Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-01-14
CHAPTER II.
IT IS SWEET TO TOLL

CHAPTER Ii.
1T IS SWEET TO TOLL
1t was four weeks after Barbara
Clark had been at work as a SHRED
girl' in the Ward family. She was
sitting in her little room at the back
of the house, writing a letter to one
of her classmates in Mt. Holyoke
She wrote slowly, with many grave
pauses and with an anxious look on
her face.
1.-THE fact Is, JESSIE" the letter went on.
after several pages describing part of the
four weeks experience, II have come to
the conclusion that I am not born to be a
reformer. 1t was all very well when we
studied social economies to have our hero
&c Ideals about putting certain theories into
practice, but it is quite another thing to
do it. I thought when I came here that l
might do some great things; but there are
no great things about 1t. just nothing but
drudgery, and thankless drudgery at that.
And yet Mrs. Ward-but I must not say
my month as I agreed to do, and to-mor-
row am going to let her know that can
not stay any longer. I think shall try a
place in Bondman's after all. 1t seems like
poor sort of position, after all the dreams
we had at Mount Holyoke; but anything
Is better than what have been doing. l
would not have mother know this, and /
have not said as much to her vet. 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, to tell
the truth, it is just as feel. "A Hired Girl
for Four Weeks! How would it read as
title to a magazine article? l might get a
few dollars for my experiences If chose to
exploit them. Instead Of that, have given
them to you gratis. Shed q tear for me,
Jessie, over the grave of my little, useless
experiment in practical economics. Your
classmate. BARBARA CLARK"
Barbara YEARLY folded the letter,
put it in the envelope, directed it,
stamped it; 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 tell
the truth, it was not the first time
that the little able 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
roic enthusiasm for service. It had
all turned out in disappointment. To
tensely hot all the time. The work
was harder in many ways than Bar
bara had anticipated. Her mother
had not been well. One week Mrs.
Ward had gone to led 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 to 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 SHRED 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.
II ought to tell you, Mrs. Ward,
that I have decided to leave you. My
month is up to-day, and T.
Mrs. Ward looked at her in amaze
ment.
"What! You are going to leave?
Why, we are more than satisfied with
you!"
"But I am not with you or the
placed" replied Barbara, so spiritedly
that it was the nearest to an exhibit
ton of anger that Mrs. Ward had
ever seen in her, during the whole
month.
Mrs. Ward sunk down in q chair,
and a look of despair came over her
face as she looked at Barbara. Bar
hands, went on with her work at the
table. She was preparing some dish
for baking.
"Why-what--have we been kind
to you? Haven't the wages-Mr.
Ward was saying to me this morning
that we ought to give you more. I
am sure" Mrs. Ward continued eager
ly, noting Barbara,s set expression,
II am sure we would be glad to make
it four and half week, or possibly
five." ~
cts not that" answered Barbara,
in a low voice. She took up the dish
and put it in the oven, and then, after
a moment of hesitation, she sat down
and looked at Mrs. Ward very
gravely. ~. II. s..1 .. x. ssss
What is it. them Mrs. Ward