Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-01-21
A WHITE ONE.

laundry girls were used to these inconven-
fences and thought nothing of them.
They chatted continuously over their
work. not because they were happy or be-
cause they had anything particular to say,
but because they had no conception OF the
dignity OF silence The conversation was
perhaps not of the most edifying descrip-
ton. and the language employed was
forcible garnished by slang, and not free
from superlluous eXpletives for these girls
were not of the highest type.
There was curious tawdriness, or rather
Caudiness, about their, for the most part,
ragged dresses: they had big heavy fringcs
which the steam had taken out of curl, so
that in nearly every instance they strdg-
gled into the bold eyes beneath them: their
faces, too were in striking contrast to their
hands in the matter of cleanliness, for it
was not compulsory to put them in the
water to earn livelihood; but they were
better in this respect than they would be
nearer the end Of the week, for today was
only Tuesday.
The only exception to the universal I'M
tidiness was manifested in the person of
one whom the girls called Liza Uhe Ii be-
ing pronounced as if it was the diphthong
ui). This Liza. the preliminary &c" of
whose name was invariably dropped by her
acQuaintances, was hunchback, and her
face, though it possessed the merit of clean
illness, was almost repulSively ugly
The complexion WAS sallow, he mouth
badly shaped, the eyebrows obtrusively
dark and heavy: very sad We're the eyes
beneath them. had there been any one to
note their wiotful look, but Liza did not
encourage scrutiny, and indeed the brown
eyes were not remarkable in themselves,
and were moreover half hidden by the
dropping lids from which she glanced in a
Sideways half sinister manner. Liza was
not very popular among her companions,
partly because she chose to he exclusive
and partly because she could on occasion
say unpleasautly sharp things. But there
was one person whom she loved, and that
was Miss Calender.
BY aud by the ringing OF bell created a
diversion among the workers. Almost
simultaneously eight pair, OF red, soapy
arms We're drawn out Of the Washtubs,
eight palrs of red, crinklcd hands were
wiped on some portion OF convenient APP
parel and eight pairs Of i'll shod feet
trampled into an adIoinin'; room.
At IA table in this room stood a young
lady. very sweet III appearance and nct-
lilly dressed She nodded in a lrienGl y way
to the girls, and sHoUk hrjnuS with each
al heart, an made it her duty o come tl;o
or three times a week aud provide them
with dinner. This dinner consisted usually,
as on this OCCASION, OF plate Of soup and
large slice Of pudding, for which they
paid II penny, Il second helping OF either
could he had fora fartniug. 50 the payment
was merely nominal; but the girls were
exempt from the feeling that they We're
the recipients OF cuHriY
The cOppcrS were "dlbbcl" down on the
Table in a little pile and Miss tnllcnGtr
ladrd out the soup which WAS quiclIy
and nOisily CONSUMED. The young lady
watched the other women, smiling. Per
fecty dainty herself, their roughness did
not seem TO repcl her
"Girls," she sald presently, in her quiet,
clear voice, II am gong to give party in
the Mission hail. W iii you CONF
There was chorus Of delighted assent,
accompanied by IA general gathering Of
spoons on the almost empty plates,
"lor', Miss what sort OF Il party might
it be, now
"Oh friendly" said Miss Calender.
bring your sweet hearts
This caused Il prolonged gig9lng.
might We bring more than one?" in
uuirrd Polly BlaInes, who enjoyed the dis
tip,,,on NJ h.iro,ta manifest If rho ,,i,Is
Miss Calender shook her hrnd disan.
nrovin,,l,
"Von oncbtn,t to have moro than ono 4,
sbo said .n,ilino
con -. forthrt miss 7 don,t want ,nv
Tn, .I.rn hut rh.re tbn mara van dr,,,.
off rho mora thn,. CANA. ON Th,t,s Lo,,
il 10 win mon and th,t.s WHY tlcn a.
don't want ipu aIvyavs h,. the most I'd
n,irers -
And Polly conscious If . f,s.ina+i,,,, re
trou.se nose and n dimnled chin tossed her
head IN the mir.
U,lor,,,,,,,, ~, l,o ,,i,l, 49,. g. l.. 800.
done. and by no means reticrpt ON the snh
ipct of tbcir love aiIuirs fell tn t,ll,iuo
about thru. Gndin, Tin. ionic nni,,nurIT
ronpeniaI and tr4,fin,, If in = r,",na,
which dis,i,vad mo NOR. vuI,,ar;fv n,
baarr than i. cnncngloL IN, ca,,,,in I,dios
Mis- C.Iiondar rather nncou,,,,,.d tL,r
checked MON sbe l,i.ad tl,.,n fn Inc MAJ.
fectly paturaI bnrore nnr and was ~I.I n
ANYTHING Will IA ,,ava her an in.iohr int,
their lives and character.