The daily gazette., 1879-11-08
FORTY DOLLARS.

"Whatl Forty dollars more? Forty
dollars, only for trimmings! My mother
Fever spent SO much on any dress. And
you have the dress. Ihate to seem cross,
my dear, but with 20 many business men
falling every day, one secs the wisdom
OF economy. Explain, my dear"
"Well, papa" said Emma, "it is just
this. Madame Farine says that need
ten yards of trimming at four dollars
yard. The dress Is half finished, and
really money goes so. There were other
things to get. I'm ashamed to ask,b but
was obliged 10 do So"
Every we'll, my dear, replied the mer-
chant. "There 10 the money, but l don't
think you'll need any more before
Christmas. Times are not good, you
know; and-dear me forty dollars for
trimming! Women are getting worse
than ever ~
Emma Rome slipped the roll Of notes
into her purse with q feeling that 1t was
dearly bought; but fate has placed 70
many women in the condition of beggars,
and 1t Is SO customary to do as Emma
did, that she almost wondered at the lit
tie pang which shot through her heart.
Besides, her father seemed to forget the
matter soon, and she knew that he was
called rich-that actually, forty dollars
was but small sum for him. So break
fast over, and Mr.. Rome off for that
mysterious region known % "down
town." she dressed herself becomingly
and started on her shopping expedition.
On the way thoughts of her new dress
ran through her mind. She intended to
wear 1t on an occasion which to her
seemed very important. Some one was
to be present whose opinion she valued
some one she herself admired very
much. Did he admire her9
She had asked herself the question
over and over again. She had even pull
ed away the petals Of marguerite one
by one, counting them Is they fell with
the words, "He loves--he loves me not"
And there were to be many beautiful
girls present, and she was not vain. Oh,
she must look as we'll as possible.
Thus absorbed, she suddenly found
herself several blocks below her destina-
tion. There was nothing for 1t but TO
walk back, and the way lay through
streets filled with miserable tenement
houses, The fashionable girl hurried
along until, all at once, she found . sort
of a barricade across the street. The
middle object OF the barricade was 3
sewing machine, to which, on one side
clung woman, on the other man. The
woman was crying; the tears splashed
down upon her hands. An attendant
crowd of residents contemplated this
scene with evident interest, and Emma
Rome, became, perforce, one Of their
number.
Scarcely ever in her life before had
Emmo Rome been in close contact with
actual misery. Poor, to her, simply
meant not rich. Now she was amongst
rags dirt and misery, forced to stand still
for moment and LOOK upon 1t. At first,
the only emotion 1t excited was disgust.
But as she was about to seek passage
through the squalid crowd, words fell
upon her ear that arrested his attention
"Forty dollars I've paid you on that
machine, aud now you'll not give me
time. only ask time. I'm an honest
woman. I'll pay you. Man, do you
know it's all there is between us and
starvation? ? Let me have the thing back
It's but ten dollars l owe you"
you've owed that two MONTHS re.
Piicu thc udiis CoiHe, ict ~, "ioSuo
don't want to hurt you. I've got te
obey orders. money or the machine
was what the boss said"
But the woman did not relinquish he
hold. Still clutching the machine, sh,
turned her agonized eyes upon the by
ISLANDERS.
"Forty dollars" she repeated, "and
the machine but fifty, and he's taking it
l never failed until Jim broke his leg
and his work stopped, and his wages witt
it, and I'd doctors bill, and all.
"No, that she didn't" cried voice
from the crowd. "Im knowin' to hel
honesty"
Sand he'd better be off with his cart,
| cried man who had stalked out of the
| entry Of the house near which the crowC
had gathered, rolling up his sleeves.
"Look here, good people," explained
the man who held the machine. 81
don't want to do this. obey orders ol
loose my place, and my bread and but
ter. She'd better go to the boss ant
talk to hIm-not to me-"
G've been," said the woman. "He'
made Of stone. told him he'd starv,
us. He will. There, what Is the use o
my fighting like drunken body in tn
streets-me, decent woman! They'v
more than the worth of the thing now
God knows; but they've the power
Take it,. And she let 20 her hold AM
covered her eyes with her hands.
But in the place OF those rough, re-
fingers, others, more dainty and small
and we'll gloved, came down upon tn
cover of the machine. Emma Rome ha
pressed forward and now spoke:
"Stop," she said. "Will you let thi
woman keep her machine if 1 pay yo
ten dollars ?"
"Them's the boss's orders, Miss" re
piled the man, "and I'd be glad to do IL
too"
Then, while the crowd gathered close
and the woman who had told her piteou
tale sobbed with joy, Emma drew tn
sum named from her purse, received i
return receipt, which she gave to th
poor woman, and experienced for tn
first time the delight which the pei
formance of an utterly unselfish az
brings with 1t.
Moreover, when the machine had bee
borne up stairs, Emma, who had e1
changed a few words with its owner, TO
lowed her to her miserable room, note
its poverty, heard all her bitter tale.
was a true one-the hot tears told that.
"But l don't mind anything nov
Mss" sobbed the narrator. "Now th
machine is my very own. don't min
how work. And the only great tug Il
the landlord-for do lars q month ft
| rapt