The Labor enquirer., 1883-01-27
But she only laughed. She has told


thing in my voice prevented her FROM
giving me thai. slap. .%"..s>
So I had my coffee and went back to
work. But all the afternoon my thoughts
were busy, and when work quit, somehow
or other found myself outside the coffee.
saloon waiting until Baby came out.
She came at last when it was near 7
o'clock and walked up to her all of a
tremble,
LASS" said II hope you wont feel
offended if ask to see you home I'd
like very much to do SO. My name is
Wilson and Pm an honest, hard working
young chap. There was something in
your eyes this noon that made me want
to see you again. [ think if | had sis
ter she'd been like you. amt very
nicely dressed but well, may l walk
along with you? The streets are getting
dark and"
And, couldn't say much more because
she answered by putting her little hand
in my arm and blushing and saying that
she would like to have friend and she
thought | was one and | could 90 with
her this once.
And so we went to the cable cars, be-
cause she lived out that way then, out
near the mountain. strange to say not a
block away from my rooming place on
Cemetery avenue.
Well from that time on it became a
regular thing for me to come down with
her in the morning and 60 out with her
at night
All ! shall remember those enchanted
journeys; those evenings when we were
early enough to see the sunset sheet of
golden blaze along the western horizon:
those nj ghts when we were so late that
the stars had lit their eternal lamps of
silver far above the weary earth.
Before l met Baby | was content to
struggle from day to day for bread and
beer. Now, it seemed that for me as q
man there must be something greater,
purer, higher. Something that would
make me feel more worthy Of the silent
love knew she felt for me. But look
where | would, struggle with my thought
as [ did, yet could see no light. Only.
the darkness and misery and degradation
as then thought it, of being 'only an
Irish bricklayer" She was educated,
she was refined, she was pure and true.
And what was /? But it was not my
fault l know l tried to do my duty
always. | know | tried to learn and be
right, but somehow no one seemed able
to tell me what to do to make myself
more worthy of my darling.
But l could not bear to see her slave
her life away as mine was being done.
| could not brook the, thought Of her
continual subjection to the insults and
horrors Of that vampires dining room.
And 50 one night plucked up courage
and asked her to have me.
| shall never forget her answer. |
shall never cease to hear ringing in my
ears her burning words of lofty and
mighty truth. | shall never stand by
and hear it said in my presence that
women are useless in our fight for eter-
nal right
"My love-" she said, my poor dear
love, and she took my rough hand in
hers and stroked it softly, "my darling,
We are slaves. You and | both are slaves.
| know my position. You, alas, are ig-
norant of yours; but you have in you,
know, the spirit and heart of a man as
you have his strength and courage. Poor
as | am, slave as l am, unprotected and
alone as be, yet l have vowed that |
will never give myself to one who is not
the peer of the greatest in this world.
You must be royal; you must be wealthy
if you would win me. But royal with
the royalty Of a free man, wealthy only
in the courage that dares to 60 out and
confront our masters and tear them from
their invisible thrones of tyranny. [ was
a poor girl. l came into this world
without my consent l have never done
cruel or disgracelul act 1 have worked
from morn till night. l have tramped
these streets asking for honest work and
have received in reply,-infamy. l have
wept and cried out for death. l saw my
father die from overwork, underpaid.
My mother from want of proper COM
forts and medicines, and from slave labor