The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-21

heard and go nome purring with Virs
tuous sense Of duty done. It never oc-
ours to us that anybody but the men
are responsible for the wretched condi-
tions resulting from intemperance and
that anything except our prayers and
seedlings can work a reform. 1t never
occurs to us to 60 out into the miners
shantics and find out why men take to
drink and whether we can do anything
further than our foreordained task Of
praying and scolding, and passing reso-
lutions Of denunciation, Most of us do
not realize that in one-half the homes
of the mine laborer the table is never
set in a civilized manner but a loaf Of
bread, a hunk" of cheese or bologna
on bare boards satisfy the aesthetic
tastes of the housewife as to a well ap-
pointed, dainty and appetizing meal for
tired husband and sons, and that the
women of the family are apt to have as
strong an appetite for drink as have the
men. We do not seem called upon to
do only missionary work in these locali-
ties where we might be regarded with
distr,ist and suspicion by the Slavs and
Huns and where the beginnings of re-
form might be attended with tnalodor-
Gus accessories and much personal dis
comfort. We prefer to go to prayer
meetings and temperance meetings and
listen to complaints about the apathy
of the churches which mean all others
but our own.
The work in the mining outskirts is
far more promising and far more i'm
portant than the work in New York
slums. because of the permanent condi-
inrc tp1, I, n tn ya 1o1 nd
of the advantages to be gained from
actual contact with the women and
children.
The only one of us who ever touches
these conditions. even on the outside
rim, Is the kindergarten teacher in the
immediate vicinity of the mines. Bless
her sweet patience, and gentleness, she
is doing something while we have
neither time nor inclination for per-
sonal contact with the work. We don't
even like to be narrowed up with read
ing about misery, but we should all
read Mr. Gibbons book. Somehow he
has gone closer to the heart of things
than those who would be expected to
comprehend and understand and SYM
pathiZe.
She was little telephone girl. Now,
If there were to be a reincarnation and
everybody had a choice of what per-
sonality they'd take in the next trans
migration of souls, there would prob
ably be very few demands for two posi-
tions by those who had previously filled
the same--the positions of telephone
girl and clerk at notion counter. To
go on through another life being polite
to disagreeable people for meagre
salary. scarcely offers an inviting pros
pect. The little telephone girl of whom
l write is rather tired of the business
already, but she must do something
in this land of strikes and queer poll
tics. 1t is the women who are sup
porting the great proportion of families
in this valley. for women must work ii
men must strike. There's little to earn
and much to dislike. so she has had
to become one of the toilers.
81 shouldn't mind the work so much"
she said, although the hours are twist
ed and some of the subscribers are ter
rors. There's Mrs " on my division
She is the most impatient person. She
won't wait a second: and the things
she says to me! And then there's Mr.
Y who purrs and calls me my dear
He's horrd old thing and looks like
Noah when he hadn't had shave for
forty days. I saw him once on the
street-Mr. Y. I mean. If only those
old men knew how we hate to be called
'dears' by them. I broke the rules one
day and told him I'd overheard his
granddaughter making plans to elope
with an electric pole man. He was as
mad AS fury and said he hadn't any
granddaughter and that he'd report
me for being rude to subscribers. He
hasn't called one of us dear since.
Then there is Mr.. Steenth, who prom
ised to send me ice cream three times
week if I'd listen to his wife's con-
versation and find out who the person
was that she called up every day at $50.
like ice cream. but told him hadn't
time to listen and any way his wife
didn't call anybody up at $50. He was
actually so pleased that he sent the
ice cream three different days. (That
woman ought to send it to me every
day for the rest Of her life.) "And that
is what I'm coming to-" said the tele-
phone girl. I mean we have griev-
ance about ice water They don't allow
us bit in the Exchange unless we buy
the Ice and really we get so little SAL
AIRY that even few cents week makes
a great difference, so we drink sloppy
warm water, and l think it's shame,
SO l do. Wouldn't you suppose that a
sreat rich company might afford to give
us poor girls a little ice water when we
work so hard and it Is so hot? I do
wish you'd say something about it,"
So here I've said it. Saucy Bess.