The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-27
a Woman Blacksmith.


ten o'clock, in fact, / discovered female
mailer working under disadvantages that
might have daunted an anchor smith.
Whether she had husband whose absence
was accounted for by his being addicted to
bccr-shop fogglng, or whether she had no
husband, did not ask her, and che did not
tell mc. Anyhow, she was working alone,
and she spoke of having call these brats" 10
p, ovide Tor, as though the whole RESPONSE
bllty rested on her poor narrow shoulders,
the bones of which were SO sharp that they
threatened to cut through the tlimsy mate
rial that covered them every time she tuggeti
at the heavy bellows. There were four
little children, the oldest about seven, the
youngest Il baby IN ''long clothcs"-in a
| calico bcdgown, in fact, and nothing else.
This solitary article of raimcnt had once
been white, but was now approaching the
complexion of coal-sack,
The two children who came between the
eldest aud the youngest were disporing in
the ashes, and pummclling each others
awIully dirty little bodies in fierce strug-
glo for the mangled remains of wooden
doll. There was only its carcass lett, and
its hair was singed off its head, and the
paint on its face all scorchcd and bllstercd;
bnt the two infant naicrs could not have
choicest prize in Mr.. Cremcr s collection.
The other two childrcn-thc oldest and the
| youngest, the former acting the part of
nurse to the latter--wcre dc posted IN q
kind OF wooden cradle that shared with the
bellows the hearth where the fire was. The
baby was shrieking, and the boy was shout
ing out hymn in q vain cndeavor TO quiet
| it.
One way and another, the mother, poor
soul-shc was quite ayoung woman--scmcd
well-nigh distracted as she banged away at
her work. bent seemingly on getting some
set task done; the pcrspiration slrcameu
down her face as though she was crying.
She stuck 10 her work, however, and kept
| the sparks flying, showers of them be-
sprinklcd the occupants Of the cradle, but
without producing the least effects Oh those
young salamandcrs-unllla Il shriller Shrek
than hitherto caused the woman to throw
down her hammer and lakc the child on hcI
lap as she sat down Oh the nose of the
anvil.
| "Hard work."
cit is just that, MASTER" she remarked
III reply to an observation of mine; land
often wish l was in heaven, and out of it
all, 'pon my soul and body, do; l raley
| get 50 sick of I'll"
ana as she took the sooty handkerchief
from her head and wiped her wet face with
1t, mildcr form of asseveration would have
satisfied me Of the probability of the Change
suggested being toher advantage 1t was IN
vain she tried TO pacify the squalllng child
at her lean bosom.
'Hush, then, and mammy'll spare pen
ny Tor half a pint Of beer presently, and
said the poor soul, as protesting against tho 10
mockcry offered it,, the little rebel stiffencd
itself out and refused either to unbend or
leave Off shricling.
'Iaven't 1 got no help III working 'em
all2 No, master, I've got no help. How
much can l earn3 Well, it's rlght-down
sla> cry to earn II penny an hour at 1t. More
| oftcn-espccially when this young un O.
mlnc is cross it Isn't more than nlncpencc
for the whole day. No; we don't quite
live on that, sir, Pm 'lowanced two loavcs
a week, but it 8 nigh on four miles to fetch
| EN-, 50 don't know, reckoning the loss of
time, that Pm much richer after all. Pm
sure don't know what's coming to the
work, and the price they're giving for it.
It's almost as bad as chain making"
''ls that worse than nail-muking2''
''For the women it is. Just you 20 to
| Cradley and ask 'cm."
1t was TOO late to follow her advice that
| night but did SO next day.