The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-12-13
JUDGE NOT.

great cotton factory in Philadelphia II
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 uhbe-
coming iinery. One of these, who had
a mock gold chain and bracelets and a
proiusion of jet trimmings upon cheap
sill dress, spoke very emphatically: at
is the stingiest proceeding | ever heard
OFF,
"What are you all so excited about?"
asked pretty little blonde coming in
from the loom-room.
"Ellen Churchillr'
"Dear me! What has she been do
ing now! You are always discussing
some dreadful deed of Ellen's | like
her myself
yes we all know that" said the
first spea er; "you will defend any
thing Ellen does"
"But what has she doncp'
"Refused to sign the subscription list
for the tankard to be presented Mr.. Rod
man.
And Mr. Rodman has been such a
good friend to hertz said third voice.
The little blonde, Susy Whiting, by
name, looked rather staggered at the
new accusation against her friend. Mr..
Rodman, manager for Meredith " Son
Tor nearly fifty years, was about to re-
tire on account of the inirm ties OF age,
and the persons engaged in the great
factory were collecting money to buy Il
silver tan ard TO present to him. He
was kindly old man and always ready
to lend helping hand to the small army
of work, people under his control; so
that the presentation was really a gift
OF love.
Ellen Churchill had come to the great
factory two years previous to the date
OF the Indignation meeting in the ante
room, and had risen TO the position of
forewoman in one of the loom-rooms.
She was handsome girl OF about
twenty when she applied Tor work, and
by every action and word betrayed the
fact that she had stepped from a life of
refinement to the hard drudgery of a
factory hand. Her low, even tone be-
trayed the lady in its wcll-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 o
long period of contagious fever, Win
ming the devotion of that little maiden,
and the manager soon put her into posi-
tons OF trust TIL she became forewoman,
Here her education enabled her to keep
the books required in the room, thus
doubling her salary.
And here was the great ground of
complaint by her companions. 1t was
well-known that the salary of Helen
Churchill was sullcient to warrant a
good style of living and dressing. In
the great boarding house, where seventy
of the girls had rooms, she could Well
afford to pay for the best, to contribute
to the amusemenls of the house and
dress well. Instead of all this she lived
in the attic, poorly furnished, with 9
tiny stove, where she cooked the cheap
est of food Her dress was of thu
coarsest description. made by her OWL
hands, and no ornament broke its Sc
we're simplicity. She never spent money
in any pleasure-seeking, nor joined il
any of the quiet merriment OF The
house. But the browning enormity wa
the refusal to contribute to the silve
tankard.
The excited group in the ante-roon
dispersed for the day, walking home il
the twilight of the September evening
and still they talked OF the young fore
| woman.
1.-THE question is" said Mary Leigh
who had been foremost in the ante
room discussion "wbat docs she d,
with her money! She never puts an,
in the factory savings bank; she Ger
tainly spends nothing on her dress
Where is it all, thenp"
Perhaps she supports her parentsp' p
Both dead! / have heard her sa.
so."
"Well, dare say MIR. Rodman won
think her quite such a paragon as NJ
has done, when he misses her nam
from the subscription list"
"And Walter Rodman will probabl,
resent the insult to his father"
There was an exultation in the ton
of the last remark, but ill-concealed
Walter Rodman, the only child of tn
old manager, was in the counting-hous
OF the factory, with every prospect
soon becoming partner. A man pas
thirty, he had risen in the employ c
Meredith Il Son from a lad of fourteen
and had saved money from a handsom
salary. with the avowed intention {
purchasing place in the firm upon til
| anticipated retirement of Mr. Meredith
who was known to favor the intention
Amongst all the clerks and workme
II, tho great factory there was no or