Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-06

| be troubled and Rose was more to him than
| any thing else.
He worked on until noon, but very few
followed his example; and at one O'Clock, a.
| he, having finished his frugal lunch covered
bis TIN can up again, big hand touched his
"You havn't said nothing !" said the voice
| belonging 10 the owner OF this hand; "out
you think with us, of course We've sent in
| word TO the boss-not before it's time either.
He's going 10 cut down wa yes on Monday.
Against it's done, Well strike for more than
| Dick Redmayne only shook his head and
took his dinner kettle home with him. He
feel joyful enough TO don his best clio hes
and march about the city, under a banner
and with torches flaming af.er dark that
( evening with the rest.
out OF work for a week was a terrible
hand writing on the wall for him. Out If
work for two, or three, for four weeks was
worse. Women poured in To I'LL the maa's
places; the employers resisted firmly. The
men were more determined than ever Rich
4 ard Redmayne began TO ind debts immense
In his eyes, small as they really were. The
| landlady grew angry, a Il called to vent her
/ wrath on poor invalid Rose aud In the m DIST
| OF ali, Aunt Ellen was taken very ill.
Not cent in the house; his watch sold an
the money gore; Roses little hoard of Jew
/ elry, pin, a pair of ear rings and a buckle,
| H. IawE-bTokeT's clutche-; the doctor pre-
| ScTibing wine and Jelly for Rose. AMI madI-
| cines at a dollar a bottle for Aunt Ellen; the
| butcher doubtful about giving credit; his lit
| lie world looking TO him for food, as young
| birps IN Il lie nllEnt look To the mOther bird,
| IL was then thai Richard Redmayne, feeling
| guilty and defiant, at once wal <e1 down TO
his factory a. ain and asked TO see the pro-
/ priftOr.
I've come 10 work" he said, ga: the OH
| vases MIR. -. / cant my folks
starve, ard know no other trade
The man he spoke To looked at him
| quietly.
You should have had more sense than to
strike, he said; were not giving old wages
now: F1fteen was about the average, |
| think. The women work very well too for
seven. III give you, being a man, ten"
TEN" cried Richard: just think sir!"
Get woman for seven" said the other,
turning on his heel.
Come back, if you please, sirl" said
will remen Der. the gaunt wolf Famine Ell
ready stood ard hOwled. I'm come for
That day he worked. and the next At
night, on the second, a boy brought plp.r
10 h I'M On il were these words:
Work a. ain for Mr.. -, or any that re-
sist Us, and you'll find it worse for you. 70
tell you our meaning plain, we'll make il
ara Tor you 10 work al ii.
TIE STRIKERS"
dehard knew what these words meant.
ite tore the paper To bits aud burnt H. IN The
hTe lie looked at Rose and cienched mis-
nails INTO ms palms uncOn> ciOusiy a. ne did
so was there no way? None other than
TINS dangerous one? Alas! a man pinned to
one branch OF one trade until forty years are
upon his head, has not much power to cara
his bread at anything else.
- must rlSk H. he said to himself; and
the Iaciory doors admitted him out again
unframed.
The building stood in a lane or court OPEN
,''s from narrow street, which was full OF
yrareb,'S ss. From the entrance OF one OF
these. as he tur"i the corner, stepped four
men and encircled him.
"IOu are working for old -" asH"a !.
one.
ssYes," said Richard. "I,ook here. boys. |
I've two wOmenkind a. home; one is an in |
valid, the other eighty, aud dying, as | /
think. can't see them starvei"
cts hard" said one o. them; ave know il |
well but we've given you warning enough. /
Take your oath that you'll work for no man 4
who refuses our demands. If you don't, ,
well do our duty"
al can't take that OATH" said Richard.
"Im not free agent. Icould Starve myself /
for a principe, but / can't s'arve women, |
aud should break any oath to that effect /
armed! / knew my danger
NOOLe tO.iChed him then, but on his way
nome the next night, an attack was made |
and the strikers did what they hal threat /
eTed, by breaking his right arm.
They mad better have broken my neck at .
once said /; chard, as he looked at his I
WIFI and at Aunt Ellen lying upon the bed.
"There'd have been the insurance for you,
anyhow; now God knows what is 10 cOms, l /
DON'T
This was the beginning of the end. Rich
ard, who had prided himself OF leaving his .
plain home comfortable aud its way well {
furnished, was forced TO sell all the cool "A
valuable things, and. having paid the accu-
mulating debts with the funds thus raised,
take The few remaining household goods All .
find them a very poor room in very pDDr
quarter of the city.
His watch he also sold, and on the prica o.
this they lived for a while; but il wOIld b
months before his arm was strong again,
and meanwhile he must do sOmeJhtug ga
message 10 carry, an errand u do, NV
building to watch. These things he sought,
and Kept all under mis- humble roof alive
And low Indeed. Aunt Ellen bec4mr par
den. and "A heavy IN hnt Sha =
teflng about the poor house, and the terror
She had OF dying there, Richard vowed tha'
from his door. Ifshe left them, it must b.
because OF her own privations, and her own
act entirely.
You Would have hardly known the stall
wart wOrking-man who had promised his
wife that-Aunt Ellen should have home
where he lived, in the pale man tn mis- arm
in sling, who went out at dawn to seek for
some opportunity OF earning few shillings,
and who often returned at midnight penal
less; but he had the same kind smile, and
the same soft voice for his wife, when he
was The saddest- And aunt Ellen vine had
grown better, and even essayed To make her
self useful used to mutter and nod, and say
10 some invisible familiar that he would
be rewarded some time;" but reward did not
come very speedily, If 1t were coming at all.
Instead, times grew worse and odd Jobs
fewer, and the little belongings OF the hum
bic home went, one by one, TO the second
hand shop, or the pawn broker. Worst of .
all-the worst 10 Richard-that insurance .
WHICH ne ndu nlAle upon MS lie IN Jne 0r5L
year Of his marriage was lost, after all; for .
how could he find money for anything but
bre ad.
Some Of the men were back at the factory
on the old wages, and he m ight have gone .
with them but for MS injured arm. He .
might also have aad a better situation at a .
new factory out OF town; but all ca ne too .
late. Want OF good food and the frettng Of
the old time was making Rose i'll, and .
weaker than ever. He had fallen on the ice
ard hurt his arm again, AMI so retarded re-
covery.
But while there was crust 10 break nc .
would never say "gO" to Aunt Ellen. AuI .
while he had strength enough to stani upon
his feet he would In some way win breai for
Rose.
But the day came in which he had no
strength left. Cold and privation did their
work at last He found himself with burn
ing head and aching limbs, compelled to lie
down again upon his rude pallet, instead OF
rising and going out, as was his wont, to :
look for those odd jobs by which he now
lived. The case was desperate, the worst .
had come Even Rose had given up at last,
and wept as she sat beside him bathing his .
head, and Aunt Ellen rocked and bemoaned .
herself