The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-08-01


sary, and close calculations were made
as to the food that they could manage
to keep healthy upon Amusements
We're tabooed entirely, no books or pa !
pers were bought, no toys or playthings |
were allowed that cost anything, and
Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthdays !
were dull, empty disappointing times.
The children wore old, patched, faded |
clothes to school and were objects of |
ridicule-a species Of torture to sensi- |
tive children that ought to condemn |
poverty if nothing else could. Mrs. |
Gray never had at any one time enough |
decent articles to dress to appear on |
the street; the children did all the err
rands and paid all her social visits-it !
was seldom remembered, after a while |
outside her own home. that there was
such person." If her calico gown was
whole, her shoes were broken and let
her feet onto 1.-The ground If she could
boast coed pair OF shoes, she had
nothing butua LITTLE shawl to wear on
her head. Often the children were in
the same condition. One winter the
two girls attended school alternately, |
one in the forenoon and the other in the
afternoon, and the same dress and pair !
of shoes answered for both. -.
Their food was coarse, though sub
stantial, and the children scarcely knew
the taste of candy, fruit or nuts; they
were glad if there was enough Of any
thing to 80 around so that no one was
stinted. They had managed to build
a little addition after the last child was
born, SO that they might have room to
turn around in, but the house was all
very poorly furnished. The first carpet
still adorned the front roon,' faded
beyond recognition of any pattern and
darned in a hundred places. A worn
sofa occupied one corner Of the room,
an old stand covered with a, dim, ugly
yellow cloth stood in another; on this
were the lamp, a Bible and a photo
groph album that one of her old girl
hood friends had given Mrs. Gray. A
few cheap pictures decorated the plas-
tered walls, and the thin, yelloWed cur
talns put up the first year still switched
about the windows, soiled and twisted
by little fingers until they looked like
strings. Sometimes the windows were
whole, sometimes they were not; the
only other furniture was the plainest of
tables and chairs, eked out with pine
boxes and old barrels
The father, husband and provider had
toiled like a slave for twelve years
when nature wreakedsher vengeance on
him and made. him. rest whether he
would or no. He was taken down with.
typhoid fever and for six weeks lay in
bed, raving, babb1ing, tossing wildly
about while his already. over burdened
wife nursed him, and the children in
awed silence ;erept bout doing the work
that was absolutely necessary. A few
neighbors came in now land then and
offered their assistance, but they were
all hard workers fa poor, and had lit
tie time ..i< zi IS.
The weary, Wea ryyss time was lived;
through at last, but the day. of Tying
off the debt was indefinitely postponed.
Still, pooro Homer Gray enjoyed the
| happiest, most peaceful time Of his life
| in the two weeks: when, convalencent
but not yet aroused to the cares and
anxieties Of this hard life, tenderly
waited upon by wife and children, he
unquestioningly accepted his first wa
cation with the trust and delight of
| child. 'E'.
| W. 0SSAf
well enough to work he was back at
his old place again, toiling twelve hours
a day with no Sundays and no holidays
The old, dull routine. went on, the old,
grind which reduced flesh and blood
and intelligence into waste refuse, con-
tinued. It went on for several years
more, until his oldest daughter was
twenty and married to young carpen-
ter who took her to "a modest little
home Of his own. The oldest boy went
| West to try his chances on cattle
| farm; some one had recommended him
to big owner out there, and the boy
was eager to go. The next child, a
girl, secured a place in a millinery store,
where she could learn the trade and
earn a little money for herself. She
had received all the education her dis
trict school afforded and could scarcely
expect more for one in "her station in
life." The two younger children were
sturdy fellows, still going TO school, but
able to help father and mother a great
deal The debt was nearer being paid
off than ever before. It looked now as
though "the old folks"--as yet scarcely
forty-flve years old-might enjoy a. lit
tie comfort and freedom from the old
carking cares that had, weighted down
all their lives.
At last ever cent. was paid, the mort
gage yielded: UP" and destroyed. Mr.
Gray asked for a holiday for the first
time in his life: He invited his married
daughter and her husband to a good
dinner and he, sat among his family
trying to. 1hes41rnraafliant. ~: But the habit
of years :Wasa strong upon him. When
he would have smiled, he lapsed into
absent minded reyeries: he essayed to
tell some old, half-forgotten stories, but
never finished them, and frequently
started up saying he must get back to
work. only. to- smilt pathetically and
say he forgot" Bit they We're re-
joiced to see. ".father" relaxing. even this
much and sitting about with nothing to
do. So the day was nearly a. success
after all.
The man began: to dream of better
days, He imagined the deep enjoy