The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-03-11

How Two Women Made Money.

| Ihey had hung together more years
than either would have liked to own.
Even strong g-minded women have their
feelings.
| They were two tired, New York, work
ing women, who had carried the burden
of life bravely. yes, and successfully, con-
sidering that this world is made BY men
for men. Miss Platt had been manuscript
reader IN the great millionaire publishing
house of lnkeater Il Co. fifteen wears. Mrs.
Pratt had been teacher seventeen years.
They were good-looking women, and
dressed well, though plainly. They had
saved in the years they had worked about
s40o apiece. That was ALL Mrs Pratt's
hair was long since gray and Miss Platt
was expecting daily to find the first white
hair in her brown locks-the picket, so to
speak, announcing the advance of the
whole army. They had been economical
and worked up to the last drop of blood
in their bodies, and vet they had not been
able to get ahead. Every year it seemed
harder and harder to rise in bitter winter
mornings to catch the five-cent train on
the !" road. Every New Years dav
Miss Platt cut notch in the leg of their
one boarding house rocking chair aud
looked into Mrs. PratL's eyes and remark
ed mournfdlly:
| Men may come and men may G.,
But we GO on forever
One memorable day Mrs. Pratt answer
ed back:
" Must it 60 on forever?"
Miss Platt was the best taIker and Mrs
Pratt was the best listener That was
one reason they got on so well together
1t must have been nearly thousand times
they had discussed the possibility Of get
ting out of their treadmills They recog-
nized that nobody ever became pecuniar-
lily Independent working for somebody
else on little salary. He must 90 into
some enterprise for himself. Women
never have any capital to commence bust
ness. They must work for such small
pay compared to men that they have no
chance to save anything. The spinster
and the widow were beginning to look
forward with cold terror to the time
when they should be shunted off the track
like WORKOUT horse, too old to work any
more.
:" i suppose may be l can save enough
to admit me into a widows home, some
where" said Mrs. Pratt mourntuiy.
"And | little back room, an old maid
and cat and cup of tea and picture
of the Rock of Ages" said Miss Platt,
sorrowfully.
They had discussed all ways they had
ever heard of for escaping the impending
DOOM All failed for want of capital to
begin. Miss Platt's eyes were giving ont.
The school board had gwen notice that it
meant to cut down the little pay of the
women teachers and add it to the big pay
of the men principals. Mrs. Pratt was
terrified. Both these brave women were
nearer despair than they had ever
been before.
Have you ever noticed that just when
we become desperate the tide turns in our
favor?
1t was with energy, and flushed cheek
and a dewy eye that Mrs. Pratt said, there
fore:
Must it go on forever 2"
Then both women were silent, looking
Z over the situation The very air around
them was blue. At length Miss Platt
spoke:
"Susan," said she, /" let us make a break
for liberty"
"Yes,' said Mrs. Pratt.
"Susan," said Miss Platt, will you
shake hands on it p
Il will"
Their hands met in solid, serious clasp.
"Now, it's done," said Miss Platt.
They talked far into the night. Both
knew they would do as they had said.
But now that the agreement was made,
| Il L.. LII. coni,,,. N littl., SacroH
They were going to give up certainty,
however small, for an uncertainty, how
ever big. Being women, they were timid
and conservative.
81 wonder if we couldn't start cream
ery. That's where they make butter, ism I
it ?" said Miss Platt.
But now Mrs Pratt made long speech,
for her.
"No, Marian, that won't do. What
ever we go at, We must do the work our
selves. Do you think we could learn to
milk COWS at-at our age 2"
"Speak for yourself about age" said
Miss Platt Pm not too old to learn any
thing, hope. 1t must be in the country,
though. The only life worth living is in
the country. I'VE been in city all my
life. and am tired to death of the sight
of people"
aYes," said her friend, "they exhaust
one so.''
alt seems to me" said Maricn, " when
l am in a crowd that they breathe all the
life out of me. | won't even go into a
town of 5000 inhabitants-a nasty, back
biting little village, where they send a
committee around to see what church you
belong to. My one earthly desire is a
little place in the country-a house OF
three rooms, with roses and strawberries,
and an old pear tree, and chickens"
Chickens, did YOU say!" asked the
1uuiet widow. "Chickens ?"
eyes" replied Miss Patt.
"That'slt," said Mrs. Pratt. Marian,
you've hit it. Chickens it is"
Then the widow made the longest
speech of her life.
"We'll get little place in the country
and 90 to raising chickens. Cows horn
people, and they kick. Hens haven't any
horns, and they can't kick. Cows go dry,
and they would be dead expense on
our hands part Of the year. Hens don't
go dry"
aDo you mean to 60 into the poultry
business, run chickenry, or what do you
call it ?"
aYes.n said Mrs Pratt. Now, we're