The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-02-25

ing the fair ones chance. / suppose
you have references?"
Yes; | am sure you will find them
satisfactory" She turned to the win
dow to open her papers.
"Why, bless my soull' exclaimed
Barr, ITS Betty's Polly. Hello, gal
Are you book-keeper2"
" am sure you will find me compe-
tent, Mr.. Barr" she said earnestly.
Il hain't a doubt of it. But it's on
possible. Your color, child; you hain't
forgot that. l couldn't give you work.
Don't be worried, now, gall" he said,
kindly.
You need saleswomen? Try me.
Mr.. Barr. If you will not trust the
books to me, let me go behind the
COUNTER
Barr scanned the neat figure and
gentle face. IL bet you'd be a sight
nicer and potter than them impudent
wencbes I've got therel" he broke
forth. "But | couldn't do it at any
pricel If you was behind the counter
not a customer would come before it,"
Polly turned to go out. Barr, who
| had known her since she was child,
was touched by the tears that rolled
down her cheeks.
81 need scrubbin' done. could
give you that" he said.
If | can do no better, will scrub"
said Polly. "But," she added resoutely,
" am fit for better work than that"
Mr.. Yeats, the lawyer, had adver-
tised for copying clerk. She went
to his office and showed him page of
her writing.
every fair, clear and business-likel"
he said.
&C l can also use the typewriter" she
added, modestly.
"Why, that's just what want You
don't belong here, fancy; anew-comer
like MYSELF"
" No, was born here. l belonged
to DIR. Blake"
"A slavel You're niger? Great
Scotll You didn't expect me to employ
niggerl"
He sprang to his feet and hurried her
out of the door. Two weeks passed in
such efforts as these. Polly sometimes
met with abuse or insult in her efforts
to find work, but not often. Her
mother was a favorite with the kindly
people, who had viewed her own efforts
to get an education and standing room
in the world with an astonished amuse-
ment, as they might have looked at
worm that was trying to stand upright.
She came home one night aud sat down
in front of the fire with a set face.
Yoh Civ up, darlin'?" said Betty,
"Yes, give up. There is no place
for niger except in the Kitchen"
she said quietly.
"Yoh kin help me lot, Poll" the
old woman ventured, after pause.
| ID. 4 a g. G., ,N.,,,
utes. Mother" she said, "I'll make
place for myself! 1t is my head that
is trained, not my hands, and I'll live
by it'll I'll give you rest. You shall
have your holiday"
A week later the townspeople were
surprised to see one of the front win
dow, of Aunt Betty's little house filed
with tape, pins, ribbons, ETC.. while in
the other were rows of jars of jelly and
: pickles. They had always bought the
jelly and pickles, and it was convenient
, to buy needles and thread at the same
at a less price than at Barr's Great
Emporium. After month or two,
when the women of the town had
grown used to running into " Polly's
, little shop" they began to find there
which narr had never brought to the
place. Polly, herself, was always quiet,
courteous, quick. Why should one
buy jams from her and not a hood?
Why, indeed? They fell so gradually
into the habit of buying from her that
they probably never asked themselves
the question. As years passed, the
shop window widened to take in wooden
and cotton stuffs, shoes, china, etc. 1t
became rival to the Emporium. Polly
had good taste and good judgment in
making her purchases. She was salts
fed with quick sales and small profits.
Her mother gave up work and at last
had her long-promised holiday. Polly
now has her friends and companions
among those of her own people, who,
like herself, are educated.
How did you find courage to make
the venture?" one of them asked her.
"There was little courage needed"
she said. "There was no reason why
white woman should not pay colored
for one kind of service as well as for
another, or why should not earn my
living in trade instead of in cooking.
The only difficulty was to make them ia
miliar with the idea"
Many of Polly's sisters in both the
South and North, lucated, modest, in-
telligent girls, are searching eagerly for
work now outside of the kitchen. Can
they learn nothing from her story?-
The Independent,