Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-03-09
4 RUSSIAN SEWING WOMAN

4 RUSSIAN SEWING WOMAN.
What was to do Z Never was a woman
placed in a more pitable position. | had
been brought to Russia by u New England
sewing machine company to run their ma
chimes at an agency of theirs in -- street in
st. Petersburg, where handsome store had
been rented One cold clustering day toward
the close of October found the shop door
closed, and learned to my dismay that our
agent had disappeared and the machines had
all been seized for rent and debts What was
to be done All the money / had in the
world amounted to only about twelve dollars.
What was duo me had left in the agent Il
hands, and felt sure it was lost thought
of everything in the twenty five minutes that
elapsed between my heart breaking when |
found the store door closed and my rapid
walk to my lodgings. Fortunately my room
had been hired for a month and paid for in
advance, so | had at least a roof over my head
for few weeks. Suddenly an idea struck
me. Twas making an evening dress for Rus
sian lady who spoke English and who talked
Of buying machine. In order to expedite
the work had taken the body of the dress to
my room, and, having a machine there, had
worked on it evenings. That machine could
certainly keep it would go but little way
towards paying the debt the agent owed me.
| hurried home. Possibly there was letter
with some money in it, There was nothing.
| must find the lady--but how z She had left
no address. She had hardly spoken to me- |
thought heard her say she would come again,
and | believed she had fixed on this very day
There was but one chance in a thousand |
must stand in the street and wait until she
appeared
fastened back and took up my position
near the store. Eagerly / scanned every lady
passing by. It was bitterly cold and raw, and
the wind chilled me. | was faint with ankle
ty. Had | only known more of the language,
lwould have asked a policeman to take me 10
the American consul. l was in despair Sud
denly a carriage drove up, footman opened
the door aud lady elegantly dressed alight-
ed. tore across the street; it was the Rus
sian lady. With my heart in my mouth l
told her my pitiful story and begged her to
aid me. II she wanted a servant, would she
only try me | had a sewing machine, and
would make her dresses for nothing if only !
could stay with her until l could write to my
people at home, who would send me money to
take me back TO the United States My words
must have had but little sense in them, l was
so broken-hearted for at first she seemed
hardly to understand me.
II am without a friend in ST. Petersburg
a poor American woman thousands OF miles
from home"
She looked stesdfastly at me, and opened
her portemounaie
NO, no, I said II want no money; can
not beg I AN not yet so poor as to ask aims
But do you not remember me: The store il
closed. The man who kept it has run away
II was who showed you how the machine
| operated.
She scanned me quickly then questioned
me sharply
How could young girl trust herself alone
in this strange country = she asked
Il was not alone. Two other young wom
men came with me. They were sent home
two weeks ago, but the miserable man il
charge persuaded me to stay, promising to
| give me money enough at the end of mex
month to pay my expenses back to the Unit
ed States. Would not the police investigat,
the matter have been outrageousy swim
died"
The police? and my dress-sm l to lose it I?
the lady asked impatiently
Not all of it. The skirt is in the shop, bu
the body, the waist, is in my room almost flu
ished"
1t seemed to me dreadful that in my agon,
she should talk about her dress.
Where do you live ?" she inquired abrupt
ly.
l told her.
''Get into the carriage" she said.
did so. When we were of the main stree
she stopped the carriage, got out with me, an,
we walked to my lodgings. l opened tn
door. On the table was her basque. It d
not seem TO interest her. She picked it up
however, glanced at it a moment, and the
threw it down. She examined the sewing ma
chine.
How long would it take me to become pre-
ficient in working this 2" she asked as she sd
down before the machine and tried the pedals
lis it fatiguing?'
mo, madam. Oh, would you buy it? Iii
mine by right. The money for it might hel
me to leave st. Petersburg"
"How long did you say it would take me
become proficient Z"
Two weeks-perhaps less"
"Would it disfgure my handsY"
She took of her gloves, revealing wei
cared-for hands the fingers glittering wit
rings
"Your beautiful hands would hardly
spoiled"
"Well, then, give me lesson at once
once. l will pay you for your trouble"
/ expressed my gratitude with almost tea
in my eyes.
~ Ihave no material here-but any thing wi
do" l said as l opened my trunk and toe
out an apron. !I will run tuck across IL
bottom it will do no harm"
Nonsense. Take the waist and begin o
that"
"But it is quite finished, and any ext
stitching would spoil this delicate cream CO
ored silk"
"Give it to me !" said the lady, taking Il
scissors and deliberately cutting the waist L
the back.
"Now sew me up this, " she cried.
took it, and as carefully as l could ran Il
machine, sewing up the ugly cash, but
course the waist was spoiled
"Now l will try" said she, and under n
instruction she sat down and worked for
hour. She was wonderfully clever with h
fingerE, and seemed to seize the peouliariti
of the machine at once.
SAT this rate Of progress madam, you W
become quite good workwoman in ten days
1 said spprovingly.
She made no reply, but worked away T
another half hour, crossing and re'erossil
the body with stitches.
1T is not so tiresome after all, she sal
"but have had enough for to-day. 4
} morrow will come again, and then you "
take the machine to pieces and show me he
to put it together again. You will oblige 4
} very particularly by not going out to day.
have 10 thank you for your patience. ke
} my visit silent. l hope you have learned Ii
I in Russia it is better to keep quiet tongu
Do not return to the store. Pray take Il
for my first lesson, +" and she laid down pie
of gold.