The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-27
The Badge Of Servitud de

The ladies of the Every Monday Eu-
chre club, lingering over their salad and
coffee at the close of an afternoon, ha-
bitrally lamented the scarcity of ser.
wants in Gardner, ascribing as the
cause that Gardner was a mill town
Mrs. BaScome, lately come from the
south, and secure in her colored Becky
lightly imputed the whole trouble to
the fact that the north was so insistent
upon education. The final word seemed
to have been said when she drawled
conclusively:
MA fathah always said if the work
ing people were educated. it would be
the end of the servant class
AS she spoke she flung her stole over
one shoulder in the fashion of the year,
Joined several of the other club MEM
bers, and departed in a fiutter of gay
talk down the streets deep descent
toward the car. The trolley at this
hour was crowded to the very steps
with the mill hands. and the club
women were obliged to swing INSTEAD
lily from straps, holding their finery
from the floor in indignant protest.
Their Indignation was only partially
appeased when several men sheepishly
abandoned their seats to them AMI
made their way TO the platform and the
solace of tobacco
Most of the mill girls were brave in
their early winter finery, patterned in
close imitation of the custom-made gar
ments of the Euchre club. Some OF
them stared rudely at Mrs. Bascome's
smart little hat that fiared at an unex-
pected angle. then adjusted their stiff
felts, gay with ribbons and scanty
plumes. in a vain attempt at her style
Here and there women dropped with
fatigue. Their hands. in harsh mittens
lay inertly in their laps. while theiJ
lunch boxes. often pathetically masking
as music rolls or cameras, slipped time
and again from their weary grasp. The
younger girls. however. were shouting
and talking together. bridling at the
men. making engagements with them
for balls or the vaudeville.
Then, Name. I'm on to you seq.
and you ought to have heard him
Taught" one girl was confiding.
The ladies lifted their eyebrows ex-
pressively at each other TO show their
annoyance. More weary from Their
pleasure than the mill girls from their
toll, their tired nerves rebeiled against
the unnecessary clamor
Mrs. Bascome had difficulty in hear
Ing what Mrs. Cooley. the president of
the club. was saying above the whir
of the car and the loud clatter but at
u.
she shouted sweetly in return:
mo. Mrs. Cooley. l don't. but If
hear of any one I'll let you know. My
Becky may possibly have friend who
would like the place. What work do
you requiah, Mrs. Cooley, of your sec
ond grip
An intellisent-looking young Ameri-
can girl who sat behind them leaned
forward TO catch the answer.
of waitress and chambermaid. With
only three in the family, there is al
most nothing to do. She could have
every evening off and two afternoons.
counting Sunday. I pay six a week,
yet none but Firms have applied. The
worst of il is, my cook will leave If
don't get some one soon.''
Mrs. Bascome motioned the conductor
to stop. and as she tottered uncertainty
down the moving car. she called merrily
over her shoulder:
Il may apply for that position N.Y.
self, It's very good place.
The young American girl slipped into
the seat Mrs. Bascome's going had left
empty. She glanced hesitatingly at
Mrs. Cooley from time to time as if
about to address her. but before she
had done so Mrs. Cooley left the car
and by pressing her face to the window
the girl had a fieeting picture of her
decorous progress up shaded walk
leading to a large brick house set well
back from the street.
AS the car sped on to the district
where most of the mill people lived. the
girl still sat with her face pressed to
the cool window pane. staring blankly
into the gathering darkness
The trolley had almost reached the
end of the line before she. too. alighted
and walked toward the cottage where
she boarded with the Farley family, her
tagging step growing lighter as she
swung the gate behind her. Although
there was a very neat front entrance
with a dor bell, she made her way d.
rectly TO the kitchen, entering without
the formality of knocking. An elderly
woman of Irish-American lineage
looked up pleasantly from the stove,
where She was frying cakes.
well. Mamie" she said kindly, II
thought We We're lost" Then, divinins
the girls dependency. she asked,
There amt anything wrong. is there?"
Yes. there's a good deal wrong.