Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-03-20
a HEROINE N SHORT skRTe.
IAttIs Mamie Corrigan's Thin Shoulder
Bear n Heavy Burden.


LIttls Mamie Corrigan's Thin Shoulders
Bear n Heavy Burden.
The ideal child martyr doesn't wear
long white apron from her chin to her
heels, carry a shallow wicker basket and
trot about all day. in the jostling, busy
throng of New York shop, responding
to more or less vociferous demands for
"cash." Yet this is just what is done
by a small maiden whose hfeis full of as
noble, unselfish devotion as ever earned
n crown in the "noble army"
Little Mamie Corrigan looks about 10
years of age. She is frail creature,
who might be pretty IL her wan face did
not carry a painful suggestion Of being
half starved. She has big blue-gray
eyes, shaded with black lashes, and
mass of soft brown hair, brushed till it
shines, hanging over thin shoulders,
which have pitiful, weary droop. For
three months little Mamie has been the
chief support OF her family. Her mother
has been an invalid for more than q year.
Her father was stricken with rheuma-
tism this winter, and there are four
brothers and sisters younger thar the
heroine of the cash basket and the white
apron.
Mamie, who left school to become the
bread winner, earns 50 a week. Early in
the morning she rises to prepare food for
the family before going to the store.
Many a time, however, there has not
been any breakfast 10 get, and the little
one has worked fasting until some Of the
kind saleswomen, discovering the childs
hunger, appeased it from their own
luncheon box. After the tired feet have
tramped about all day and carried the
child across town to the top story Of the
east side tenement at night, her work Is
only half done. She sweeps, cleans,
cooks and washes and irons, often work
ing until nearly midnight to make the
humble home comfortable for her parents
and the little ones.
Chow do you manage to do 30 much
work, little onep" she was asked. And
she answered very simply:
"I love them" She went on hurriedly,
as If to divert attention: "I can wash
and iron pretty well for little girl. See
I did this apron" It was spotless and
had fine ''gloss" on it.
"How old are you"
"Im going on 15"-with shy, startled
glance around.
"You don't mean to say you are IA
such mitel'
"The cashes all have to say they're Il
: to get engaged" put in saleswomar
who listened to the conversation. Tn
: same young woman told how she hat
) gone to see little Mamie at her home on
! Sunday, and found only bread and waite
4 in the house, but the small place shon
with neatness, having been swept AM
scrubbed by the small, roughened hand
= of the little cash girl. Hitherto rela
tive, living at service, has helped pay tn
|. rent of their rooms, but now she il un
) able to give them any more assistance
+ and so Mamie and younger brother
) who has just secured place as cash boy
q are the only support of the family.
= The truth of this pitiful story was el
tablished by visit to the child's mother
;. Mrs. Corrigan said: "It breaks my hea,
q to have my little daughter drudge st
but what else can we dof My husban
; would rather starve than ask for 80 muc
IL as crust of bread in charity. And "
g the little ones (the youngest is 4) must
u fed. I hope to get on my feet SO th,
Mamie need not work after the long da
in the shop. Often now it is midnigl
before she can get to bed, and then sf
: has to get up very early. had to kee
9 her at home two days once when I W;
q too i'll to be alone and my husband W:
% helpless, and she was docked thirty-fy
!. cents for each day, and seventy cents
|" q good deal to miss out of $S."-Ne
N York World.
n-