Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-08-03

ciaiCorrespondence of Gazette ana journal
NEW York, July 2s.-lt is five minutes
past O'clock. You need no watch TO tell
you the time on the other side, for out of
the great big factories, out of the shops,
out of every place that is not a tenement
house are pouring girls and girls and girls. |
You never dreamed there We're so many in
the world. Few of them over 20, and every |
one of them working hard all day long to |
earn her bread and butter, Is it your girl? |
You shrug your shoulders. You laugh con- |
temptuously. madam. but that young girl |
has every desire that your young daughter |
has. If she chooses musk instead of violet |
for the sweet perfume, it Is because her |
purse allows her to get nothing else; If she
tries to hide her tattered frock under frills
of cheap lace and elaborate bows of ribbon.
j is still the same feminine instinct to
look pretty and dainty that makes your
daughter dream of beauty in cool mulls |
and fresh frills If she turns her head
coquettishly and laughs little foolishly,
2 1t is Just because she is young, and when
we are young even hard work doesn't en-
tirely knock the laughter out of US.
You disclainl her, sir2 and you refuse
her, madam? That makes no difference.
Yon are but a small atom in the universe,
each OF you, and she is the daughter Of the
people. She is not a saint neither is your
girl; and with many temptations surround.
ing her she isn't sinner. Your girl has
none of these temptations, therefore what
credit TO her if she sinneth not.
NOBLE WORKING GIRL.
This daughter of the people comes out
of the cigarette factory, laughing and gig.
Cling, nodding to different acquaintance,
and then, as she leaves the group she is
among, who, by this time, are all singing
about that hard-hearted daddy who
wouldn't buy them "bow-wow.h AS she
turns into the side street where she lives
her face grows sober, she opens her little
purse, and, with tohacco-stained fingers
counts her money. She mumbles to her
self, II think can" and stops and buys,
not bit of ribbon, not the solid gold pn
with real diamond in it that may be
bought for dollar and quarter, but two
oranges. which she selects with the eye of
an expert, and warns the fruit man at the
corner that IF they are not good you will
have TO change them, seeY' Up the
miserable. dirty, wretched old steps trots
youth and beauty, and when home-save
the mark lis reached, she enters thedoor.
These homes are so plentiful on the east
side that the tired cigarette girl sees moth
ing out of the way in hers, but in her
CHEEKY way calls out, "Well granny, how's
your" The answer is indistinct, but the
tiower,betrimmed hat is taken off, All
apron is put over the dress. and in a few
minutes granny's supper is ready. A cup
of tea, slice of bread and butter, and one
OF the two oranges cut open so that 1t
looks appetizing. Granny complains and
complains, but eats just the same; for
when we are old that Is about all we do.
And Madeline sits down and drinks two
cups of weak tea and eats with an appe.
lite that envy, two pieces of bread and
butter.
GOOD TO THE OLD FOLKS.
Then she asks, been lonely, granny ?'
And granny says something about ALWAYS
being lonely and everybody forgetting heI
and Madeline says: "Oh, come now
granny, didn't bring you home pretty
orange. and amt ! got another for you
breakfis?n Then Madeline fixes the teapo
again, and lays out bread and butter anc
some cold potatoes, and fries a piece Of
ham, for she knows her father will be II
III minute. And he comes with the same
cheery cry, well, granny, Maddy beer
takin' care of your He goes off to the
sink and scrubs his face and hands with
brown soap and water until he is shining
and he sits down to the table, has his tei
and his supper, and says, "Now, Maddy
this is comfort" and Madeline smiles, an,
he adds, "Whewl but it was hot OH tn
boat today" and then you realize what h
ls--a stoker. Eight hours of the day he i
down in the hold feeding the engine, an,
itwould seem to you us if he were livinI
in one Of Dante's hels. Madeline afte
everybody is composed, announces tina
she is invited to u party, and that he
steady company is going to take her, AN
the stoker says: Now, Maddy, you are
good girls go and have your fun; but II
member always what your pop says; dan,
ing around ther' don't you take nothin' bu
lemonade. Young men what amounts /
anything are very willin' to have hig
jinks with girls what take little bit 10
much, but when il comes to marryin' 'en
we'll, you know, that's another thing al
me and granny wants to see you get ma
ried some day, Madeline. Granny is goin
70 brace up enough to go to the church
and tell you we will have gay old tim
of it, won't we, Maddy ~ Maddy laughe
and blushed just as your girl might ii. i
a more refined way, you jested abou
young Mr.. millionaire, who is laying hi
orchids and his heart at her feet.
THE UNFORTUNATE SHOP GIRL.
She goes to her own little dark room an
begins to dress for the party. No low nee
frock there; but Maddy's hair is brushe
until 1t shines like ebony, and her shol
have been polished until they glitter Ill
the diamonds down in the pawnbroker
shop. and there is a fluff OF lace and a iii
of ribbons, and somehow, though yt
don't know whether the lace is cotton
the ribbons cheap, the whole effect Is CIR
Sc and charming. Soon the steady compar
comes. He shakes hands with granny; /
discusses the heat with pop. and he lool
ia quite surprised when Maddy, who has d
liberatelY kept him waiting five minute
appears You wouldn't suppose he hl
come for her from his manner; at leas
that Is what he thinks, but the truth
that nobody could ever doubt it, for h
eyes turn to her face as naturally as fir
worshipper's does to The sun. Pop is
take granny up on the roof and promis
to help put her to bed about II o'cloc
but he says. warningly, as the happy pa
GO ''Remembcr, Maddy, what told YOU
II is the early morning, O'clock Al
pop is foused by a noise outside of the doc
It Is opened quickly, and he sees the stea,
company carry ing girl in the room. /
gives one gasp OF horror, but Just back
these two comes voice that says: 'Po
faint me, but we'll take care of her
Gently they loosen her clothes; she is ID
on Maddy's pallet, and while they fan b
Maddy tells the story.
you see, ii was this way, pop. VIII
me an Tom got there, course there was
lot of girls from the factory, an we turn
in an danced; Tom introduced a go
many OF his gentlemen friends to me, a
after I'd ben around the room sometin
Iseen this little girl dancin' an whIrli
not KNOWN the steps at all, an | says
the girl who works next TO me: Kit
who is the new onep And Kitty, she sa,
'oh, she's green, only been over about q
weeks, an this is her first ball. And
says: Where does she live And Xii
says, 'Gavd knows, she's lookin' for son
thin to do. And don't know why, bu
couldn't keep my eye of from that CIR
HOW THIS GIRL WAS TEMPTED.
about II o'clock that gang that is
a. ways hanging around Hennessy's s'lo
comes in, and two of EN- made right aw
for that kid. Pop, she ain't,a day over
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