The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-02-14
JUDGE NOT.


JUDGE NOT.
In the ante room of Meredith &
Sons great cotton factory in Phila-
delphia a group Of girls were stand
ing engaged in an animated discus
sion. They were all young, some
pretty, all dressed neatly, though
many wore i'll chosen and unbecom-
ing 6nery. One of these, who bad a
mock gold chain and bracelets and a
profusion of jet trimmings upon a
cheap silk dress, spoke very emphal-
ically:
1T is the stingiest proceeding l
ever heard of"
What are you all SO excited
about 2" asked a pretty little blonde
coming in from the loom room.
ELLEN Churchhill J"
Dear me What has she been
doing now? You are always discus
sing some dreadful deed of Ellens.
like her myself.
Yes, we all know that" said the
first speaker; You will defend any
thing Ellen does"
But what has she done ?"
Refused To sign the subscription
list for the taiakard to be presented
Mr.. Rodman."
And Mr.. Rodman has been such
good friend to herr said third
voice.
The little blonde, Susie Whiting.
by name, looked rather staggered at
the new accusation against her
friend. Mr.. Rodman, manager for
Meredith 4 Son for nearly fifty years,
was about TO retire on account Of the
infirmities Of age, and the persons
engaged in the great factory were
collecting money to buy silver
tankard to present to him. He WAS
a kindly old imam and always ready
10 lend a helping hand to the small
army of work people under his con-
troll 81 that the presentation was 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 a handsome woman of
about twenty when she applied
for work, and by every action and
word betrayed the fact that she had
stepped from a life of refinement TO
the hard drudgery of factory hand.
Her low, even tone betrayed the la
dy 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
intercourse with her, but intimate
with none. She had nursed Susie
Whiting through long period of
Contagious fever, winning the devo-
ton Of that little maiden, and the
manager soon put her into positions
of trust till 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
vas we'll known that the salary of
Ellen Churchhill was sufficient to
warrant 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 it, to contribute to the amuse-
ment of the house and dress well.
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
own bands, aud no ornament broke
/ its severe simplicity. She never
spent money in pleasure seeking,
nor joined in any Of the quiet n,er-
riment of the house. But the crown
ing enornlity was the refusal to con-
tribute to the silver tankard.
The excited group in the ante
room Dispersed for the day, walking
home in the twilight of the Septem-
ber evening, and still they talked Of
the furewOman.
r THE question is" said Mary
Leigh, who had been foremost in the
ante rponr discussion, what does she
d. with her money ? She never puts
any in the factory savings bank ;
lshe certainly spends nothing on her
drers. Where is it all, then ?"
Perhaps she supports her pa-
rents?"
Both dead l have heard her say
CO."
"W-ll, / dare say Mr.. Rodman
won I think her quite such a paragon
ne he has done. when he misses her
name from the subscription list"
And Walter Rodman will proba-
bly resent the insult to his father y
There was an exultatiOD in the
tone of the last rrmark, but i'll con
cealed. Walter Rodman, the only
child of the old manager, was in the
counting house of the factory, with
every prospect Of sosn becoming a
partner.
A man past thirty, he had risen
in the employ Of Meredith d. Son
from . lad Of fourteen. and had saw
I'd money from handsome salary,
with the avowed intention Of pur-
chasing . place in the firm upon the
anticipated retirement of Mr.. Mere
dith, who was known TO favor the
intention.
Amongst all the clerks. and work.
, men y ths sreas factory, there was
% - % .hapAeoms = Walter Rod
man. no one - qnilfly refined 10
manner. nOoe - Ryoat 3 Avoute