Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-06-07
One Sabbath night in the vestibpl.

One Sabbath night, in the vestibule
of my church, after service woman
feii in commissions. The doctor said
she needed medicine not SO much aa
something to eat. AS she began to re.
vive, in her delirum, she said, gasp.
ingly: Eight cents! Eight cents!
Eight cents! wish / could get il
done! l wish / could get some sleep,
but must get it done! Eight cents!
Eight cents!' We found afterward
that she was making garments at.
cents apiece, and that she could maks
but three of them in day Hear il!
Three times eight are twentyfour!
Hear it, men and women who have
comfortable homes.
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
Womeu's Protective Union reports
case where ,~ae of these poor souls,
finding place where she could get
more wages, resolved to change employ
ers, and went to get her pay for work
done The employer says: 81 hear
you are going to leave me?"-"Yes,"
she said, land | 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 10 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? Some
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? l do
not believe that woman will ever get
justice by woman's ballot
been vicious said: 1.-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 useless life, and then
the tragedy of a wretched eternity.
Compare the life and death of such
one with that of some Christian
aunt that was once blessing to your
household. do not know that she
was ever offered 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 Rock of Ages" for any
sick pauper who asked her AS she
got older, there were days when she
was little sharp. but for the most
part Auntie was a nbeam-just the
one for Christmas eve She knew bet
ter than any one else how to fix
things. Her every prayer, as God
heard it, was full of every
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 a meek and quiet spirit, which,
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!"