Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1922-10-19
Thuron Frederick County, Maryland Thursday October 49, 1922

put her to work, an keep yen eye or
her."
The woman did as she was hidden
Marie's neat dress was taken away
and in place of 1t she was given a
coarse, ragged and soiled frock that
did not fit her, and then was put to
some rough work in the kitchen. Me-
chanically she performed whatever
task was given her, each one SEEM
ing harder than the last, and follow
ing hard upon it.
"Here, you; go on with yer work
we amt got no time to waste. Go
out to the pump an fill that ERE water
bucket"
The bucket was so heavy she could
scarcely lift it.
"Now take that ERE broom an
sweep out some O. this trash" That
done,
"Go down cellar an bring up the
pertaters fer dinner, an peel 'em; an
min yuh peel 'em right"
Almost falling down the dilapidat-
ed cellarsteps, she obeyed that COM
mand.
"Wash them thar dishes, an set the
table"
That too was done, and when the
dinner was ready,
"Now go an call Brocker, an tell
him we're all ready"
Tremblingly she went into the bar
room, where some rough fellows were
lounging, and gave him the message.
"You tell her she kin wait tell I'm
ready" he yelled at her. When he
came in, scowling, he slammed chair
down at the table and said to Marie,
"Too lazy to set cheer fer me, are
yuh? See yuh do it arter this, or
yuhn go hungry. I'll teach yuh yer
manners"
Filling his plate, he ate like beast;
his wife not much more decently, while
Marie was allowed to stand and wait.
"Ain't yuh got nothin' to do better'n
standin' thar like a dummy" he
snapped at her.
"Go sweep that bar-room," the
woman ordered.
"An' don't yuh make no DUST" ad-
ded Brocker
She did it, although the room was
so filthy, and the smell of liquor so
nauseating, that it almost made her
sick. She had not quite finished the
dirty task when Brocker came stomp
ing in, and shouted, "Ain't through
vet? Yuh1l hev to stir yer stumps
more lively, Moll, ur tharll be troub-
lie. Go git yer grub"
She returned to the kitchen where
the woman gave her a plate with
some broken remnants of the meal,
saving, go set on the doorstep an
eat. I'm agoin' to clear off this ta-
BILE.
The afternoon was like the morn
ing, one task after the other; and so
it was from morning to night, day af-
ter day, week after week, month af
ter month. Marie was made COM
mon drudge, a slave in fact, with no
will of her own, subject to the con-
stant commands and abuse of her cruel
master and mistress. The poor child,
unused to hard labor of any kind, but
so lately the petted favorite of all
with whom she had to do, loved and
INDUCED by all, even by the wild In
dians who had taken her captive, was
now only too glad when night came to
give her temporary release from the
company and cruelty of her tormen-
tors, and she could lie down on the
miserable bed in her dingy little attic,
and lose the consciousness of her mis-
cry, until reused before day by the
harsh voice of master or mistress, she
began again the endless round of her
daily tasks. Her bonnie, winsome face
lost its brightness and grew pale and
thin, and her tender little hands were
redeemed and roughened by the toll to
which they were unused. Her mind
became dull, her blithesome and
sprightly demeanor was changed to
silent acquiescense in her hard lot, and
her very soul seemed crushed within
her by the disgusting loathsomeness
of her surroundings.
Yet she did not quite give up and
yield herself prey to despair; for she
still hoped that as she had been de-
livered from her previous captivity,
she would be from this also; and often
when she had retired to her cheerless
bedroom, her heart sent out its earnest
longings to that One who had helped
her in the past, and she believed would
help her again.
Hope on, hope ever, Marie! The
darkest hour is just before the dawn,
and after these shadows of night the
sun will shine again.
Little by little, as they noticed her
quiet obedience to their exacting de-
mands, and her earnest attempts to
do well what she did, their rough and
imperious demeanor became more sub
dued. The woman no longer gave her
all the hardest work, and even Brocker
the ruffian, was little more consider