Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1893-11-17
A WHITE ONE.

| "'s' entSA Win steam and i'm
p'eghated with the smell Of soap, and th
temperature was by no means low. NOR
Ipeo'a,y M the sun was streaming il
through the uncurtained windows, but tn
,aunary girls were used to these inconvep
,ences and thought nothing Of them
Iney chatted continuously over thei
work not because they were happy or be
cause they had anything particular to saw
out because they had no conception of til,
! uignity OF silence. The conversation wa
perhaps not OF the most edifying descrip
slon: and the language employed wa.
.orcibie. garnished by slang, and not FIRE,
from superfiuous explosives, for these girl,
We're not Of the highest type.
Inere was curious tawdriness, or ratbe,
gauniness about their, for the most part
ragged dresses; they had big, heavy fringes
which the steam had taken out Of curl. 81
tnat In nearly every instance they stray
gled into the bold eyes beneath them: thei,
races, Too, were in striking contrast to tbei,
nands IN the matter of cleanliness. for i,
was not compulsory to put them in tb,
water to earn livelihood but they were
better in this respect than they would bt
nearer the end of the week, for TODAY was
only Tuesday.
The only exception to the universal nm
tldiness was manifested in the person ot
one whom the girls called Liza (the Ii be
ing pronounced HI If it was the dipbthonp
az. This Liza. the preliminary '.e" OF
whose name was invariably dropped by her
acquaintances, was hunchback, and her
face, though it possessed the merit of clean.
iiness. was almost repulsiveIy ugly.
The complexion was saIlow, the month
badly shaped. the eyebrows obtrusiyelv
dark and heavy; very sad were the ewes
beneath them. had there been any one IN
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 bell created
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 table in this room stood young
lady, very sweet in appearance and pref
lilly dressed. She nodded in a friendly way
to the girls, and shook hands with each
one rs 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.
az on this occasion, Of Il plate of soup and
large slice Of pudding, for which they
paid 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 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, ~ am going to give a party in
the Mission hall. Will you Conner"
There was a chorus of delighted assent.
"SSo'iPohiCu W q Etuerdl cldtJerlOg OF
spoons on the almost empty plates.
"Ior. 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 prolonged giggling
might we bring more than ones" in
quired Polly Blaines, who enjoyed the dis.
junction Of being the prettiest of the girls.
Miss Calender shook her head disap-
provingly.
You oughtnt to have more than one,"
she said, smiling.
"Oh, rs for that miss, don't want any,
I'm sure; but there, the more you draws
off. the more they comes on. That's how
t is with men, and that's why them as
ion't want 'em always has the most ad-
nirers."
And Polly, conscious of fascinating re-
.rouSse nose and Il dimpled chin, tossed her |
head in the air.
Whereupon all the girls, not to be out |
lone, and by no means reticent on the sub |
ect Of their love affairs, fell to talking |
Ibout them. finding the topic eminently |
,ongenial. and treating it in a manner |
which displayed no more vulgarity of |
leart than is concealed by certain ladies.
Mss Calender rather encouraged than |
hecked them; she liked them to be per-
ectly natural before her, and was glad of |
.nything which gave her an insight into
heir lives and character.
Two there were who kept silence-one
title newly married woman to whom love
vas too sacred for common speech, and
Liza.
The pudding she had begun to attack
eemed to stick in 'Liza's throat, and she
nd great difficulty in gulping it down,
or the other hunger Of which she was
ften conscious, the hunger Of the heart,
ow SO asserted itself as to make her OBJ
vious of bodily needs. Something there
7as. too, of bitterness in her mind as she
stened to the talk of these others. Per
APPS Polly's words did more to cause 1t
han anything else. "Them as don't want
I'M always has the most admirers" Look
lg up she suddenly met the eyes of this
irl. To her morbid Imagination they ex.
ressed pity. perhaps scorn. She Grim
oned.
There was momentary lull, 30 that
hey all heard her when she said in pc
uliarly loud, harsh, defiant voice:
milne isn't living: mine isn't"
"Yoursi Did you have sweetheart
meet" asked the married woman, not un
emily. though there was the slightest per
eptible accent on the pronoun.
"And why MOI" asked Liza. and her
dice was louder than before. at isn't
My pretty girls IA has people caring for
I'M. Themes other things besides looks"
'Of course there are. dear" said Miss
aIlender soothingly. for l.iza's eyes
,shed ominously. Goodness in worth
UGH more to good man."