The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-16
WORK ALL SHE ASKS.
a Widow With Two Children Tells
Of Her Struggle to i, ~. :.
-. -. :--r' r.
She Has Worked. Twenty Hours a
Day to Make Both Ends
Meet. r.. -

$S "tDon't worry, little woman, you
can always call on us II you're In
trouble s8S
s. That's what my husbands friends
used to tell nae, said the widow to-
day. When he was dying here in
But after they had buried him they
never came to see me again.
HE had many friends; he was
member Of six prominent fraternal
societies. And to-day, with two chill
.dren to support, I have cents in my
purse. -,
: ..Yet it isn't charity I want-it's
work. Whenever T. meet one Of my
husbands many society brothers I.
it. can do any kind Of plain and
fancy needle work. can make fine
underwear and children's clothes
and many kinds of ornamental things.
Yes, I can work fast, too, and long,
for my babies. But I can't get work
enough to do" 49,. ...Fz s-..i a.s5 =. -.
This weary-eyed woman Of 80. had
just turned away from the door of
her flat Son Eighth street S., near,
ing machine agency. IT can't make
a payment now" she said. II hope
T can give you something next week."
'My father was a clergyman" she
resumed. He was a frontier pastor,
and, of course, he was poor. I did
not have an easy childhood. But my
husband worked hard, and just before
he died he had begun to receive a
large salary as a travelling man.
Then he was taken sick here and he
passed seven months in the hospital.
He belonged to six fraternal orders
| and they cared for him we'll in the
hospital, but now-o1l,& II wish they'd
only help me to get work.
! Worked Twenty Hours a Day.
Il have tried to get on. I used my
bit of life insurance money to buy an
old six-room house away out on
Bryant avenue; and all last summer
used to get up at 4 o'clock in the
morning, milk the COW, feed the
chickens, take care Of the garden,
and get breakfast for my two board
| ers. Then I'd go out sewing at 8
| o'clock and get back in time to pre-
pare dinner for my family. After
dinner I'd fix up the clothes of my
boy and girl-he's 10 and she's s.
and do the washing and the house
work, so I could get to bed at mid
might. That left me four hours
/ jsleep-not quite enough, perhaps
/ been far enough down town to keep
4 boarders steadily, and i'll could have
got enough sewing to do. -
Delong to church and I have
| worked for some Of the church PEG.
pie and for other women. Many OF
/ them don't want to give me more
! than 81 a day, and I can't afford tc
my family on 80 cents a day. One
woman forced me to take IS cents
/ apiece, instead of 81, for making two
frocks for her little girl. Then the
woman smiled and said that slle6
saved SO cents and she guessed shed
not in our congregatio objected
4 very much to giving me $1.25 q day
and insisted on deducting from tl1a-
the time I took to eat a cold luncheon
i in her house.
lily boy wanted to be telegraph
messenger. But he's small for his age
and the manager said he'd better e
/ fishing till he had a chance to grow.
4 But the child wants to help me. Wher
8 he heard last night how my money
4 was nearly gone he said, e, sif vol
land me could only pay for every
thing, just everything, we wouldn'
q care how hard we worked, would
4 we 2 81. 81
4 .5 This mother, SO eager to reciprocal
Iher children's devotion, has refraines
I, from appealing formally to the SO
q scieties with whom her husband wa
4, affiliated. She has made her want
{. knows; that is, her desire for stead,
!, employment, to no more than a few
individuals Of the several fraternities
{ Her own sincerity Is vouched for b
1.-The Young Women's Christian asso
!. citation.
, Competition of Bazars.
The widow agreed with Thomas A
3 Abbott Of the Associated Charities, 81
Il Paul, who declared Sunday, at ]
meeting OF the association, that w1le