Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-09-17
the table.

C0e CaDle.
As she was herself unable to eat any
thing but the bread, and even that was
doughy. she had an excellent opportunity
TO- observe the girls, whose collective
character began to impress her. What
could they all be, these sallow, grace
less, undcrfed creatures? Not one face
could she detect among the 30 OF 80
confronting her which exhibited u nat
ural gayety Of youth. a sunny pleasure
In living or a normal. vitality. Though
q few were fairly plump, it was not the
rosy plumpness Of health. but rather q
pallid, waxcn chubbincss which was
unpleasant to look at They were nearly
all unnaturaliy constrained and hushed
in their dcmeanor, as If they wers striv-l
ing to conform to q code Of etiquette
which was not natural to them.
"What do all these girls do. and why
are they all here2" {1ulda asked hernew
friend, for it struck her all of y Sudden
that there was something uncsnny
about them all, and that shemhRgself
must present a glaring contrast
what are they here for?" repeated
Hattie. half contemptuously. why.
because they are poor, ! guess; they've
got to make their own living and they
can Z afford anything better a.
"And what do they do for a living2"
Lots Of things. Some are typewrit-
ers like me; some are stenographers
some take in sewing or work in big FAC
Ao.:>c L,k ~~~,t 80 thnv, u,,nSSo o~o
shopgirls." 4.
It was q great relief to Hulda when
the meal was at an end. for, though she
was not easily embarrassed, the contin
ual staring to which she was subjected
could not help making her a little over
conscious But to hey dismay the ma
tron beckoned to her as she was about
to make her escape with Hattie. and
with her sweetest Y. w. G. A smile
begged her to remain.
1--WE have the pleasant habit" abe
said, p~unctuating her sentences with
signs. ''of gathering in the parlor after
dinner, singing hymns This evening
we are SO fortunate as to have with Us
the Rev. DR.. Trump, who has recently
returned from Turkey, where he has
been spreading the gospel of Christi He
has kindly promised to relate 10 US some
Of his remarkable experiences"
All the girls now gathered In the par
lor. each providing herself with o camp
stool as she passed through the hall
The Rev. DR.. Trump made another long
prayer, followed by a hymn, which
dragged woefully,> and finally began to
relate his experience among the Nolan
medans. He was. no doubt, o very good,
but also q very stupid, man. and 1t was
surely no wonder that the MOhammed-
ans had hardened their hearts Gas he ex-
pressed it, and refused to listen to his
preaching. He talked for q full hour
in a highly edifying way about the
Turks, but not q single interesting.
original or luminous remark did he
make about them. The only thing Of
consequence he had discovered during q
three years. sojourn was that 1t pleased
God to harden their hearth like Pha-
raoh's Of old. Some Of the girls went
to sleep, others nodded, and started up
now and then. blinking desperately to
keep awake. and some sat staring with
big rigid eyes and pinched themselves
oonscientiously In order to preserve a
pretense of attention.
When the clergyman had finished.
the matrpn thanked. him most elusive
~ and assured him that they. had had
"a most profitable time" Then they
sang Jerusalem. my happy home" in
which Hulda joined because the air was
familiar to her, and no sooner had hez
pure. rich voice mingled in the some
what confused strain than the other
voices fell away m by one from sheer