Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-05-12
Lucifer Match Girls.


Lucifer Matchmaking, according to
a young lady's statement, "was much
better game one time. But I'm a
speaking new," she continued, g" OF
when my mother was a gal. She
worked at it, aad SO did my Aunt Loo.
She died in London hospital oi it,"
..Of what 2" ''Of the matches. There
wasn't no new-fangled ways OF Masking
matches in them times, at least so I've
heard my mother say, only birthstone
aad fosferous, and the fosferous used to
getinto your bones and eat 'em away in
your face jaws mostly; that's what my
Aunt Loo died OF. But see what she
used TO earn, and my mother, too
Eighteen shillings or pound week ~
.'And with the prospects Of dreadful
death by PHOSPHORUS poiscning"
suggested. That's 'cOrdin' to your
luck" responded the reckless young
matchmaker, "it's like being in raf-
lie, Some wins and some losses"
And would you risk it ii yon had an
opportunity 'Rather," she replied,
with an emphatic wag Of her head, that
left no doubt as 10 her earnestness;
would MT you Ii you was mes II
should not sob, but you don't
know what it is to find your clothes
and whites on four-and-sixpence
week." said my young lady with the
forehead fringe and dilapidated shoes.
.'You might alter your 'pinion ii you
did" 1.-The puzzle to me is how you
contriye TO make four-snd-sixpence
spread over a whole week for food, let
Rlone cloths" | remarked; "there are
NOT many girls of your age who do 1T,
l should Imagine" sob, don't you
make mistake; there's dozens that
know that do il no less" But how
is il possible?" "Well, I'll tell you.
4 pen'orth of bread at breakfast and
tea, and hap'orth OF coffee; there's
lhree-pence and twopence for dinner
there's fi'ppenee; and five skies Is half
a crown for the week, and you give
your mother sIx-pence for your grub
on Sunday, and there you are landed
with IS pence for clothes and things.
lt's Jolly soon counted up, you see"
Ii seemed to me to be anything but
jollily counted up;" and l remarked, ,
"But you have Mt said anything about
meat for dinner all the week. You
can't buy ameat dinner for twopence." "
That's cos you've never tried it, she
remarked trfumphantly. ''1've had my
soup-and look here, ain'r that meat
and bread as well, and the whole lot
tupence"' And as she spoke she dis
closed the folds of her apron a prodigi-
Gus and smoking hot sausage of the
"saveloy" kind and an inch-thick slice
of bread-soup halfpenny, bread a
halfpennv, and "meat" a penny.
"There's one meal you have forgotten
now,'' remarked. "whst about sup
per- "0h &c TO SUPPER" said she
laughing, but not blushIng, 'you've
got enough to think about after you
leave off in amusements without troub-
ling gabout supper. sides, ifshe'shungry
gals sweetheart must be stingy sort
of fellow if he won't pay for some
thing to eat if a girl wants it," But
what ifa girl has not got a sweetheart:
"Ah, if" There was not much in tn
monosyllabic ejaculation, but for the
tone in which it was uttered, and the
indescribable gesture that accompanied
it. She-the girl of l6-had no pa
sience to entertain for a moment the
supposition that female Of her mature
years should have nobody to "walk
out" with. 1 carnot say, however,
that was much surprised. The utteI
absence of maideniy reserve, that in
common with her companions, she ex-
hibited, the forehead fringe, the fiashy
cheap earrings, al! pointed as unmis'
taksbly 70 a sweetheart and free-and'
easy evening recreation rs the wealth
crook denoates the way the wind IL
blowing.