Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1875-10-23

The New York correspondent Of the
Baltimore american says: Inc simple
funeral of a working girl which took
Mace Yesterday was SO touching in some
Of its incidents, and illustrates so thor
oughly the real hardships which MANY
of them suffer, that it is worth mention
ing. have never pitied girls for their
work. Work in itself is not hardship
lit is blessing and work to this girl,
as TO most others, brought her all the
comfort, all the relief she obtained from
the miseries of her home. Her story was
that of thousand others. She was one
OF large family. dependent on the labor
OF common, somewhat shiftless, drink
ing, ill-cOnditiOned man. Her mother
belonged to a different order; she was
gentle. and, rs long as she could, worked
and suffered, but she could never get
quite enough of any kind of food for
them to eat, Or clothes to wear, and she
died at last, as much as anything, Of
starvation; for if they had little, she had
scarcely anything at all. Yet they never
fell into the ranks of the very poor, and
few knew or guessed that she had cruel
fled natural instinct and appetite until
there was no life left in her. 1t was said
she died Of consumption, but really she
died of the want of it. Naturally the
mantle of her mother fell on Nellie. She
was the oldest living daughter. She had
been in a great city establishment since
she was ten years old. 1t was the whole
outside world to her. AS long as her
mother was living she brought her lunch,
and showed signs of care, but after her
death she rapidly grew thin, pale and
shadowy. All her earnings were alb
sorbed at home; all her time in the
evening, far into the night, and even
Sundays, was occupied in doing the sew
ing of the family-that is, mending and
keeping together their poor substitutes
for the usual garments and changes. She
came to work with regularity up to with
in four weeks of her death, and many
were the little offers made her of help,
and of shares of individual buns and
dOughnuts, for Nellie was universal
favorite. No one thought of her as a
woman (she was 22), she looked so child
ish, and had always seemed child to
every one. that she was treated like
child at her work, and her reserve was so
great that hardly any knew of the wom-
ans cares and duties and burdens that
were pressing upon her. AT last she was
obliged to step and it almost broke her
HtdIIs dcT WOTk, nor companions ana
their society were the bright spots in her
life. She did not want to die, and it
seemed unnatural that she should. Lite
was strong within her; it only had had
no chance. But she was buried yester-
day. and working girls. those who had
worked with her. who knew and loved
her, contributed from their small earn
ing,. and bought her muslin shroud
her flowers, and supplied the present
necessities of the family-the father hav-
ing taken himself out of the way alto
gether. 1t is this which makes the lives
of working girls so hard-the want Of
comfortable homes, and intelligent, in
dustriOus fathers. In nearly every in
stance within my personal knowledge
they are obliged to contribute their earn
ings to the support of the family, and
receive poor, insufficient food, inadequate
clothing. and bare shelter i'm return. 1t
ought to be made criminal offense for
men to marry and risk the lives for which
they are responsible, or impose the bur-
den of an uncared-for wife and children
upOu the community.