Norwich bulletin., 1910-11-12
CHILD LABOR

Good enough work. I suppose" was
the answer There's plenty to take
it if I give it up, anyway. Folks like
me can't choose their work" and she
hurried away as if to evade further
questions.
Miss Bliss watched her sorrowfully
as Lena went down the street and join
ed a group of mill girls. Can she be
the bright-faced, happy child that I
used to know" thought the teacher.
Il don't like her looks at all. She used
to be SO neat and Well-mann cred
Certainly the contrast was very great.
Her dress was poor and slattern1y, her
voice harsh. and her face was defiant
longer the pure, sweet shy child of one
year ago. The girls whom she joined
were much older than she, but not the
companions Miss Bliss would choose
for Lena and their coarse loud talk
and laughter rang in her ears as she
went on her way.
For weeks afterward she saw moth
ina of Lena. She was told that the
girl had been i'll of fever, and made a
call at the Breslau house. Lena $
mother evidently felt pleased to have
her daughter remembered by her for
mer teacher The girl had been sick,
she said but had returned to her
work that very day. The boss said
she. very much likes Lena and gifts
,
and for her he keeps the place entire
ly till she can to the mill come back.
He not do that for some Of the girls.
Lena is goot girl
The next day the fire alarm aroused
the community, and soon it was found
that the cotton mill was ON fire. The
streets were filed with an eager throng
rushing toward the burning building,
for 1t was rumored that many of the
girls were imprisoned on the top floor
bv the flames. Among those girls was
Lena BresIau and. in the panic that
| followed the discovery OF the fire,
each thought only of her own safety.
The strong pushed the weak out of
i their way to the front in their hurry
to escape. Lena, weakened by her
recent illness, was forced aside by
! many a rude blow. In vain she pleaded
for help as she saw herself left behind
in the rush toward safety. Help me,
girIs!' cried she: ''the smokes makes
me so faint"
Help yourself" was the heartless
I repiy from one who had protested 70
be her FRIEND its all we can do to
| look out for ourselves
! you've no business TO be here, any
way called out another, taking the
work and pay from us older ones
| We've no time now for kids
| Bewidered by the confusion, she
! CROPPED her way through the dense
| smoke to the fire. escape. only to f1nd
, it crowded with girls shr1eking for aid
/ She turned in another direction, tt
| see the flames coming nearer and near
| err In her terror she plunged from
| one window to another only to fine
! them all barred. At last she sank ex-
! hausted to tha floor. There she was
! found by a fireman, who bore her tc
! the ground. YES" he reported, "sht
| is the last of the girls. Poor little kid
| she was too small to be here, anyway
/ I'm afraid she's done for"
| Kind hands took Lena in charge ant
| tried to revive her, but in vain. The
hard life was over for her, and kind
| ness came too late to save her. Th'
| evening papers We're flied with &C.
counts Of the disaster, and gave grea
| praise to the fiTemen who rescued tn
| girls from the top floor of the mill
| 4sOnlv one life was lost said they
! "a mere child who should have beei
| in school instead of in the mill"
| Now. who was to be blamed for thu
| child's fate? Is the fault to be charg
! ed to the parents greed for gain. o
to the Iaxity of the law which coult
allow the employment Of such chill
/ dren? This all happened many years
ago. and in our state the children ar,
| now better protected, but, even yet
| we have not reached the point, whef'
| the rights of both children and parents
are perfectly adjusted.
AN IDLER.