New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-21
PRISONERS OF POVERTY.
GOMEN wAGE-wORKERs. TBElR hoMI'
AND THEIR LIVES.
Copyright. 1856.
ny HELEN CAMPBELL

-, 20 ,pove ON. YOU know, and why don't you
90 it?7
~rm that reasonable that a bench Of judges
couldn't be more SO. and IN not move on for
anything less than dynamite and | amt sure
would for that Its only a choice between
starvation and going into the next world in little
bits, and don't pose it makes much difference
which way it's DONE
The small. pale. dogred-loolxing little woman
who announced this conviction did not even rlse
from the STEPS where she sat looking up TO the
bic policeman who faced her uneasiy, hall turn
inc as II he would escaIe the conscquences OF
rash action IL he knew how. Nothing could be
more mysterious Within sight OF b oadway' on
one OF the best known side streets near 'hloh
SQUARE where business sims were lew AM Oh INC
most decoro,s order, and where before one door
bearing the OF one OF the best known
fashionable dIessmaleIs line of carriages stood
each day during the busy season name hardlF
less known the door-plate of the great
house, before which she sat. and which sui more
every mark of prosperous ownership while I ON
one of the windows looked the elaooiSteD
dressed head Of madame herself the anxiety IN
ber evrs contradiction. the scornful smile on her
Thin lirs The door Just beyond No opened
and n stout gentleman descended one step AMI
stood eyeing the poll eman bel lgerently. lha'
official looked up the street Us II wsilnt Tor CRY
Of murder or stop thief around tie 90 ner'
but hearing neither concentrated aealn on the
antagonist whose irregular methods dehed prece-
dent and gave him ainful sense OF in>ecu ltN.
II two could listen. why not three ian paused
near the steps eyed CONSIDERABLY by the stout
gent ernan who YVES evidently on the outlook Tor
allies look OF Intelligence passed oetwe' n
madame and the policeman, and her head dis
arlrarcd from the window. a blind on the second
story movin. sn htly and snnounc n; moment
later that she Lad taken 6 less cons, lcuors post
OF observation
"Nioye on now | tel you" began the police
man a.ain but paused for as he spoke enler
bright-eycd girl came swiftly toward them ana
paused on the first sep with glance OF curiosity
al the little group
@Ua,e YOU come to answer Madame Ms al
vertisemcnl the little woman sai j. a. she lose
from the ste,s and laid her hand de,alnlnsN on
the huirying figure.
"1es" the girl answered hesitatingly, pulling
away from tie han that held
Thin unless you've got anything else to do
and like to give your time an strength Ioi
naurht keep away You'll get n wages NJ
matter WHAT'S promised I've been there SIN
months kept on by fair promises and Know
TN L., n, Girl 20 in there without warning"
Its good Iooklns place." the girl said DOUBT
fully.
IFS a den Of thieves all the same. If you
don't beleve me cone down TO tie Womcns Pro
tective Mon On Clinton Place an you'll see my
case on the book there AM JUDGMENT ainst this
woman Traits no more mercy than houeh'o'
and lies that smoothly THAT sled humhug an an
gel OF light All, that's good = she added for
the girl had s'al1en off her hani and sped away
as swiftly as she hal come That's seven no
Festor ay and l wish II was seven hundred It's
time somebody turned watchdog
"Ibat amt your business. That's matter
forthc ayv" said big policeman who had glanced
anxiously up to the second story window an
then looked treasured and serne. as the stout
gentleman made a 81 nfrant movement VIII h
In heated that bribery was os b c for on" sex
es Tor the other "Ihe law1 sraighten out any
thing that you've a mind to have it."
"The law Lord help them that think t'
law is going 10 see them throurh' ue SINAI
woman said. with fierrencss that made The bi.
policeman start and lay his han on his club
iaWhat's the law worth when il can't give t. yo'
nne dollar Of two hundred and eCht that's owed
md she that ca nd them gaspng her he on
with consumption2 II it was nv account alon'
40 YOU sup ose I'd care Mines ghty-hve an
Iwrnt 10 law for if, to find S ed as n heat
as she has smooth tongue, end had fixed thin
so that there W snt stick Of furniture nor
Dollar Of property that could be lie led on L
xbe,d been a man the new law that gives Oh at
have worked with her as it's worked with man
n rascal that never knew he could be br uSht u
with n rouni turn. But she's woman an Sin
slides through and judgm Mt against her En
worth the faper it's written on. SO as can
take it out in money take II out In benz eve
with her There are tn" papers that S o" don
lie and here I sit the time I've fNed to sit a.
If she gets the three new hands she's af'er
won't be bcca Sc / haven't done what came t. m
10 do to hinder 1t y
The policeman had moved away before tn
words ended the stout Gent eman havint desc 'nde
The stcs for moment. AM stood in poSito
which rendered lis little trsnsa on fea Id an
almost invisible He beclSOnei To me as tn sma
woman sat down again the steps AMI 10
bowed him into the vestibule.
"Youhe Interested. my dear madam" ne ST.
iaYou're interested and you ought TO be "
staid home from business to make sure She WASH
interfered with and I'd do 1t acain with d
greatest pleasure Pd like 10 psf one like hi
before every establishment n New rk whe'
cheating goes on and I'm going TO see this thin
through - ,,.
There was no time for questions. My appnn
nent must be kept. ami with one pause t. taxi
name and uur@er Of the small Nemss wei
nv way Three days later she sat there stu
and on the following as the warm spring ra
seu steadily. she kept her post sheathed In a I'll
Der cloak and protected by an umD ella' WHO
from its size and quality felt must be the sto'
venteman's With Saturday night her self-ir
posed sie.e ended AM she marched away lea IL
fhe enemy badly discounted and much more di
posed to consider the rights of the in lividuaL
not Of the worker in general rs madame
prices were never less than fifty dollars TO q
making Of a suit, ming from this TO hun ~
or more an as her tire children were stl ns
and her husband und4sco er- bic factor 1t be an
al interesting question To know vine e size pia''
the profits which even when lessened Dy a,
MIL ha Any