Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-02-04
CHAPTER VI.
A DAY OFF.


Jane Graves was putting on her hat and
faded plaid shawl for another dreary days
work. She hated it with all the passion of
her nature She saw nothing in it but
slavery and degradation, and in her impa
thence thought she would rather die than
drag out her life thus Somebody must do
the work, but not such as she, surely.
"Come here, my dear"
She had been lingering aimlessly, only
that she dreaded to turn her feet toward the
factory, whose tolling bell rang sternly in
her ears. Now she approached her mothers
bed with gentler expression on her face.
The thin hands were laid on her arm, and
the sick woman drew the girls head down on
tho pillow beside her own.
''Was I ever SO pretty as you, wonderg"
she said wistfully. "They used TO say was
the prettiest in the village" And the sunken
eyes frightened at sweet memories, the
sweetest in the world to a woman.
at did you little good, mother" said the
girl in a muffled voice.
In a moment more she started up
''There, mother, am late again; quarter
days pay lost, and a scolding gained.
The sick womans eyes opened wide, and
the girl waited one sad minute more, to see
how terribly white the poor face looked even
against her pillow.
II had something to say, thought" said
the woman eagerly, "but / can't remember,
L am so sick. But perhaps it wasn't any
thing. You may go now, dear; am sorry
kept you"
The girl pinned her shawl about her What
good of looking in the glass; 1t could only
tell her she was pretty, as her mother used to
be, and remind her what fool she was to
expect a different fate. Fifteen years, and
she might be sick and broken on this very
bed, perhaps telling her own unhappy child
how pretty she used to be. The girl shud-
dered at TIE picture as she went out of her
mothers room.
ooh! l remember now" called the sick
woman.
did you want the tea put near youp
asked the girl, coming back YEARLY.
''It is not that-but-but you are not to go
to work today. Somebody is coming to see
you He wants you to live with him."
"What, to marry meP' exclaimed the girl
in establishment.
"He didn't speak of that" smiled her
mother languidly, "but l can't talk any
more, | am so tired"
Jane Graves had learned one lesson of pow
erty, not to hope. So after this strange an
nouncement of her mothers she only laid off
her hat and shawl, and waited After look
ing idly out of the window for while, and
seeing nothing that had not worn itself into
her very soul years ago, the vague woman
instinct stirred in her and she moved about
the house arranging things. She found a
little map that hung in the sitting room
little awry and Strengthened it, 1t was
dingy map of China that had come once with
pound of tea, and she wanted TO throw it
away, but the wall looked too bare without
anything She took down a couple of ugly
little gift chromos her father had placed on
the mantelpiece and tore them up in disgust.
There seemed nothing else to do, there was
SO little to arrange. She wasn't so sure but it
was better in the mill-perhaps it was a
blessing the poor We're kept so many hours in
its grim walls, where at least there was but
little chance to think What was there to
long for in such homes and such leisure as
this!
She stepped to the closet and took out a
well thumbed book and sat down. She turn
ed two or three pages, and then counted how