The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-01-06
A WaSherwornan

fHEN / was twenty-four years old
| lhI my father died. leaving me, 70
MI my great surprise pennlless.
| Vu There had always been enough
| Wv for comfortable living, but AZ
H fathers death creditors took
| everything-even our cozy little home.
| I lived for a few months with an uncle
1 and helped my aunt with the children,
| but aunt was continually stretching the
| household funds In an ineHectual enoll
TO make ends meet, and ! was most uh-
One night as sat on the bed staring
| at my stockings, which were weh-nlsn
beyond repair / determined to seek q
| position Ask uncle for money | could
| not yet there were things l must nave;
| | went the very next day and entered
! my name in every large store IN the
| city. but | met no encourag cement when !
| acknowledged my inexperience. l watched
| the advertisements and answered many,
| but no one wanted green hand. AFTER
three weeks | told my aunt and uncle
| what | was doing Aunt was dismayed,
| but uncle approved.
II know q man in Sachs he said
Il will speak to him..
As result Of this notice came in less
| than a week that ] was to report lof
stood on my feet six hours the day the
| notice came and increased every day
| thereafter. My feet had the tootnacne
| terribly bnt with perseverance and hot
| salt baths l had them fairly seasoned Dy
/ viii not here take time to relate my
| eleven weeks experience IN tlle SlOfc
The aosition was contining and tiresome
| but / have no great complaints to make.
| could have schooled myself TO the en-
| durance perhaps the enjoyment. OF It.
The trouble lay in the meager wages
| S4.J0 per week. Had ! been able to nave
boarded at home this would have carrieg
me through very well. could nave pala
aunt SO a week for my board had good
home appetizing food and Sl.jO for
clothes and incidentals. But the car rare
to and fro--l6 cents a day-forbade this,
loo flna eft "a fA rf
ces [ would not eat Ills food without
paying for it. So ! sought board near
the store First | paid 81 week for ac-
cOmmndation IN big, dingy mouse, with
a roommate but | found this uncndul
able / had always been accustomed tc
| the privacy OF my own room ana at the
| end of the first week took tiny room
next the roof alone. paying $500 for the
| same with board. There was no heat ~
This room and l really suffered from the
| cold while the ia bic was appalling. The
| next week moved getting a better room
hut a table even more distressing. 1t Is
useless to detail my further experiments
| | had all my life been accustomed TO
| active duties with plenty of outdoor OK
ercise had had a good home table. with
| prtvtle-r OF preparing dishes to suit my
self when regular fare palled. | was now
cond~ed for ten hours 4 day in a crowd
| 3D. confused store and spent my other
| waking hours stretched out resting my
back and feet. OF course, appetite was
poor and the cheap boarding house food
was quite impossible. | spent the dollar
that remained after paying for my board
in luncheons and my stockings
| was told at the store that as a rule,
; | IT took years Of faithful service to get a
raise, and | was sure that l should die
meanwhile. ] began to look for other
employment, but oh, the dreary search
/ No one wanted poor, inexperienced
tenderfoot. AT last one Sunday my eyes
fell upon the ads for housemaids- How
} manv there werel l thought few mo
ments. dressed myself plainly and sailed
5 forth. l avoided ali places where more
{ than one maid was kept for knew two
: would mean roommate, but / answered
seven ads for general housework Every
I one of the seven would have taken me on
Z my face without a word of reference az
: to character or ability. but | continued
on my way until l found what seemed
ideal-a clean. tidy, little house with a
family of two-mother and son. The
lady was gentle and refined, but some
E thing Of an invalid. She liked my looks
| and engaged me on the spot altnough
| refused to wash. She promised to have
4 | a woman come in for half a day to WASH
e | if | would do the ironing. and pay m'
| S4 a week.
) Tho prospect was allurng. I sent mS
| resignation to the store and moved u
I | Mrs. Holmes the next morning.
Now, as far as the work went knew
r | my business. had been housekeeper a
4 | home for many years, and had Tor Shor
! | periods been without a servant, but th'
steady continuity of my duties now over
| whelmed me. My feet had been seasoned
r | to ten hours q day, but here fourteen anc
/ | fifteen We're required, with but little sun
r | day rest The long continuance OF th'
d | work was in some degree due to my IN
| experience, but even when becaml
Z wonted and trained TO my duties ther'
was no hour from a. m. to 10 p. m
t wholly my own for rest. The hot, sweat,
I | kitchen work made me long Tor dali,
: hath. but. OF course. the bathrooM wa
. | denied me; and after carrying water "
Z | two flights Of stairs to my room ana
/ | preparing for a bath the door bell wa:
/ sure to ring Then I would scramble int,
! | my clothes and carry the water dowf
! again. 1t was simply vexation Of spirit
and l soon ceased to bathe with any reg
+ ularity. .u
4 had secured the much coveted privl
: lege of cooking what / liked. but l. founC
q | that hearty meals eaten hurriedy playet
B | havoc with my digestion and murdered
i my appetite. Soon nothing tempted ms
a but daintes, and ! usually gobbled then
t while sitting on the back step to cool off
. | had money in plenty; had bought no
d only stockings. but shoes, gloves, etc.
( and was saving up a little sum for emer
| gencies One Thursday afternoon aftc
e about three months Of this went TO cal
a upon friend. She was packing for
d summer trip and my heart grew sick
g the thought OF my prospects.
e | Just a breath of vacation.
f Cant YOU have it2" she asked.
r [ shook my head Mr.. Holmes take
n his mother away for two weeks. bet Tn
{, to stay and care for the house and dog
That win give you good rest
"Oh, I suppose so. but then It will al
begin again. and-and can't see an.
Of my friends. I'm ashamed to tell then
l. where l am. Now. this was the wors
= Of it, / had many dear friends iron
& whom / was drifting because | could no
J. receive them in my kitchen. | meant I
e he brave. but when my friend looked a
Il me sympathetcally aud said. II wish
( could help YOU. l broke down and wep
= like a baby. She put her arms abou
II me and we were having a good cry whe
y in came the washerwoman with her arm
Is fun of freshly ironed clothes.
Is II seems she had heard part OF our con
!, versa ton and she spoke up.
BEG pardon, but IL | might be SO boil
'r was looking for some cne to help me
N and It the young lady would care |
" try
o 1--WE were both shocked out Of our sen
timentalties.
'Ol no. said my friend. Mana coul
not undertake such hard work as wash
r Z should think not said l. II al
is nearly dead as 1t IS
II But washing by the day is muc
r easier than z housewerk place" insiste
l. Mrs Wheelen 'and I woLld start 70
II III IS quite out of the question I SAID
a decidedly. and Mrs Wheeen went ou
u | evidently feeling hurt.
.e When / thought about It | conclude
1t that | had not received her ofter in quit
IS the right spirit and, asking her addres
from my friend went around to explain
Is | p,,s ArrS NNrheelen did the exDla in ins