Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-12-01
JUDGE NOT.

In the ante-room of Meredith * Sons
great cotton factory in Philadelphia a
group OF girls were standing engaged in
an animated discussion. They were all
young. some pretty, all dressed neatly,
though many wore ill-chosen and Unbe-
coming tinery. One of these, who had
n mock gold chain and bracelets and a
profusion of jet trimmings upon a cheap
sill x dress, spoke very emphatically: 1T
IS the stingest proceeding L ever heard
orr
what are you all so excited about?''
asked n pretty little blonde coming in
from the loom-room.
"Ellen Churchillr'
"Dear me! What has she been do
ing nowI You are always discussing
some dreadful deed of Ellen's. / like
her myself"
Eyes. we all know that" said the
first spea or; "yOu will defend any
thing Ellen does.h
But what has she done?"
Refused to sign the subscription list
for the tankard To be presented Mr.. Rod
man..
"And Mr. Rodman has been such n
good friend to her." said third voice.
The little blonde. Susy Whiting, by
name, looked rather staggered ut the
new accusation against her friend. Mr..
Rodman, manager for Meredith ~ Son
for nearly iiity years. was about TO re-
tire ON account of the iniirmites of age,
and the persons engaged in the great
factory were collecting money to buy n
silver an,ard to- present TO him. lie
was n kindly old man and always ready
20 lend u helping hand to the small army
OF wor&. people under his control; so
that the presentation was really n gift
IF love.
Ellen Churchill had come to the great
factory two years previous to the date
oil the Indignation meeting in the ante
room, and had risen to the position of
forewoman IN one of the loom-rooms.
She was n handsome girl of about
twenty when she applied for work. and
by every action and word betrayed the
fact that she had stepped from n life OF
refinement TO the hard drudgery of a
factory hand. Her low. even tone be-
trayed the lady in its well-chosen words.
and her slim, white hands bore no trace
of toll upon their smooth skin. She was
courteous to all who came into inter.
course with her, but intimate with none.
She had nursed Susy Whiting through a
long period of contagious fever. win
ming the devotion of that little maiden.
and the manager soon put her into posi-
tons of trust I'll she became forewoman.
Here her education enabled her TO keen
the books required in the room. thus
doubling her salary.
And here was the great ground Of
complaint by her companions. 1t was
weh-known that the salary of Helen
Churchill was sufficient TO warrant a
good style of living and dressing. In
the great clearinghouse, where seventy
of the girls had rooms, she could well
afford To pay for the best, 10 contribute
to the amusements of the house and
dress we'll. Instead of all this she lived
in the attic. poorly furnished. with a
tiny stove, where she cooked the cheap
est of food Her dress was of the
coarseSt description. made by her owr
hands. and no ornament broke its So.
we're simplicity. She never spent money
IN any Pleasure-seeking. nor joined in
any OF the quiet merriment of the
house. But the browning enormity wa,
the refusal to contribute to the silver
taLkard
The excited group in the ante-room
NlSpcFScu lot the day, walking home in
the twilight of the September evening,
and still they talked Of the young fore,
woman.
Tho question is" said Mary Leigh,
who had been foremost in the ante
room discussion "what docs she dc
with her money! She never puts any
In the factory savings bank; she GER
tainly spends nothing on her dress
Where is IL all. then?H
Perhaps she supports her parentsP''
:" Both dead have heard her say
"Well. dare say Mr.. Rodman won
think her quite such a paragon as he
has done, when he misses her name
from the subscription list"
And Walter Rodman will probably
resent the insult to his father"
There was an exultation in the tone
OFT the last remark, but ill-concealed
Walter Rodman, the only child of the
old manager. was in the counting-houss
of the factory, with every prospect O
soon becoming partner A man pas
thirty. he had risen in the employ O.
Meredith & Son from lad of fourteen
and had saved money from handsom,
salary, with tha avowed intention O.