The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-05-28
ONLY A FACTORY GIRL.

ONLY A FACTORY GIRL.
During the war, an Englishman, who
will be known to us as Adam William :,
established small mill in Philadelphia
fer the manufacture Of army cloth, blank.
cts, etc. lie was good workman, hon.
est and conscientious, and success
crowned his undertaking. He gradually
enlarged his establishment and became
lquite wealthy.
His family consisted of his wife, three
daughters and one son, the boy, aged
twenty, being the eldest. All of them
worked in the mill when first started,
but as the business improved, the moth
er and girls withdrew. Richard, the son,
a rather wild and dissipated fellow, for a
time acted as clerk and general mana
ger, but being once checked for his
growing tendency to 60 on sprees, he be-
came angry and enlisted as soldier
early in the year 1864,
Near the home of the Williamses lived
Mrs. Grey, a widow, and once in affluent
circumstances. He husband, the pro-
priet0r of an extensive foundry, had
failed during the crash Of 1857. His re-
verses had driven him to drink, and he
died crazy, leaving his wife and one
daughter all but paupers-the girl was
then something over ten years old.
Mrs. Grey had wealthy relatives living
in the South, but she was too proud to
let them know her circumstances. Hav-
ing a large hOuse-the only remnant of
their wealth, and that heavily mort
gaged-she rented its most available
rooms, living herself in two small apart
ments. She sent her daughter to the
public school, and when able taught her
| at home.
A hay afb To-
educated, respectable looking man, who
gave his name as Black, by profession a
doctor. In q little while his attentions
to the widow became assiduous, and he
soon proposed marriage and was ac-
cepted.
Perhaps the widow had never inquired
into her suitor's character, or, il SO, not
particularly. However that may be, it
shortly showed itself. He was in fact a
| graduated physician, but also a gambler,
a drunkard, and villain at heart
Heavier debts were imposed on the little
properly to satisfy his wants, and his
excesses almost drove his wife mad. At
length he lett her broken in spirit and
pocket and went, most likely, i'll search
| Of other victims.
Her inability to pay the mortgages
| WREN due forced her to move. She'hired
rooms OF the Williams family, all Of
| whom, except the youngest girl, were
then employed as day hands In a cotton
mill, and obtained employment in a la
dies refreshment saloon. Her wages
were small, and the necessity of keep
ing herself well clothed prevented her
paying the attention to her daughter she
would have liked. Annie had now
reached her fourteenth year, and was
leyery day complaining OF the treatment
she received from her school associates
ON account of her poor dress. The moth
er's heart was naturally touched but she
could not help it.
Matters went on in their usual course
until the breaking out OF the war. The
feverish impetus then given to business
made all kinds of labor desirable. Adam
Williams opened his little mill and pro
posed to Mrs. Grey that II she allowed
her daughter to work for him with his
own children, he would give her house
room rent Tree, andpay her well besides
struggle, but she consented, and Annie
Gray became a spinner in . Woolen fac
tory.
She liked it, or seemed to like it, part
ly, perhaps, because it relieved her iron
the study which had always been dis
tasteful to her, and partly that she coulG
now satisfy her growing woman's vanity
in dress. There may have been othel
reasons, too. Work is never hard wher
we love our work and our fellOw-work
, men. A girl oil fourteen could hardly bt
, expected to dive deeply into things
metaphy sica1, SO that she never reasoned
with herself why sue telt better wher
Dick Williams was working near heI
han when he was away.
La time she arrived at the dignity of 8
loom. Her three years. novitiate at bob
Ibin-carrying, mule-spinning and otheI
degrees had been gone through. Every
change in position, however, wrought
, change In her nature. The liking Of the
, girl Annie for the boy Dick had giyer
way to deeper feelings of interest, and
to say the least, 1t seemed mutual
; Whether vows had been exchanged te
: the pleasant accompaniments Of moon
|. light nights and charming prcmepades
or in the sober and more realistic pres
enee Of dirty wool and greasy machin
cry, must remain Q mooted question
But they loved each other notwitnstand
ling, yet in quiet way. Mrs. Grey may
have seen it, but she said nothing. Mrs
WiIiiams and her girls said much, and
were not pleased. The good dame was
now lady, and her daughters likewise
1t must also be remarked that Mrs. Grey
had been forced to lind other lodgings or
this very account.
1 When Annie Grey heard Of Dick
Williams quarrel with his father and bis
sudden departure for the war, she may
lhaye been sorry, but she did not seem
SO. If there was a slight misgiving thai
he had failed to bid her good-by, be had
done no less with others.
Perhaps this thought 'soothed her;
"He" will write.
But he did not write. The looms went
banging on. The stock turned out, grew
more and more. The female branch OF
the Wiiliamses lhxuriated in the glories
OF shoddyism, but the pretty face that
had once never been without smile,
grew pale and sad, and people said Annie
Grey was going into decline. , sit
:. II the family ever got any word from
the absent one she never learned, for the
girls or their mother never noticed her
now. A rnmor once came that he was
with Sherman going through the South
that he had written, and all was we'll,
but Annie knew nothing certain. She