Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1901-08-23

any more about her. | have stayed out
my month as ! agreed 10 do, and to-mor-
row | am going TO let her know that / can
not stay any longer. l think shall try a
place In Bondmans after all II seems like
poor sort OF position. after all the dreams
we had at Mount Holyoke; but anything
Is better than what l have been doing !
would not have mother know this, and
have not said as much 10 her yet. Poor
mother, She must be disappointed IN me.
] am in myself. am glad you are so well
suited with your school There is a good
deal Of the blues In this letter. and, 70 tell
the truth. II Is just as feel. A Hired Girl
for Four Weeks How would IL read az
title 20 magazine article? i might get a
few Collars for my experiences IL chose 20
exploit them Instead OF that. have given
them 10 you graus. 5neo-a tear Tor me,
jessie, over the grave of my little. useless
experiment in practical economies. Your
classmate. BARBARA CLARK"
Barbara YEARLY folded the letter,
put It In the envelope, directed IL,
stamped II; and then, being hardly
more than a girl, and very tired
girl. and at the moment one disap.
pointed with herself and all the
world, she laid her head down on the
little table and cried hard. To tel
the truth, il was not the first time
that the little table in the little room
at the back Of the house had seen
Barbara's tears since she had come
TO work at Mrs. Richard Wards as a
"hired girl"
So this was the end of all her he
role enthusiasm for service. IL had
all turned out in disappointment To
begin with, the weather had been in
tensely hot all the time. The work
was harder in many ways than Bar
bara had anticipated. Her mother
had not been we'll One week Mrs
Ward had gone 70 bed with a success
sion of nervous headaches. And so
on with ceaseless recurrence of the
drudgery that grew more and more
tiresome. At the end of the month
Barbara had summed up everything
and resolutely concluded 10 leave.
She had not yet gathered courage
to tell Mrs. Ward. The woman had
been very kind TO her in many ways.
But she was not well, and there were
days when things had occurred that
almost sickened Barbara when she
recalled them. When she went down
stairs the next morning after writ
ing the letter to her former class
mate, Barbara had fully made up her
mind, not only to give notice of her
intention to leave, but to give Mrs.
Ward all her reasons why she could
not work as hired girl any longer.
About ten o'clock in the forenoon
Mrs. Ward came into the kitchen for
something, and Barbara, with a feel
ing that was almost fear, spoke to
her as she was turning to go back
into the dining-room.
IL ought to tell you, Mrs. Ward,
that I have decided TO leave you. Ny
month is up to-day, and I"
Mrs. Ward looked at her in amaze
ment.
What! You are going to leave?
Why, we are more than satisfied with
you!"
But 1 am not with you or the
place" replied Barbara, so spiritedly
that it was the nearest 10 an exhibit
ton of anger that Mrs. Ward had
ever seen in her, during the whole
month.
Mrs. Ward sunk down in a chair.
and a look Of despair came over her
face as she looked at Barbara. Bar
bara, with a white face and trembling
hands, went on with her work at the
table. She was preparing some dish
for baking.
"Why-what-haven't we been kind
Ward was saying TO me this morning
that we ought 10 give you more.
am sure" Mrs. Ward continued eager
", noting Barbara's set expression,
II am sure we would be glad TO make
il four and half a week, or possibly
five"
Its not that" answered Barbara,
in n low voice. She took up the dish
and put il in the oven. and then, after
a moment of hesitation, she sat down
snd looked at Mrs. Ward very
gravely.
What is it, then?" Mrs. Ward
asked hopelessly.
"Do you want me 10 tell you all
the reasons have for leaving?"
Barbara asked the question with a
touch of the feeling she had already
shown.
"Have you made out list?" Mrs.
Ward asked carelessly. II was that
of the woman that had
oftenest tried Barbara.
Eyes, have" replied Barbara; and
she added, with different tone, as if
she had suddenly put a check on her
temper: Mrs. Ward. l don't want
to leave you without giving you good
reasons. fhat would not be fair,
either TO you or to me-"
IL ought to know" replied Mrs.
Ward, slowly. She still looked at Bar
bsra sharply, and Barbara could not
tell exactly what the woman was
really thinking.
Then. in the first place." began
Bar bara, my room is the hottest
room in the house. 1t is right over
the kitchen, it has no good ventila-
ton, and it is not attractive in any
way as a room at the close of hard
days work"
ut is the room my girls have al