The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-04
THE NEEDLES SLAVE


sion OF servants. The sewing, therefore,
was to be put out, and Mrs. Elmore felt 1t
duty, she said, to get 1t done the cnseaaP
est way she could; nevertheless MIS-.
! Elmore was too notable lady, and her
sons and daughters were altogether too
| fatidious as to the make and quatlty Oh
their clothing to admit of the idea OF Us
being done in any but the most compiese
accused herself of want OF charity Tor TIE
poor, but she had never considered that
the best class of the poor are those who
never ask charity. She did not con-
slider that by paying literally those who
| were honestly and independently strus-
| Cling for themselves she was really doing
greater charity than by giving indIs-
| crilninately to dozen applicants.
Don't YOU think, mother! She says
we charge too high for our work, sald
Ellen when she returned. Il m sure SIZE
| can't have thought how much work We
put in those shirts; she says she can't
| give us any more; she must look out some
body to do il cheaper. i don't see now II
| is that people who live in such houses and
have so many beautiful Things can feel
| that they cannot afford to pay for sewing
"Well, child, they are more apt TO feel
| SO than people who live palmer.
well, I'm sure" said Elem, I'VE can
afford to spend so much of our time as we
| have over those shirts, for less money,
Never mind, child" replied her mothe-.
| soothingiy. Here rs bundle OF work
| that another lady has sent in, and II we
| get it done we shall have enough for our
rent, and something over to buy bread
| with"
1t is needless to carry our readers over
| all the process OF gathering and stitching
necessary for making up six shirts. SUIT
| fee to say that on Saturday evening
! all but one were finished, and Ellen
| proceeded to carry them home, promising
| to bring the remaining one on Tuesday.
| The lady examined the work and gave
| Ellen the money for 1t; but on Tuesday,
| when the child returned with the remain
| ing work, she found her in high i'll humor.
| Upon the reconsideration of the shirts,
| she had discovered that in several respects
| they differed from the directions she meant
| TO have given, and accordingly she vented
| her displeasure upon Ellen.
why didn't You make the shirts by the
| pattern l sent your said she, sharply.
1--WE did," replied Ellen, mildly;
mother measured by the pattern every
| part, and then cut them herself"
Your mother must be fool, then, to
! make such piece of work. | wish you'd
! just take them all back and alter them
| over" and the lady proceeded with minute
| directions, of which neither Ellen nor her
mother had till then had any intlmatlon.
| Unused to such language, the frightened
| Ellen took up her work and slowly walked
| homeward. 20, dear me. how head does
| ACHE she thought to herself. "and poor
| mother, she said this morning she was
| afraid that one of her sick spells was CON-
| ing on, and we have all this to rip out"
''See here, motherl" said she, as with
| discouraged air she entered their little
room, Mrs. Z. says we must take out al
| these bosoms and take off these collars,
and fix them quite another way. She
says they are not like the pattern she
sent; but she must have forgotten, for
here If is 1oOk nothar aYacfIv Ua
| have made them"
"Well, then, child; go and carry back
| the pattern and show her that it is So"
Indeed, mother; she was so cross to
me, and looked at me so, and spoke so
about you, that l really don't feel as if |
could go back"
81 will go for you then" said the kind
Maria Stephens, who had been sitting
| with Mrs. - while Ellen was out. Il
will take the pattern and the shirts both
back and tell her the exact truth about il !;
I'm not afraid of her." Maria Stephens
was tailoress who rented room on the
same floor with Mrs. A, cheerful,
resolute, go-forward little body, and ready
always to give helping hand TO neigh
Dor in trouble, and she took
the shirts and the patterns
and set out resolutely on her mission.
fessed to take right view of the matter,
and was very urgent in showing Ellen
why she ought not to distress herself
about it, still felt shivering sense of the
hardness and unkindness of the world
coming over her. The bitter tears would
spring TO her eyes in spite of every effort
to suppress them, as she stood mournfully
gazing on the little faded miniature which
we have before noticed. s'When he was
alive never knew what trouble or pov-
erty was" was the thought that cor
stantly passed through her mind and how
mo- fowl hne ~A1,N - Il
samel Poor Mrs. A. was confined 70 her
bed for most of that week. The doctor gave
absolute directions that she should do
nothing, and keep entirely quiet A d.
Tection very sensible, indeed, in the cham
Der of ease and competence, but hard to be
observed in poverty and want.
Poor Elem What pains she took that
week to make her mother easy. How
often did she reply 70 her anxious ques-
tons that she felt quite we'll; that her
head did not ache mueh' and various
other things in which the child tried to
persuade herself she was almost speaking
the truth; and during the short snatches
OF time when her mother was asleep, in
the day or evening, she accomplished one
or two pieces of plain work, with the price
OF which she expected to surprise her
mother.
1t was toward evening when Ellen took
her finished work to the elegant dwelling
of Mrs. P. ~ shall get dollar for
this" she said; enough to buy mothers
wine and medicine"
The work is done very neatly," said
Mrs. P, land here is some more I
should like to have finished in the same
way" Ellen looked up wistfully to see if
Mrs. P was about to pay her for the
last work, but Mrs. P--was merely rum
aging drawer for a pattern, which she
put into Elen's hands: having explained
how she wished 1t fitted, she dismissed her
without word of the expected dollar.
Poor Ellen tried half dozen times as
she was going out, 20 turn round and ask
for 1t, but she was diffident girl, and be-
fore she could think of any word for the
request, she found herself In the street.
Mrs. = was an aInIable, kind
hearted woman, but woman who was Sd
used to dollars that she did not know how
great an affair single one might seem To
some people. For the same reason, after
Ellen had worked necessarily at the new
work put into her hands, that she might
get the money for all together, she again
disappointed her IN payment.
IN send the money round tomorrow"
said she, when Ellen at length found
courage to ask for il. but the morrow never
came. and Ellen was forgotten; nor was it
TIL after one or two applications more
that the small sum was paid.
but these sketches are already long
enough, and let US hasten now TO close
them. Mrs. A found liberal friends,
who could appreciate her integrity of prin-
clple and her real worth of character; and
she and the delicate Ellen and the warm
hearted Mary were enabled once more To