The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-11-26

department liked my work, and n1ys-
teriously | was informed of "raise."
1t was months before l knew the
true inwardness of that raise. This
was after the salesman had followed
ne home one afternoon with tie most
degrading propositions, even threats.
These things | took as matter CT
course; l had not been trained To
Righteousness, moral or physical, as L
have said. But l slapped his face
and turned the key in my door the
minute he stepped outside. | loatned
that oily, uncertain manner OF ms
more than if he had been an undis-
guised brute. l had met plenty CT
the latter, had even come TO nave a
sort of discrimination regarding them.
/ Of course lost my JOB. But ]
iounc another, and life went, along
smoothly for a time. l grew inter-
ested IN the night school and spent
every spare moment in study. After
while ! secured a position as mead
trimmer in a small hat shop. The
best class of people | never saw, Of
course, still l was absorbing much
outside of books.
. For several years l encountered all
the ups and downs of the hardwork--
ing, precariously placed dependent.
During all this time l never went
home, never let my parents know
where l was. l felt that 10 do so
would bring down about my ears the
stack of frail cards was laborioCsly
putting together. But l kept track
of them. They were dragging
through the days, quarreling, uproar-
ious. For them there could be no
change.
| Then l began to study stenography.
1t was long time before | finished
the course, | had so little time to
give to it. But | was quick and
bright, and interested. Moreover, my
health had improved. | was not 50
easily discouraged. And always
felt that inner urging toward-what?
scarcely know, but it pulled me
steadily up and out.
( | was twenty-five when | won my
first position in an office. 1t was a
poor enough job. l know now, but
to me, who craved mental work, it
was heaven. made a good worker,
too, and my employer, being but lit
tie above me in the matter of edu-
cation, was not overly eXacting. That
first year of dictation taking meant
more to me than all my previous
years put together. 1t opened new
world. joined library. | went
regularly to church. began to NEE.
people, nice people, who were kind TO
me. Some of the kindness was pa
tronizing, but was too happy to dis
eliminate. When the pastor of the
church | had been attending sought
me out with an invitation to join a
Working Girls Friendly Society, |
cried for pure joy. If ever | meet
that pastor in heaven-he is dead
now-I want to thank him again. He
could not have known the thirst Of
the soul to which he offered this "cup
of cold water"
After time was able to secure a
better position at salary that to me
seemed kingly, though it was only
fifty dollars a month. | held this
for four years, during which | grew
out of girlhood into wholesome and
happy womanhood. Each week for
years l had regularly mailed small
part of my salary to my parents, an
onymously. Often felt that should
like to see them, but fearing to re
open old wounds dismissed the
thought. But on the occasion of an
unexpected raise, | went to see my
mother. Father was out, she said,
and she kept staring at me in blank,
curious fashion, as if | had been a
total stranger. | told her of my life,
from the moment | slid down the
fire-escape until now. She looked
puzzled.
"Well, well, and l made sure You
was dead. Better not let pappy find
you here; he'll be after your money
all the time"
I GLOW is-he?" | faltered.
! Bad awful bad. l believe he gets
worse every day, Lorena. Look at
that" She drew back her calico
sleeve. On the thin arm were hor-
rirfying bruises.
| began to cry. ooh, mother" |
begged, come away from it all. III
. rent nice llIllt lldI, Vi SolllC looiii'
somewhere, and you and | will live
together. You shall have very COM
fort. I'll take care of you always.
Will you Gomez"
! Did she? Not she! She was al
most indignant at the idea.
Leave my man? Why, Lorena,
YOU know l couldn't do that. I'm
much obliged to you, but cam leave
kim"
| In vain l pleaded; she was ada
rant.
The I'll keep on sending you
II oney, / said, rising.
/ "He ge+s i, every cent Of it, she
admitted. "Wby, Lorena, he wouldn't
let me have doctor when ! was
might near dead?"
"Then, why" l stopped. What
was the use? Poor soul, she couldn {
argue the matter; she only knew that
she would never leave her "man." |
went away depressed and discouraged.
A week afterward | met the man
who lifted the burden and made the
dark places light" l think | recog-
nized from the very first that this
was no ordinary acquaintance. 1t
was raining that day, and hearing
footsteps looked up. He was
standing in the doorway, in a drip