Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1901-09-06


worship, and you have never asked
me 10 go to church with you, al
though | told you when | came that
| was a member of a Christian En-
deavor society In Fairview before we
moved TO Crawford. | don't mind so
I much being left out of the church
services, but l cannot get over the
/ feeling that as long as | am hired
servant | have no place, so far as my
religious life is concerned, in the fam
/ lily where / serve"
! Contrary 10 Barbara's expectation,
Mrs. Ward did not reply at once: and.
when she did, her voice was not an
! gry. Ii was, rather, sorrowful
/ statement that gave Barbara reason
J TO ask herself still other questions.
There are some places in "A family
that are sacred TO itself Mr. Ward
has always said that he thought the
/ hour of family devotions was one of
the occasions when a family had a
right 10 be all by itself. OF course,
| If friends or strangers happen TO be
present in the home, they are invited
into this inner circle, but not as
right, only as privilege. We have
had so many girls in the house who
for one reason and another would not
come into worship, even if asked that
! for several years we have not asked
them. But the main reason is Mr..
Wards. Is there 10 be no specially
consecrated hour for the family in
its religious life? Is il selfish 10 wish
Tor one spot in the busy day sacred
TO the home circle alone?"
Barbara was silent II have not
wished TO intrude into your family
life. I only felt hungry at times 10
be recognized as religious being
with the rest of you. Would my oc-
casional presence have totally de-
stroyed the sacred nature of your
family circle ?"
20, don't know that IL would"
sighed Mrs. Ward. 81 have only given
you Mr.. Wards reason. He feels
! quite strongly about il. AS TO the
church. Do you think l ought to in
vite my servant 10 go with me?"
81 would il you were working for
me-" replied Barbara. boldly, for she
was on sure ground now, TO her own
mind.
Are you sure?"
at know I would" Barbara replied.
with conviction.
Mrs. Ward did not answer. but sat
looking at Barbara thoughtfully. Bar
bara rose and looked into the oven.
changed a damper. and then went
over 10 the table and stood leaning
against it.
"Your other reasons for leaving?"
Mrs. Ward suddenly asked. AS she
asked it, Carl came into the kitchen
and went up to Barbara.
81 want pie. Make me pie, Bar
bara. won't you?" he asked. climbing
up into a chair at the end Of the table
and rubbing his hands into the -four
still on the kneading-board.
Barbara smiled at him, for they
were good friends. and she had
grown very fond of the child.
"Yes. if your mother thinks best
and you will sit down there like a
good boy and wait little" Carl at
once sat down, only begging that he
might have the dish that Barbara had
used 10 mix eggs and sugar in.
81 have told nearly all the reasons,
! think" Barbara answered slowly,
and she turned toward Mrs. Ward.
"Of course, there is always the rea-
son of the social loss. l don't know
any of the young women in Craw-
ford but. if I did, I do not think
that any of those who have money
or move in social circles would speak
10 me or recognize me for myself il
they ever knew | was a servant"
Mrs. Ward did not answer Barbara
silently confronted her for a moment,
and it was very still in the kitchen
except for the beating of Carl's spoon
on the inside of the cake-dish.
"And then, of course, see no op-
portunity ever TO be anything but
hired girl. How long would you want
me TO work for you, Mrs. Ward, as /
have been doing for the last four
weeks?"
Indefinitely, l suppose" answered
Mrs. Ward, frankly.
"Yes, you see how it is. If | should
be willing to stay with you, might
stay till | was an old, broken-down
woman, always washing dirty dishes,
always messing in a kitchen, always
being looked down upon as an infe
rior, always being only part Of the
machine, my personality ignored anu
my development dwarfed. never receiv-
ing any more wages than when be-
gan, or, at most, only a little more,
always in a dependent, servile posi-
ton. Once a hired girl, always one
so long as You choose to have me and
| consented to stay. Is that a cheer
full prospect for a girl TO consider as
final?"
Mrs. Ward did not answer. Barbara
had spoken out all that the four weeks
had been piling up in her mind. Once
spoken. it relieved her; but she was
troubled over the thought that, even
IL all she said were exactly true, there
was still somewhere in the economic
world a factor of service she had not
fully nor fairly measured. She could
not escape the self-accusation. "Rut