The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-06-04
One Sabbath night, in the vestibuIe

One Sabbath night, In the vestibule
of my church, after service a woman
fell in commissions. The doctor said
she needed medicine not so much as
something to eat As she began to re-
vive. in her de1irum, she said, gasp
ingly: Eight cents Eight centsi
Eight centsl I wish could get 1T
done! / wish could get some sleep,
but 1 must get il donel Eight centsi
Eight centsp' We found afterward
that she was making garments at
cents apiece, and that she could make
but three of them in a day. Hear It'll
Three times eight are twenty-four!
Hear it men and women who have
comfortable honest
Some of the worst villains Of the city
are the employers of these women
They beat them down to the last
penny, and try to cheat them out of
that The woman must deposit
doller or two before she gets the gar
ments to work on. When the work is
done it is sharply inspected. the most
Insignificant flaws picked out. and the
wages refused, and sometimes the dol
lar deposited not given back. The
Women's Protective Union reports a
case vtAere one of these poor souls,
finding place where she could get
ers, and went to get her pay for work
done The employer says; II hear
you are going to leave me2''-"Yes,"
she said, land L have come to get
what you owe me-" He made no an
swer She said: Are you not going
to pay me?"-''Yes." he said. II will
pay you;" and he kicked her down the
stairs
How are these evils to be eradicated?
What have you to answer, you who
sell coats and have shoes made, and
contract for the southern and western
markets? What help is there, what
panacea. what redemption? Soma
say: "Give women the ballot" What
effect such ballot might have on other
questions / am not here to discuss:
but what would be the effect of femal
suffrage upon woman's wages? do
not believe that woman will ever get
justice by womans ballot
The dying actress whose life had
been vicious said: THE scene closes
Draw the curtain" Generally the
tragedy comes first and the farce
afterward, but in her life it was first
the farce of a useless life. and then
the tragedy of a wretched eternity.
Compare the life and death of such
a one with that of some Christian
household. 1 do not know that she
was ever offered a hand in marriage
She lived single, that untrammelled
she might be somebody's blessing.
Whenever the sick were to be visited,
or the poor to be provided with bread,
she went with blessing. She could
pray, or sing Crock of Ages" for any
sick pauper who asked her. AS she
got older, there were days when she
was a little sharp. but for the most
part Aun tie was a sunbeam-just the
one for Christmas eve She knew bet
things Her every prayer, as God
body who had trouble The bright
est things in all the house dropped
from her fingers. She had peculiar
notions, but the grandest notion she
ever had was to make you happy. She
dressed well-Auntie always dressed
well; but her highest adornment was
that of meek and quiet spirit, winch,
in the sight of God, is of great price.
When she died you all gathered low
ingly about her, and as you carried
her out to rest the Sunday school class
almost covered the coffin with japoni-
cas-; and the poor people stood at the end
of the alley, with their aprons to their
eyes, sobbing bitterly; and the man
of the world said, with Solomon, Her
price was above rubies;' and Jesus, as
unto the maiden in Judea, COM
manded: 81 say unto thee. arise!"
Read the wants" Many of them are
as interesting as news items. See If it
is not so.