The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-18
Work for Unemployed Women in nO.tOn.

But ii is at the W0rlI-rOOms at 80 Bed
ford street that most interest centres,
for here the women and aged men are
kept at work in making rag carpets and
quits Pieces accumulate just as fasl
~ ever i'm the average household, but
the average woman has learned better
WAYS of using her time and eyesight, so
tpat materials have been supplied in
abundance both from city stores and
country homes for this work Many an
old lady in the distant country has sent
the contents Of her beloved piece~bag
in the idea Of doing what she could 10
help. and the careful mother has sent
her chudrens haif-worn garments 10 the
workship, with the hope that those which
can be worn may be repaired and sent
out. and the residue form d part OF un-
known rag carpets.
The vast work-room, in which five hun
died women are employed on the ground
floor, forms a very interesting spectacle
aud "A very pitful one too, for the ex-
tremes Of youth and age bend here over
the long low tables. Physical and moral
deformlty appeals 10 the eye and soul
o. the beholder, and it has been a sad
sight in times past to see work fire.
Quentiy interrupted by the fainting or
illness of some of the women. 1t is,
happily. less frequent, since hunger has
been discovered as the cause and meas
uIes have been taken 10 supply them with
adequate food Downstairs the tailors
and inhrm and aged men are employed
ia making the braid or strands for the
rugs and in cutting out the patchwork
pieces The eternal inequality between
womtn's and mems wages crops out here;
women are presumably skilled In the use
of he needle if in nothing else, yet only
get eighty cents a day, for which men
get one dollar. Very frequently the
mans qualification for the work lies SIM
ply in the fact that he is too stupid or
too old To work on a sewer. THE sup
position is, of course said MIR. kilnam,
the superintendent, that the man has a
wife and children dependent on him.
AS an actual fact. the burden rests Of
tener upon the woman. with the added
burden. perhaps, of a lazy and drunken
husband.
There was an old lady. who could not
have been less than eighty-fiye, who was
sewing briskly on a guilt, and wore no
spectacles.
why you're as smart as any Of the
younger folks. auntie,' exclaimed
How old are your
..FNcuse me" she said with a little
smile on lcT race Win mus '''''N
beautiful once, and, indeed. was pretty
now. with it's childish pink and white
complexion, delicate features dark eyes
and sncgy hair, but / never tell my age
TO anybody
Icould hardly keep from laughing al
what seemed a matter Of pride-her age
was so apparent-and then the though
came that she was not quite right IL
her mind Her next words. however
which she whispered in explanation, were
pathetic enough.
you See" she said. 'If told my ag'
they would take me off to the workhouse
Thev don't think that old people arr
any use 10 themselves or anybody else
and ] don't want to go. I'd sooner di
drst-Td sooner die first. I'm smart
even If / am old and ] never had 10 asl
charity before. I've always paid my rem
until this winter. and l can't tell yol
row thankful ] am to the dear Lord AM
all the good people who have let us d
| this work. Everybody has been so goo
| 10 me. My landlady is a Roman Catholi
| and I'm n Protestant. and we have dis
puted about religion. and ] expected she''
| want my room this winter when l cOuldn'
nay the rent But she made the rem
| half as much as il had been before, AM
| told me not 10 pay il until / could ge
| some work. Wasn't that kind Of her.
"Ah. auntie." | said. "You see Christian
| kindness is not q matter Of creed'-Har
| per's Weekly.