The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-11-16
A HOLIDAY FAIRLY WON.

"The question before the house is, Can
It be done2" and the speaker raped on
the table with her lead pencil to attract
the attention Of the other three, who
seemed disposed to wander from the sub
ject in hand. "What do you say, Elsie?"
"If we all agree we want to do it, then
it can be DONE" replied Elsie, with de-
termined nod of her head.
"Good," responded Margaret. "What
say you, BELIEF"
"I agree with Elsie that whatever we
undertake we can carry out, and / am
willing to do anything, provided my
blessed mother approves of it,"
"Splendidr' cried Margaret. "Now,
Lizzie, let us hear from you"
"Well," began Lizzie doubtfully, "you
know think nothing could be lovelier
than to join the camping party at the
beach for a whole month, but, first, we
are poor, second, here we are stuck down
in little country village where there is
no chance of being richer If one lives to
be n thousand years old; and lastly,
cannot see how we can ever make $50 if
we can't find something to make it by.
Why, girls, that $50 looks like noun.
tain."
"But will you consent to earn it if you
canr' persisted Margaret.
"Yes," assented Lizzie slowly.
"Well, then, listen to my plan, and
don't say word till I've finished. OF
Il
she approves and thinks we can do it, SO
that encourages me to tell you. We can
get work in Penton, easy work, that we
can do without much practice; wages,
So a week. We can get comfortable
room for $40 O month, and l am sure
our mother would give us enough pi o.
visions TO last week and send us MOI e
| from time to time. In that way we
three could at least save $40 week, and
at the end of two months have enough
to pay the fare here and back and the
$50 for the trip to the beach. What dc
you think of my plan2"
"The plan is lovely, but you haven't
said what the work was?" objected Lizzie
Sin my uncle's match factory in Pen
ton."
Matches" cried Clare, in surprise.
"Why, never made match in my
life," from Belle.
"What would people sayf" asked Liz
zie.
"Of course, girls, if we do not want t
do it we are not compelled to, but W.
can earn the money for the beach trip il
that way il we will, and be more thar
repaid IN the end. AS to what peopl,
think of us, l, for one, do not care, anC
as to making matches, it is the easies
thing in the world, when we know how
Girls, Uncle john says we can hav'
places in the sorting room and can begil
OF once. What DO you say; to go, or no
to go?'
Lizzie looked down at her fingers auC
thought how disagreeable the continue
smell of sulphur would be. Belle an,
Elsie stared gravely at each other. Tw
whole months in match factory WASH
pleasant thing to contemplate, but til
lovely trip afterwards would more thai
compensate.
"What do you say?" urged Margaret.
"We'll do itr' chorused the others.
A week later four girls, trifle home
sick, but too proud to confess it, sa
down to their first meal, picnic fashion
, in their own room in good Mrs. Blake
house in Penton. The rooms looked yer
bare, but with few home photograp
and scarf here and there, the starin
white walls lost half their baroness. TIL
table was spread in the middle of til
room and made pretty with some earl
spring flowers.
81 did not know mothers bread wa
so good," said Margaret, "but reall
must curb my appetite, or there won
be enough left for breakfast. What
blessed relief it will be to take our dir
ners at Mrs Blake's table"
Mr.. Crashaw from his Office windov
saw with grim smile the four girls az
proach, the next morning.
"It won't be a paying business for me,
he said to himself, "but girls with sue
pluck deserve to be helped"
Here we are, Uncle John, ready fc
business" announced Margaret, and he
uncle, taking his hat, led the way to til
factory.
"We might just as well go over tn
whole building and give you an idea c
how matches are made" he said. ''Yo
see here, the timber is being cut int
planls or slabs the exact thickness of
, match, then with one blow from tn
guillotine-like machine, which, you se'
works with treadle, the cut matchC
fall into this box.
"Then three little splints, just til
length of two matches, are fitted int
this frame, and are ready for the dil
ping, first, however, passing throug
the hands of the inspector yonder, VIII
shakes out the loose splints and faster
the frames; the dipper next takes then
, and laying the ends of the splints o
. this heated surface for an instant to DIR
all moisture, deftly dips first one en-
and then the other into the pan of su
phur the thickness of cream, and the
into the pan of phosphorus. When DIR
they are placed in trays and carried I
the room where you will work. TheI
the matches are cut in two by the littl
machine fastened TO the work bench an
placed In the boxes ready for shipping
This is your room," he said at last, leal
ing them where the hands were bus
filling boxes, 400 in each, never too fe'
nor too many, so accurate were they.
SNOW, young ladies, don't eat, g
down on or step on the matches, or G
too near the dipping pan, and you wi
live 70 finish your two months" and wit
this feeble attempt at q joke Uncle job
left them to make their first trial
~ hadn't any idea matches were /
slippery" said Lizzie, with sigh, vain
trying TO fill a box with fingers whiC
constantly let the matches fall to Il
Aoor Deftness came with practic
however, and Uncle John was forced
confess that he had not made such ba
bargain after all. The four frien'
counted off the slowly passing days
the hour