The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1896-05-29

was admitted to a small attic room.
lighted by single window. The floor
was carpetless. A cracked stove, an
old table, large box which served as
a cupboard, a bed, and two or three
broken-backed chairs, were the only
furniture. But though SO bare and
comfortless, the room was clean. Upon
the 5cantily covered bed lay two persons
"a woman of perhaps 35 and little
girl of about six--both evidently i'll and
both sleeping uneasily.
Il asked you to come here because
wanted you to see this" said Thomp-
son in low voice. "This"-with a
comprehensive wave of the hand-"is
my home. You see all my furniture
except what's at the pawnshop. l have
no fire, and no fuel to make it with; no
food, and no money to buy it with.
have little medicine left by the doctor.
but none of the comforts needed by my
sick wife and child. This, madam, is
why asked you for help this morning"
Mrs. Phelps covered her face.
II never dreamed of anything like
this she said.
There are many things which you
rich people never dream Of" said
Thompson, bitterly.
'How long have you been in this de-
plorable condition." asked Mrs. Phelps
To-day is the first I've had to beg"
was the reply; something I'd have
thrown myself into the river rather
than do if it hadn't been for them. But
1 couldn't see them starve. / came to
the city five years and more ago." he
added after moments pause. II had
bad luck, for work was dull. From hav-
ing little house by ourselves, we were
obliged to move here, and then my wife,
who was good seamstress, succeeded
in getting mems trousers to make at IS
cents pair
Eighteen cents a pair!" exclaimed
Mrs. Phelps.
Yes; but the price soon fell to Is
cents, and as / was out of employment,
/ helped with the sewing. By working
from early morning till late at night
we managed to earn enough to pay our
rent and buy sufficient food to keep us
from starving. But the rates went
down, down, down, to 13, to IL, even TO
ten cents a pair"
what! Ten cents for making a
pair of trousers? Who is mean enough
to pay such wages as that?"
1.-THE great clothing firm Of Phelps &
Co., madam!"
Phelps & Co.! Jmpossible!"
"The firm, madam, of which your
husband was the head. / wonder if,
when he gave largely to some library.
church or hospital, he ever thought of
the poor wretches who toiled day and
night, summer and winter, with aching
eyes, weary fingers and hungry
stomachs, that the m" which ground
out his money migf him out a
good-sized grist! | AXE you to
half a dozen families IS very house
who make trousers for Phelps q Co., at
the same prices, and who, like us, have
finished coats at from five to ten cents
each, and make knee pants at 16 to 1s
cents dozen pairs"
Eighteen cents dozen pairs! You
don't mean that?"
"Yes, madam, do. When Phelps &
Co. pay ten cents for making pair of
trousers which sells for five dollars, is
it any wonder that the firm prospers
exceedingly, and that your husband was
able to give away his thousands ?"
This is a revelation to me" said Mrs.
Phelps. II cannot see how you man.
aged to exist at all"
Its been a hard, hard struggle" re-
piled Thompson. with the aid of our
little girl-for she has been sewing ever
since she was four years old-we were
occasionally able to earn dollar in a
day; but that was seldom. We had to
pay dollar and a quarter per week for
this room, and hardly ever had more
than four dollars a week to feed, clothe
and warm the three of us. But for the
last six months the child has been i'll.
Ten days ago my wife took sick, and be-
cause of having to wait on her and the
child / was able to do so little sewing
that the foreman got angry the other
day and refused to give me any more
work. Besides, we have been falling
behind with the rent, and only yester-
day l received notice that il don't pay
mp by the end of the week and my sick
family must leave"
Outrageous! Who is your land
lord?"
Thompson took paper from his
pocket, and, remarking that 1t was his
last receipt, handed it to Mrs. Phelps,
who, after a single glance, started, and
then stood staring at it in open-mouthed
astonishment. For her own name was
affixed to the receipt
'What!" she calculated, as soon as
she could find her voice. This house
mine?"
so it seems