thousant
e women in this city alone. Kind peopl
y are already seeking to lessen the miser,
IL of this one destitute family. But aim
= can not reach the five thousand, nor
e aims ever cure. The real help lies il
u the creation of public sentiment whicl
will, on the one hand, open all the door
of employment to women, establish
training g-schools for girls, see that decen
e homes receive them at low rates, an
e hold work honorable. On the othe
g hand, this same public sentiment mus
exact of parents that their daughters b
" as certainly taught to support themselve
Il es their sons, and as much respected TO
that capacity; it must exact of girls a
is thorough work as of boys, and thes
y things being equal, it must deman
equality of pay.
y Ordinances do not check the socia
y evil. Our clumsy ways of dealing with
Is fail. But authorities declare that siz
sevenths of the women who support
are driven thereto by want, and that si1
y sevenths of them are very ignorant. T
sr educate poor girls, therefore, that thei
" capacity may insure them certain worl
at fair pay, seems to be our reasonabl
remedy All psychologists declare tina
women do not willingly imbrute then
selves. And in that better day whe
n their enlightened faculties shall sell fo
le more than their profaned womanhooc
r our boys will walk in safer paths, an
n the history of Lucette Myers will seer
A. incredible.
s. And here is little more on the sam
n n subject:
- THE OLD, OLD STORY.
Z The pitiful story told by the poor fail
= er and mother of Lucette Myers ha
q awakened the sluggish sympathies of tn
.r New York people, and there is now q
20 the Office of the Herald bureau of relic
I to which contributions for the Hubble
at family are sent. The Graphic, refectin
- on the womans case, says
~ There is no more touching story in r,
ts cent police annals than that of Mrs. LII
n cette Myers, arrested as witness in tn
to Goodrich murder case. An America
. girl, born in the Land of Steady Habit
Iv she has been twice married, and twic
~ left a widow by death. While yet O
Il what ought to be the sunny side of thi
as ty, she found herself forced to becom
40 the sole bread-winner of an aged fathe
a. and mother, son of five years, and
m nephew of eight, as well as herself. 7
,d support five persons, she worke
To from early morning to night, eafnin
IN only from three and a half to four do
lars week. The woman for whom sh
sewed testified that she bought only
piece of dry bread for lunch, and thG
her clothes were 'poor but neat" Sc
enty-two hours of hard labor were pal
at the rate of FIVE cents an hour, and sh
or was a skilled work-woman, tool Presse
VI by the wants of others, watching night
ne by the sick body of an aged mothe
u- whose constant reply to all questioning
uS6a was OOOd Uir1-o noo6 oyir1 cir