Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1899-06-17

" try who have not enough
to eat, and you try to eX-
plain why the present condition of
things must be changed so that the
poor, honest workingmen and women
may have a chance to earn a living,
nine times out of ten they will put up
the old argument that there is work
enough for every body who wants to
work and that the present system is
all right, etc.
Here is what the Boston Traveller, a
"capitalist" paper gives us today. The
story, sad as it is, is as follows:
Weary of struggling against per-
verse fate and despairing, Isabella
Nickerson, pretty 1S-vear- old maid
en- attempted to end her life this morn
ing.
First she wrote letter explaining
the cause of her act to her mother,
who lives in Middle River, near St.
John, N. b.. then she purchased halt
pint of carbolic acid with money she
had borrowed, and, going to herroom
she swallowed the poison.
This act, the closing one, no doubt
of life's Drama replete with pathetic
incidents was performed shortly after
6o'clock in a side room of the lodging
house of the Dudley place, off Dudley
street, Roxbury.
Ten minutes after the young woman
had taken the poison-she was seen
entering the room-the landlady found
her writing in pain in bed, and her
face covered with fngernail lacera-
tiOns.
The police were notified and the suf-
ferer was taken to the city hospital.
She will die, the physicians say.
Behind the deed is a touching story
Ia story of a friendless girls vainless
fight against the world.
Five months ago Isabella Nickerson
kissed her widowed mother goodbye
and started out with hopeful heart
to earn her own living, and at the
same time save enough from her earn
ings to pay her mothers board
She had heard lot about the oppor-
tunities which this city offered to
honest Young women, and she decided
to come here.
Very little money had she as she set
foot in Boston. Still she had a stout
heart, and by persistent efforts she
managed to secure employment in q
v.
hardly enabled her to pay for the
necessities of life. She could only pay
for her board and room on her small
salary.
The wealthy proprietor who used
to see Isabella Nickerson every morn
ing could not discover in her solem
but faircountenance the picture ofpov-
ertv which haunted every moment of
her young life.
But her worst trials were to come.
Faint from fasting she had not the
strength to perform her labors. So
the starving creature was compelled
to give up ter work.
Isabella was of too noble nature
to commit a wrong act. She would
rather starve. The good landlady of
the Dudley-place house gave her gen
erous assisteuce and tried to make her
cheerful. But misfortune had long
before robbed her OF all cheerlulness.
However, the landlady's care had a
telling effect on Isabella. She grew
stronger. Intact, she got "well enough,
to use her own expression "to work
again" With ray of hope left she
called at the factory and made appli-
cation for the position she was forced
to vacate She was tersely told that
her position was filled by competent
person. Managers did not make it a
practice ofholding over Jobs, especially
when the person was not strong
enough to perform her duty properly.
With an aching heart the petitioner
walked out Of the factory. That cold
refusal blasted all her hope.
She went back to her lodgings and
cried herselfto sleep, Nothing could
comfort her. She became delirous.
.Ye sterdav she seemed somewhat inn
proved. But there was a CLEAN i'll her
eyes which the landlady regarded as
ill-omened.' oh, mother, if was with
youl' she moaned last night Her
whole thought seemed to be in the old
home with her mother.
Not wink of sleep did she obtain
last night. Far into this morning the
tramp of her feet on the floor was
heard by the landlady and Others III
the house.
At $50 O'Clock she borrowed a
quarter and went out for the carbolic
acid She was gone but a short time
Then her act was discovered.
This is the story of 1S-yearold lsa-
bella Nickerson, land yet there are those
who, favored with the good things OF
II. a. "a =. G.,