Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-08-06

erless, Mrs, Vane with all her wealth
aud influence is powerless to give you
any real standing in society Try it
and see"
VI will" replied Barbara, as a plan
occurred to her. But, mother, why
should be Shut out of any society l
might choose to enter, simply because
l am doing good, honest, useful labor
with my hands?"
II do not think you ought to be shut
out, of course. We have gone over the
ground hundred times. But your
position does shut you out. 1t is not a
question of ought, but it does"
"Anyone | might care for would not
regard my position" said Barbara,
stoutly.
Nevertheless, Barbara, you know
as well as anyone that because you
are hired girl in Mrs. Wards house
you do>.not have the place in society
that you would have if you taught
school in Crawford. Why, even in the
church it is clearly fact that you
cannot get the recognition that you
would get if you were doing something
else. Don't you yourself see that
plainly enough?"
Barbara was silent. She was going
oYer in memory the last few Sundays
at Marble Square church. Since that
first Sunday when she had gone with
Mrs. Ward she had been every week
very stupid girl if she had not noticed
the difference between her reception
by different ladies in the church and
that given other young women. A
few women to whom Mrs Ward had
warmly introduced her had treated
her in every respect like anyone else,
with neither patropizing nor hypo-
critical manner.
She had been invited into Bible
class by the uperintendent of the
Sunday school, and had been well
coined without any notice taken of her
position; but, as the weeks went by,
she was simply ignored by the major
1ty OF people to whom Mrs. Ward had
introduced her. One invitation from
warm-hearted member of the class
she had accepted, to take tea at her
house; but her reception by other
young ladies who met her there was
not such as to encourage her to go
again
AS far as the church was concerned,
she found herself simply passed by.
There was no uncivil or coarse con-
tempt of her. There was simply an
ignoring of her as a part Of the Mar:
BILE Square congregation. For various
reasons she had not yet gone to the
Endeavor society. 1t met on Sunday
night before the preaching service,
and so far she had reserved her Sum
day nights as sacred to her mother,
who did not feel able to go out
II acknowledge what you say about
the church, mother. But l may be
partly to blame for it myself. / don't
think the best people in Marble Square
church think any the less of me for
working as a servant"
Maybe not, and yet even the best
people are almost unconsciouslY in:
fiuenced by socia! habits and tradi-
tions. Why, even the minister is in
auenced by them. This new young
man, Mr.-Mr.-what is his name?"
Morton" said Barbara, coloring;
but her mother did not notice, as her
eyes were very poor at night,
.This Mr.. Morton, according to Mrs.
Eane, is a remarkably good and SEN
sible and talented young mani but, if
you were. to join his church and be-
come q worker there, you could not
expect him to ignore the fact that you
were servant girl. He could not
even forget that fact when he was
speaking to YOU"
II don't know why!" Barbara ex-
claimed almost sharply.
Il only used him as an Illustration
of any educated Christian gentleman
anywhere" said Mrs. Clark. looking