Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-08-07
THE FAoroRY 40 GIRL.

Charles, that she would not have cour.
age to try the role Of factory girl In
earnest. Whether she succeeded, this
story will tell. 80 =
ANY more wOrk?i -T
Mr.. Parsons, the foreman, did not ex.
actly know. He couldn't tell without
reference to his books. He rather
thought not. There was such rush Of
applicants, just now the market was
overerowded. $3.50 1-.1
Emily Merrell lifted her soft eyes on
the face Of the foreman in the hoop
skirt factory with q sort of mute sur
prise, when he demanded a bonus.
Mr.. Parsons smo0thed his sleek
shaven chin with. an air of the most
dlslnterested innocence, "Of course
man can't be expected to use special
influence and take extra trouble for
nothing" 7
Emily Merrell opened her portmon-
naie and took out worn $40 bill which
she laid on the desk before which the
mermaidon of power was seated.
"If you cared for situation as trim
mer, now"
"Any position would suit me-" in
terrupted Emily, eagerly.
WHY uIuu yOu Guy 6O OClOtCg 1uO
trimmers don't get such good wages,
but there Is chance for promotion to
be sure. There Is place vacant among
the trimmers. Lisa Martin went home
last week to the country, with bad
touch ofbleeding at the lungs; you can
have her place at the table If you like
it,"
"What are the wages, sir?" She ask
ed.
swell, our firm does the liberal thing.
Three dollars q week.
And Emily Merrell found hers elf
forced to accept the Inevitable.
The long room was full of the 81 cam
of white, weary faces and the buzz of
many voices when the "new hand"
took her place in the nook that poor
Lisa Martin was destined never more
to occupy. The girls looked at her
with inimical glances.
"Puts on airs, said Betsy Hyde.
"We don't want any fine ladies in
this trimming roomv said Clara Jones
who had endeavored to secure the va
cant situation for her sister Hauldah
but had failed, not being possessed Of
the $40 bill.
In vain did Emily Merrell try, in a
gentle, shrinking way, to make friends
with the pale-faced, shrill-tongued
girls who surrounded her; it seemed to
be the fashion generally to snub and ig-
more her.
"Why do they all dislike me?" she
asked. piteously, of Laura Ellis, the one
among the ranks who was least insult
ing:
"Oh, because you are not of their
sort,n said Laura. "They think you
are proud and stuck-up. Beside you
board at Widow Hawley's who pre-
tends to have seen better days."
"How pale they all are," she said i'm
voluntarily.
"Pale!" echoed wistful faced young
widow, whose dark, earnest eyes seem
ed to grow larger and brighter day by
day. "They are toiling themselves in.
to their graves at starvation prices"
"But Mr.. Althorpe, who owns the
factory, is said to be generous hearted
man, Is he not?"
"Mr. Althorpe? Yes, perhaps 80
but he asserts that he pays the same
prices as other factory proprietors"
"And that is too little?"
"Too little to begin with. How
would Mr.. Althorpe like that young
wife of his to work all day long for the
pittance he pays these $50 girls"i rcet
Emily WINGED little.
"But that isn't the worst of it," per.
sisted Mrs. Blodgett, 1.-THE small wa
ges our girls receive are lessened by the
extortionate demands levied by that
harpy, Mr.. Parsons---a regular system
of blackmail. Oh, I think such mean
vipers should not be allowed to livev'
She spoke with emphasis, and turn
ing at the same moment, started to OBJ.
serve the small, sly eyes of the foreman
fixed ubon her.
"Much obliged for your good opih-
ion, ma'am" he said. II am sorry we
shall have no work for you after Satur.
day night, Mrs. Blodgett.
The poor young widow grew pale, fol
upon her weekly wages depended the
subsistence of an aged mother and two
little ones.
Poor Emily! But the worst of hel
trials are yet to come. AS she hurried
down the long room the next day she
slipped on q piece of orange peel and
fell, spraining her ankle.
All the girls stood alOof, regarding
uCI uS LACIk A0tuA0t CuCu1Sf duN OuAy
kind-hearted Mrs. Blodgett hurried tc
her assistance.
"Are you much hurt?" she asked
sympathizingly.
'"No only my foot. fear it is sprain'
ed.n
''Shall go for DIR. Welford?n
eff you would be so kind.n
Mrs. Blodgett hurried away and EN-.
lily Merrell, seated on low chair By
the window, could not but hear the
whispered remarks of the other hands
as they pretended to be absorbed ovel
their work.
"Well, always said that pride would
have fall" declared Helen Jennings
Emily turned herself round with diff
ficulty, and looked with gentle, re,
proachful eyes at her enemies.n
"Young ladies'" she said, in low
tremulous tone, "if you knew why
But the half uttered sentence was
broken off by the opening of door
and the entrance Of tall, stylish
gentlemen, whom they all knew as Mr.
Althrope, the proprietor of the fac
tory.
!; "Emily!" he exclaimed, turning pale
as his eyes fell upon her face, are yor
here%'
ooh, Charles!n and Emily Althrop.
swooned upon her husbands shout
Ider.
But she had won her guardon; ant