The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-02
THE BERRY PICKERS.

apron.
The ragged woman beside her ohuokled
drily.
Killarney knows" said she, showing
her black gums in satirical grin. ssDoes
there be strawberries there, too, Killar-
neyI"
sidy,'' retorted Killarney Ann. .An it's
the nice ould sthraw berry they IL have. Oh,
Godl What time it is, wondherP''
'tIt's about A. said the third woman of
the little squatting group. An do the
pair o. ye now hould yer ,whisht There's
the masther wit his eye on ye.''
The sun broiled down scorchingly from
the blue July sky, making the long six acre
field, with its row upon row of strawberry
plants, as hot as hi, as Killarney said.
There was no shade unless you crept right
into the bitches at the sides, and even
there it was too hot for comfort. At the
top corner of the field beside the gate
stood the leafng house, a small hut, in
which from eight to a dozen girls sat sort
ing the straw berries into long, shallow,
tall handled baskets, which, when filled
and covered cleanly with a white cloth,
were carefully loaded on the van to be taken
to market. The "misthress, !" fine woman,
with red face and a large white apron,
superintendent the labor of the girls with
jealous eye, keeping also a keen lookout
on as much of the field as fell to her view,
lest some of the women should pause in
their work, or maybe moisten their baked
lips with the tempting fruit. The ''mas-
ther'' walked about the place, not confn-
ing himself to any particular field, but ap-
pearing at odd moments to look after the
men in the van or to tramp through the
lines of women, shouting angry words
good humoredly as he went. There were
from 80 to 40 women dotted about, some
in groups, others singly, their backs bent
continually over their work and their hats
or handkerchiefs tied under their sun
withered chins. Their ages ran from 40
to Over go. They were all very ragged and
untidy. Two or three little girls and a
boy or two, with "f1oats'' (wicker baskets)
under their arms, went about from wom-
an to woman, relieving each of hefruit
she had meantime picked in a little tin
paDnikin. These "young waps'' received
for their days work sixpence-that is,
halfpenny an hour, the regular wage for
the women being a penny.
Killarney Ann Strengthened herself
again stealthily as soon as the "masther"
had withdrawn his attention from her
part of the field.
'tWhat time is it at all now, I won
dher?'' said she, with that agonized feel
ing of irrita ton at the long minutes which
proclailns utter WEAKNESS.
Kate Cassidy had moved two three
yards away. and the other woman took no
heed OF the hopeless question.
Killarney had felt the sun in her head
for some time, and now her face turned
a peculiar sickly brown and her breath
came in gasps. A toothless, drink sodden
woman at some distance heard the noise,
and, turning, munbled leeringly, "Are
ye crawsick, Killarney?' This was joke.
The moments dragged themselves out.
At last it grew cooler, and a breeze
sprang up and touched, like bened1ction,
the heads of the patient laborers.
sit must be getting on for g. Killar-
ney mum bled to herself with parched lips.
The row on which she was working
was now despoiled of all the berries ripe
enough for picking, so she stood up with
grunt and stumbled to where Kate was
sitting huddled into heap. Kate was
singing long "come all ye" recording the
experiences of q rich farmers daughter
who lived in the town of Ross, but the
tune died on her lips at Killafney,s face
and sta ggering walk.
"My Godp' said she. "What's an YEP"
The other women looked up in surprise.
"Killarney's dhrunk,'' said one, with a
hoarse chuosle, and the others grinned
alphabetically.
&c Kate, Kate, am sick. Oh, what will
do now at All?'
"Ah, it'll go aft yer' said Kate reassur-
ingly, resuming her work and her wailing
song:
San she coorted highland sou1dyer,
An his name it was Johnny
"Minja. she does LUX badP' whispered
woman. Killarney" she called out,
Eye ought to go ak the misthress to let ye
do laf1n instead O. pickin.''
"No,'' said Killarney, rocking herself
to and fro, 1.-THE misthress and is not in.
She ga me wan and a pinny to get my
shawl out, and it's mad with me she is,
for spint it,
"Musha, how bad she isP' said Kate.
Killarney's breath came in a great gulp,
and her eyes rolled.
My Godl" she gasped, with her hands
olawing her pinned overbodioe. So am dy-
ing-I am dyingi''
She screamed in q choked way and grow
eled on the ground.
The women leaned to look at her with
fear and compassion in their faces. There
was look upon Killarney not to be mis-
taken, and they sent the young wan"
crying and stumbling over the ground to
tell the mist hress.
"Ah, y are always up to yer aDtiosl"
that lady shouted wrathfully as she clamp
ed hurriedly to where the crowd of women
supported Killarney Ann.
''Say your prayers, darlin. Make an
ack," Cassidy was saying TREMENDOUSLY,
the crushed fruit on her apron shining
like blood stains.
run for the priest wan o. yei'' mutter-
ed another.
Sure, there's nothin an her at all only
the sum- said third.
"Wbat are ye up to now, Killarney?
Get up out O. that an don't be gaumactin
out o. vel Dye hear me?"
"Oh, she's dyin, ma'amf' whimpered
Cassidy.
Cassidy and Killarney shared the same
filthy bed in the hovel reserved for the
women's use in the straw berry season.
They both got drunk on porter together
1hau had
known one another for some years.
tShe's dying much as am, ye lazy,
idle pack, vel G'long to your work. III
get her sup O. something up at the
house. Stan up, Killarney.
Perhaps something frightened the mis-
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