Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-01-15
A WHITE ONE.

+ temperature was by no means low, more
especially as the sun was streaming in
through the uncutained windows, but the
laundry girls were used to these nconven-
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 hdifying descrip-
| ton, and the language employed was
| forcible. garnshcd by slang, and not free
/ from superiluOus eNpletiVes, for these girls
were not of the highest type.
There was IA curious tawdriness, or rather
gaudiness, about their for the most part.
ragged dresses, they had big, heavy fringes,
which the steam had taken ont of curl, so
that in nearly every instance they strag
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 (the Ii be-
ing pronounced as if it was the diphthong
ai) This Liza, the preliminary "e" of
whose name was invariably dropped by her
acquaintance, was "A hunchback and her
face, though it possessed the merit of clean
illness, was almost repulsively ugly,
The complexion was sallow, the mouth
badly shaped, the eyebrows obtrusively
dark and heavy: very sad were the eyes
beneath them. had there been any one to
note their wistful 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 be exclusive
and partly because she could on occasion
say unpleasantly sharp things. But there
was one person whom she loved, and that
was Miss Calender.
BY and by the ringing of a bell created a
diversion among the workers Almost
simultaneously eight pairs of red, soapy
arms were drawn out of the washtubs,
eight pairs of red, crinkled hands were
wiped on some portion of convenient ap-
pare and eight pairs of i'll shod feet
trampled into an adjoining room
At II table in this room stood a young
lady, very sweet in appearance and pref
lily dressed. one uOuletl III friendly way
to the girls and shook hands with each
one H. they passed. She had their interest
at heart, and made it her duty to come two
or three times week and provide them
with dinner. This dinner consisted usually,
H. on this occasion, of plate of soup and
large slice of pudding. for which they
paid II penny, II second helping of either
could be had fora farthing so the payment
was merely nominal: but the girls were
exempt from the feeling that they were
the recipients of charity.
The coppers were ''dabbed" down on the
table in a little pile, and Miss Calender
ladled out the soup. which was quickly
and noisily consumed. The young lady
watched the other women, smiling. Per-
fectly dainty herself their roughness did
not seem to repel her.
Girls" she said presently, in her quiet,
clear voice, II am going to give party i'll
the Mission hall Will you Gomez"
There was a chorus of delighted assent,
accompanied by Il general gathering of
spoons on the almost empty plates.
. "l.or Miss: what sort of party might
it be- now?"
,, "Oh, friendly" said Miss Calender.
, Music and plenty to eat. and-you may
bring your sweethearts"
( This caused II prolonged giggling.
, Might we bring more than one?' in
quired Polly Blaines, who enjoyed the dis
i tinctlon of being the prettest of the girls.
Miss Calender shook her head disap-
provngly
; You oughtn't to have more than one"
she said, smiling.
"Oh, rs for that, miss, don't want any,
Pm sure: but there, the more you draws
off. the more they comes on. That's how
it is with men, and that's why them as
don't want 'em always has the most adj
mirers."
And Polly. conscious of fascinating re-
t trousse nose and adimpled chin. tossed her
head in the air.
Whereupon all the girls, not to be out
: done, and by no means reticent on the sub
: ject of their love affairs, fell to talking
/ about them. finding the topic emnently
1 congenial. and treating it in a manner
; which displayed no more vulgarity of
heart than is concealed by certain ladies.
/ Miss Calender rather encouraged than
5 checked them; she liked them to be per-
fectly natural before her, and was glad of
/ anything which gave her an insight into
l their lives and character
Two there were who kept silence-one a
\ little newly married woman to whom love
was too sacred for common speech, and
! Liza.
> The pudding she had begun to attack
| seemed to stick in 'Iiza's throat, and she
Z, had great difficulty in gulping it down,
= for the other hunger of which she was
| often conscious, the hunger of the heart,
+ now so asserted itself rs to make her OBJ
livious of bodily needs. Something there
was, too, of bitterness in her mind as she
, listened to the talk of these others. Per
i, haps Po,ly's words did more to cause it
than anything else Them as don't want
'em always has the most admirers" Look
, ing up she suddenly met the eyes of this
girl. To her morbid imagination they ex-
I pressed pity. perhaps scorn. She Grim
; soned.
/ There was momentary lull, so that
l they all heard her when she said in pc
>, culiarly loud, harsh, defiant voice;
= milne isn't living; mine isn't"
!. "Yoursi Did you have sweetheart
= onceS" asked the married woman, not I'M
gently. though there was the slightest per
/. ceptibe accent on the pronoun.
a