River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-11-12

helper" broke in the organizer, in a
business-Iike voice. Members of the
union cannot cook and do all the other
housework in addition"
/ faltered on the threshold a mo-
ment, and then fed.
And Edward was away for two
weeksi
Miss Kennedy remained until noon
and then Hannah set the table for
luncheon In the meantime I made up
the beds and set the bedrooms to rights.
After luncheon | called Hannah and
she came to me sullenly.
II shall have to have a helper" she
said, II am not allowed to build the
kitchen fire, or peel the potatoes, or
put on the tea-kettle," here she I'M
folded the rules and regulations. Il
must not cook if | do the upstairs
work, or do the upstairs work If l
cook; there must be second girl for
the general homework, and / must
have a helper in the kitchen. | am
not allowed to put on or lift off ket-
ties, wash the cooking utensils, clean
and fill lamps, carry wood or coal, an
sWer the back door bell-and of course
not the front bell. When I scrub the
floor the helper must get the hot
water ready and bring it to me, with
the soap and brush-and / cannot
sweep the back steps or porch"
"Stopi Stop" l cried. Hannah,
where are we to find a helper, and
what can I get one for?"
'The helper" read Hannah, from her
paper, must be not under Is years OF
age nor over 25 She must be paid
$3.50 a week for the first six weeks,
and three dollars a week after that,
until the Amalgamated Domestic
Union of the United States issues
other orders. She must be a member
of domestic union in good standing,
and she must not work as helper to
anyone not member of the same
union, nor in the house of anyone who
employs nonmembers of the union in
household work"
"But, Hannah" I expostulated. "Do
you know of any helpers?"
"No," said Hannah, eve haven't got
any in our union yet"
what is their work to be-" l asked
"The domestic service helper" an
swered Hannah, Seems to be some
thing like the helper that comes along
with plumber, you know, and hangs
around and goes errands, and so on;
I don't know what shall ever do with
one tagging at my heels, but / must
have one"
And Edward was away. He left no
post office address; said he was to be
in the woods the whole time, and there
was no way to reach him!
The door bell rang Hannah started
to answer it, then stopped, took her
rules and regulations out of her apron
pocket-it was baking day-and then
she looked at me, a slow red mount
ing to her cheeks.
went ard opened the front door to
the new minister's wife, who was maxi
ing her first call.
We talked about the weather, the
church, the Sunday school, the chill
dren, the apple blossoms, the next lee
ture course-and | thought and
thought and thought about the union,
hannah and the mysterious helper.
have heard, since, that the minis
ters wife declared her opinion to be
that l was ga singular woman" l am
not surprised, nor even offended.
When she had gone I went on think
ing, and when the dinner hour came l
was still engaged in that unwonted
occupation of a perhaps too quiet and
injurious mind.
That evening there was a meeting of
the union in Odd Fellows hall, hired
for the occasion. In the morning,
descending to breakfast, found Han
nah sitting upon her trunk in the
kitchen. The trunk held all Hannah's
effects and was strapped and locked,
and awaiting the expressman Han
nah had struck. I paid her the weeks
wages and, after she had gone, I pre-
pared breakfast and ate it with the
children.
And Edward was away!
Two weeks afterwards / was aroused,
early in the morning, by loud thump-
ing and heavy jar The sound seemed
to come from the back part of the
Juse dressed quickly and ran down
tie back stairs. There, on the porch,
SIT Hannah, on her trunk. She looked
Eale and hungry.
/ opened the door.
"The union has busted" said Han
:.ah. LEND me an apron and let me
get breakfast
When the mornings work was over
Hannah told me her story.
1--WE had good time,' said she, cat
first. But when our money was gone
we got tired Miss Kennedy has gone
to Beech Ridge, organizing, and we
never heard from the general fund for
strikers The clearinghouse keepers
wouldn't trust us, nor have us around
after our money gave out, and 1. for
one, have no home to go to. Last night
we met on the steps Of the school
house and voted to dissolve"
"And so the Sandy Beach Domestic
Service Union, No. 1, is no more?"
said.
"It is as dead as a door nail,' said
! Hannah, cheerfully.
Edward came home that evening,
after it was all over, and when l told
him what had happened he only