The Democratic advocate., 1908-09-18
'Gllzabetb's
Oosltlon.
By CARL WILLIAMS.
o.,rirbted, 1908. by Associated
COPY Literary Press.

~ emerged from the station to
d .ho horde of shouting hackmen.
ia', o+bpr times she had come to the
At sltr with party or she had been met
S~ "' tbe people whose guest she was to
" This time she came alone to face
lso gs, new life which graduation and a
Examination 5nt to make career had
OPtn' Hor pocketbook was $50, a card
i4h the home address upon it in case
WIZ n..dont and a clipping from the
., aotop % Century. These were the
MVl l.ald and buckIer in the fight she
sn,s ns to make for success. The money
va ,,d keep her going until she OBJ
,,,nad SSn 4 position and the clipping
'ai,I l,M cheer her. 1t was written in
.So So'p editors best style and ran:
w.. E-,izabeth Cady, whose graduation
Miso ~ "The Wider Scope Of Woman S
essa! es:. was the sensation of the high
SPn1lI exercises, will leave for the city
ss"OJa OJav to become valued recruit IN the
My,,t" nt army of commerce. We predict
sLo+ s.ot # will not be long before our ac-
u.ia'rl;ebed uiar townswoman leaves the ranks
.0',ss ~ ossnme an important position OF com
mand.
With such an augury for her future
r,i,aboth could not turn back. Her
,nnthor had sent marked copies to all
.hoir n relatives. and, for her mothers
.oto rs well as her own, Elizabeth
felt that she must succeed.
cba swallowed the lump that came
into her throat and headed for the
strupt car. In other days she had al
rovs taken a cab, but now she felt
tbot she could not afford the expense.
II was at the time when toilers were
roturping to their homes and the cars
n,oro crowded to the rails, but she
lrorely climbed aboard and thankfully
accented Il strap with the feeling that
sba was already one Of the workers.
The Home For Self Supporting Girls,
~ which she had been recommended.
was vastly different from the accom-
modations to which she was accus-
toned The tiny room with its two
iron cots and its duplication of bureaus
and rockers sharply marked the line
that separated the two girls domiciled
together.
There was no homelike air about the
Mace and the chill atmosphere Of the
dining room found a responsive chill
IN her heart. She went to bed early,
feeling that she must stifle her sobs to
avoid annoying her roommate.
She Law in the narrow bed thinking
Of the dainty room at home, with its
white dimity hangings and its great
white bed. II she had listened to Joe
Trenton she would be there tonight
dreaming of the time when she and
Joe would have a home Of their own.
A score Of times Joe had proposed
but Elizabeth had made the career Of
woman her fetch and she would not
sacrifice her freedom. Joe's last effort
had been i'll timed, for he had spoken
on the night of her graduation, when
the plaudits of the audience still rang
in her ears and bits of the essay echoed
loud and clear.
"Perhaps-when l have found my ca
leer," the girl had promised gently,
"but don't you see that to turn back
now upon my own principles would be
false to myself? Others, looking to me
for example, might be tempted to turn
back too
What if they did," argued the man.
DO you have to put happiness from
you just to practice what you preachT'
"Of course" she cried. "We who
would lead must be prepared to sacri-
fee"
In the clation of the moment she had
pictured herself leader of her SEX
she did not hold with the extremists
who argued that woman should vote
and rule the nation, but she had given
herself heart and soul to the theory
mat a woman had right to n career,
and she was her own most enthusias-
tic convert.
NOW she regretted her stand as she
taoked back her sobs, but when morn
ils came she was again strong in her
resolve. She sailed forth with a lis;
u addresses. Toward evening she re
,urned The list had proved unfruit-
lai' and the kindly faced woman at
Tue desk offered words of encourage
nlent that fell upon ears too tired to
grasp their meaning.
mat day was but the first of many.
Yearly she trudged from place to
pace Dut the demand was for skilled
ho .Ners. Some seemed willing to give
lef d trlal If she would serve for var
ms periods without pay, but this was
WI VI the question. She must have a
pUolioh by the time her slender re
,su'ees were exhausted or she must
,utn NJ nome and confess failure.
.ne thought preyed upon her mind
rlu aally she grew thinner and more
%v,tlea S'', until the little woman at the
s,'A, ,sA, whose big, motherly heart was
6,oa, a, enough to embrace her whole
inn Ve' sighed to see her. With beam
dps, lace she came to Elizabeth's room
oNn ls 'he sixth week of her stay and
i,n% Vulced visitor. Elizabeth, think
toS.l ND. one of the many men who had
Oo,~ su ner address had come to an
fnsa, 'e The reconsideration of his re-
earta, made herself tidy and with un-
whora re@d hurried to the parlo1
ente. half dozen other girls wc-r
ina na.ainlng callers. With little gasp
I'm =, ~ she stumbled toward Joe Tren-
% |nv a, sprang forward to greet her.
tow, uunt know that you were in
Ovar sne cried when the greeting was
Sion -. aau they were sitting In the seclu-
NE ln corner. why didn't you lct.