The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-08-13

crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender
merCies,
must now introduce to you Mrs.
Fisher; she is SO great favorite of mine,
that before relate what became of Myra,
! must make you acquainted with this
lady.
Mrs. Fisher was a respectable, gentle
woman-like parsonage of about fifty-four,
of a grave, authoritative, and somewhat
severe aspect; but with the remains of
very extraordinary personal beauty,
which she had once possessed in an emf
nent degree. She was somewhat above
the middle size, of an erect, firm, full
figure; her hair now gently turning
gray, drawn over her finely proportioned
forehead; her eyes large, and of a fine
color and form, clear and steady; her
mouth expressive of sense and temper;
and her dress in character with the rest.
Mrs. Fisher was always handsomely
dressed in silks of the best description,
but in slight mourning, which she always
wore; and on her head, also, a cap rather
palmer that the mode, but of the finest
and most expensive materials; nothing
could be more dignitied and complete
than her appearance.
When first Myra was introduced to
her she was both daunted and disap-
pointed; the gravity, amounting almost
to sternness, with which Mrs. Fisher
received her, and explained to her the
duties she was expected to perform awed
in the first place, and mortified in the
second. The establishment of this fash
ionable modiste, with which Myra had
associated nothing but laces and ribbons,
dresses and trimmings, embroidery and
feathers, fiattery and display, struck cold
and dull upon her Imagination. She was
introduced into handsomely but very
plainly furnished sitting-room, where
not one trace of these pretty things were
to be seen, and heard of nothing but
regularity of hours, persevering industry,
quaker ncatness, attention to health,
and the strictest observance to the rules
of what she thought quite prudish
propriety.
Mrs. Fishers life had been one of
vicssitudes, and in its vicissitudes, she,
Il strong, earnest-mnded woman, had
learned much. She had known sorrow,
privation, cruelty hard labor, and the
loneliness of utter desolation of heart.
She had, moreover, been extremely beau
tifuI, and had experienced those innu-
merable perils to which such gift ex-
poses an unprotected girl, struggling for
her bread, under the cruelest circum-
stances of oppressive labor. Every
description of hardship, and every
description of temptation belonging to
perhaps the hardest and almost the most
dangerous position of female life, Mrs.
Fisher had gone through.
She had outlived its sutierings and
escaped its snares
The suffering, thanks to one Of the
finest constitutions in the world; the
snares, thanks to what she always, with
incxhaustible gratitude, acknowledg ged
as the special mercy and providence of
God.
An orphan at the dangerous age of
seventeen, the lovely, blooming young
creature was placed by her friends in one
of the most fashionable and largest mili,
liners establishments at that time in
London, and had found herself at once
miserable and excited, oppressed and
hattered.
The mistress of this Aourishing house
intent upon making rapid fortune be
fore the years in which she could enjoy
it should come to a close, cared little
might say nothing-for the welfare Of
the poor creatures whose labors were tC
construct that ediiice. She, in fact
never thought of them. Want Of though
may be pleaded ss an excuse, wretchec
one as it is, for the cruelties of thosc
days. People certainly had not th'
claim of common humanity sounded int
their ears as it is into all ears now. A few
admirable philanthropists talked of it
and preached it; but it was not to b'
heard in the streets, as it is the triumph
of our day to acknowledge, till the hard
est heart for very shame is forced to pay
some attention to the call.
1t never entered Miss Lavington'
head that she had any other busines
with her young women, but to get all TIN
work she possibly could out Of thei
hands, and as well done, and as speedil,
done as possible. If she objected to nigh
work in addition to day-work, it was no
} in the slightest degree ont Of compassion
for the aching limbs and wearied eyes o
the poor girls; but because wax candle
were expensive, and tallow ones apt t,
drip and there was always double tn,
) duty required from the superintendent
Cher especial favorite, } to keep the youn,
women at those times to their duty
and prevent fine materials from bein,
injured.
Oh! those dreadful days and nights o
the season, which poor Lucy Miles Il
that place went through.
She, accustomed to the sweet, fresl
air of the country, to the cheerful variet,
of daily labor in her fathers large farm
and under the care of a brisk, clever, bu
most kind and sensible mother, TO b.
shut up twelve, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen
, nay twenty hours before a bith-night
! in the sickening atmosphere of the clos
work-room. The windows were rarel,
opened, if ever; for the poor youn
things were SO unnaturally chilly 70
want of exercise and due circulation o
the blood, that they said they should
and perhaps they might, have taken coli
!, if fresh air were admitted. There wa
!, nothing they all dreaded so much a
: taking cold; those fatal coughs, whicl
every season thinned their ranks to b
t filled with fresh victims, were invariabl
" attributed to some particular occasion
: when they had "taken cold" They di,
, not know that every day they wer
: rejecting the very cordial of life an
inhaling poison when the kept the room