Telegram-herald., 1891-12-28

two OK nay boys oyercoaEs. l asked -
t. 80 her owa praee, 2aa shs stated that
she woald do ths WORK for two dollars
repeated the werds after he<, and made
her intorss them again. - - u bs sure
that unSsrsood her. Bar when the
coats were finished she charged me thres
dollars Hsr manner WAS distlacsly
shslaef2ee6- / reminded her OF the origi-
nal bargain, Dat she insisted that II WA
for thres dollars. And not for two. She
saiseLsd little sboat hsr poverty, bat
saw Why ta~t Was doae. OF course
paid her her price without discussion.
bat cannot employ her again. wish
| could; but poor women who are dis
honest and oyerreaehing must suffer. II
Is only tns rich who can afford such lux
uriss - ches<ing and double deatIg."
Her friend laughed at the sarcasm. and
regretted the occurrence. but she saw
that the foolish woman up az the cor
ner." had irrsvoeably forfeited = useful
friend She wondered IL women were
worse than men in this regard, and she
recalled what Blackmore puts into John
Ridefs mouth, III has always appeared
10 me that stern and downright honesty
upon money matters is thing not un-
dsrstood by women, DO they good As
good can BE-"
A woman who kept saaall millinery
aud thread and needle shop was en-
ploycd 70 10 nearly all the plain sewing
Tor certain family, while her sickly,
inefficient husband moved the yard and
did various odd jobs for them. More
than once the employer had occasion to
refnorstrate with the woman for charg-
ing an exorbitant price for her goods and
work, but she always defended herself
plausibly. After enduring her imposi-
tions for period of two years, MEM
Der Of the family happened to overhear
tho woman telling her husband as he
was setting forth TO do some work for
them, ''Eow be sure that you charge
them a good round price for It,"
1t is needless TO say that the relations
between the parties were strained from
that day, aud presently ceased altogether.
The unfortunate woman aud her family
were desperately poor after this, but
tLeir former patrons, who were very
numerous and well disposed. but VINO
had been cheated alike, looked unmoved
upon their merited sufferings. 1t was
impossible to sympathizs with people
who had so ignobly thrown away their
chances and played upon their friends.
A third case, which has just occurred,
involved . widow with four children
and no means Of support except her
needle. She was employed. out of char
ity, by a neighbor bat little better off
than herself, who asked her to set her
price as low rs she could The widow
whined that she would be very moder-
ate-she was glad to get the work at
any price. In the end she charged Sc
per cent. higher than the regular price
of an equally poor but honest woman
not far away, VINO was never out OF
work, because she dealt honestly with
her fellow beings and tried to follow the
golden rule in all her bargains.
There is no doubt that very large
part of the biting poverty among the
sober, decent working women comes
from this failure to deal squarely and
impartially with those who can heir
them or who do not think it right to
help them except by giving them work
However much one may be willing tC
give for charity, there is nothing which
one resents more than being deliberately
singled out to pay higher price than
another for the same thing. Besides be-
ing absolutely dishonest, it is disgust
ingly presumptuous and unbecoming.
KATE UPSON CLARK