Iron County register., 1899-11-30

Tor dear lie on
Mrs. Joseph Denton's second best black
silk dress, which she was again making
over in conformity to tickle Dame
Fashions latest decree.
Miss Matilda felt, indeed, as if she
were veritably stitching for dear life
for, though she sewed industriously all
day, save during such time as her house
hold duties absolutely demanded, and
every day, save Sunday, she still found
1t difficult oftimes to meet the neces-
sary expenses in their little household
of two.
For Miss Matilda was extremely
neat and painstaking in her work, while
her charges were $50 very reasonable, -
as Mrs. Denton, who was one of the
most well-to-do of her patrons, declared
with great satisfaction. In other words,
they were very low, indeed, and her
earnings barely sufficed to pay rent
and furnish a meager supply of the
physical necessities of life for her moth
er and herself; to do even this she rose
early in the morning, and worked late
at night.
1t may never have occurred to Mrs
Denton that the question of reasonable
pay might be a two-sided one. In fact,
when this same second best black silk
dress had been brought for remodel
ing on the last occasion before this one,
and the hard-working little dressmaker
-Ventured to hint that she thought the
work would be worth a certain sum,
the same being about a dollar more
than her usual charges, Mrs. Denton
70 ind
that if Miss Matilda was going to ask
such prices she should thereafter take
her work to Mrs. Gable, who, having
husband willing and competent to
provide the comforts of life, took in
dressmaking at low rates to obtain the
wherewithal for superfuities.
But Mrs. Cables work was not nearly
so well done as Miss Matilda's, as Mrs.
Denton knew by report and personal
experience. 1t is not probable, there
fore, that she would have transferred
her patronage, even if Miss Matilda
had not, with an inaudible sigh as she
thought of the coal bin, thrown off the
extra dollar.
Then Mrs. Denton went down town.
and seeing dainty handkerchief which
with. She did not need it, to be sure,
but 1t was so sweet, and only dol
lar, and Mrs. Denton was feeling quite
,rich just then.
Miss Matilda sat up until IL o'clock
that night, and rose before daylight
the next morning, for, beside the low
state of the coal bin, there was an al
most empty flour barrel to consider.
and the rent would be due next week.
But Matilda Powers was naturally
cheerful little body, and as she told her
minister when he called occasionally.
she hoped she was a Christian
This day, however-it was Just
week before Thanksgiving-whi she
stitched away so industriously on Mrs.
LDenton's black silk dress, her mind
as busy as her slender fingers. she fell
to wondering whether she was a very
good Christian after all.
Here l am" she unused, calling my
self one of the Lords children, and
pretending to trust in Him, vet good
share of the time anxious and worried,
wondering whether I shall be able to
warm and clothe and feed us. I've read
somewhere that trust and worry don't
mingle any more than oil and water.
and il stands to reason that they can't.
Now, then, I'm going to stop worrying
and go to trusting. Yes, I am, from
this very minute.
"And there's another thing about it.
In the new version it says: Believe
that ye have received so why shouldn't
1 begin to thank the Lord that 1 have
the things need, if they're not right