Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1882-02-23
STORY OF A WORKING GIRL.

Lily Vennor was late homo
from her work on this particular
night
A dismal February night it was,
with a gray fog above. through
which the lamps shone like yellow
dots of sickly fame, and a desola-
ton of thawing SHOW and stream
ing cutters below. But Lily was
used to all sorts of weather. de-
gree more or less of drearness and
miscomfort made but little differ
ence to her.
Lily Vennor was sglove-hand.'
All day long she sat, with seven
and-twen:y other girls, in a long,
low-ceilsd room, on the upper floor
of monster building in one of the
grimy, narrow streets that run
PARALLEL to Broadway, working at
the machine, handling the curious
shapes of soft kid, buckskln and
lambskin with deft, cautious fingers
plling up dozens of pairs en- the
shelf in front OF her machine, until
she vaguely wondered within her
self if there were hands enough in
all the world to wear out these
gloves. 1t was hard work, and it
was poorly paid; but Lily Vsnnor
had known what it was to be with
out employment for weeks at time,
and she was thankful oven for Mr..
Murex's dollar day, with the stip.
ulation that in case Of extra haste
an hour or SO overtime should not
be objected to.
The poor are generally worsted
in their bargains, nor was our
little heroine an exception to the
rule.
But tie machine was closed al
last, the work delivered up to the
sourvieaged fore woman, and Lily
was IN the outer room, tying hel
curls under the brown telt hal
whose tasteful loops of ribbon hac
been sponged and turned SO often
and folding her worn shawl across
her shoulders and, as she took NJ
her dinner basket, she heard thu
gay voice of Mary Reed, one o
her fellow-woIkers, saying merri-
| ly:
sSt. Valentines eve! You dom
mean that you have forgotten it
Ida2 Why l expect dozen val
entines, at least, tomorrow
Lily Vennor glanced up at Ma
ry Reid, as she spoke. A dozer
valentinesa Yes, there was every
probability that she would receive
as many as that. She was dark
eyed, brilliant complexioned yonns
beauty, with a pretty Greek nose
a dimple on the left cheek, arc
teeth as White as sliced cocoannt
She would be one to marry early
and escape from this bondage o
toll and poverty; and, for mo-
meht, Lily Vennor wished that she
too, were beautiful.
And then came a second thought
st. Valentines eve; and she hac
promised Midge and Edith, the two
little twin sisters at home, valcn-
tine for this year when Midge hat
submitted TO the ordeal of vaccina-
ton, and Edith had been SO docil,
at the task of learning to memo
stockings; for Lily Vennor, cir
though she was, had already beer
bnrdcned with the cares of life
Her father had married a seccne
time snd lost his wife, leaving Lily
at his own death, with the charge
of these two little ones, Edith ant
!, Margaret, commonly known a
'Midge.'
1t was a hard task, but Lily new
er quailed. She had accepted i
simply as she would have accepte,
any other decree of Providence
and the two little orphans hat
learned to love her with all thei
innocent hearts.
And now she paused in front Q
the brilliant shop-windows, wit
her open purse in her hand, tryin
to decide upon some parncula
? style of valentine which would
J. pretty enough to suit the children
d and which yet should not be to
Il dear.
I 4 should like that little gilt Gu
pid nesting in the roses,' she sal
to herself 'lr the pretty child WI
puts the bower Of cut paper leav
, aside, and holds mp tiny letter,
. the velvet humming-bird oil
nest. But they must be At least
dollar apiece, and ! have bnt Fl
cents to spare.
So she went into the store, hun
bly, awaiting her turn, and bong
the two five-cent valentines, whi
J the clerk superciliously tossed t.
ward her.
; & should like to have t,
postage stamps said she, NEE