San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-01
A WHITE ONE.

temperature was by no means low, more
especially rs the sun was streaming in
through the uncurtained windows, but the
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 superfiuous explosives, for these girls
were not of the highest type.
There was curious tawdriness, or rather
gaudiness, about their, for the most part,
ragged dresses; they had big, heavy fringes,
which the steam had taken out 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 un-
tidiness was manifested in the person of
one whom the girls called Liza (the Ii be-
ing pronounced as if it was the diphthong
all This Liza. the preliminary re" Of
whose name was invariably dropped by her
acQuaintances was a hunch1aSI and her
face, though it possessed the mer,U of clean
illness, was almost repulsively ugly.
The complexion was sallow. the mouth
badly shaped. the eyebrows obtrusvely
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
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 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-
parel and eight pairs of ill shod feet
trampled into an adjoining room.
At u table in this room stood young
lady, very sweet in appearance and pref
tily dressed. She nodded in friendly way
to the girls, and shook hands with each
one as they passed. She had their interest
at heart, and made it her duty to come two
or three times a week and provide them
with dinner. This dinner consisted usually,
~ on this occasion, of 4 plate Of soup and
large slice of pudding, for which they
paid penny; second helping of either
could he 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 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 in
the Mission hall Will you Gomez"
There was chorus of delighted assent,
accompanied by Il general gathering of
spoons on the almost empty plates.
"lsor', Miss; what sort of party might
1t be, now?'
"Oh, friendly" said Miss Calender.
Music and plenty to eat, and-you may
bring your sweethearts"
This caused a prolonged giggling.
Might we bring more than one" in
quired Polly BIaines, who enjoyed the dis
tinction of being the prettiest of the girls.
Miss Calender shook her head disap-
provingly.
You oughtn't to have more than one,"
she said, smiling
"Oh, as for that, miss, don't want any,
Pm sure; but there, the more you draws
of, 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 ad-
mirers."
And Polly, conscious of a fascinating re-
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 eminenrly
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
checked them; she liked them to be per-
fectly natural before her, and was glad of
anything which gave her an insight into
their lives and character.
Two there were who kept silence-one
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 'Liza's throat, and she
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 as to make her OBJ
liyiOus of bodily neadS Something there