A FEMALE BLACKSMITH.

Evening Star, Issue 5610, 2 March 1881, Page 3

A FEMALE BLACKSMITH.

A correspondent of the London « Daily Telegraph' says : At one forge later on, between nine and ten o'clock, in fact, I discovered a female nailer working under disadvantages that might have daunted an anchor smith. Whether she had a husband whose absence waa accounted for by his being addicted to beer-shop fogging, or whether she had no husband, I did not ask her, and she did not tell ma Anyhow, she was working alone, and she spoke of having "all these brats " to provide for, as though the whole responsibility rested on her poor narrow shoulders, the bones of which were so sharp that they threatened to cut through the flimsy material that covered thorn every time she tugged at the heavy bellows. There were four little children, the oldest about seven, the youngest a baby in "long clothes "—in a calico bedgown, in fact, and nothing else. This solitary article of raiment had once been white, but was now approaching the complexion of a coal sack.

The two children who came between the eldest and youngest were disporting in the ashes, and pummelling each other's awfully dirty little bodies in a fierce struggle for the mangled remains of a wooden doll. There was only its carcass left, and its hair was singed off its head, and the paint on its face all j scorched and blistered ; but the two I infant nailers could not have fought for it more ferociously had it been the choicest prize. The other two children —the oldest and youngest, the former acting the part of nurse to the latter—were deposited in a kind of wooden cradle, that shared with the bellows tho hearth where the fire was. Tho baby was shrieking, and the boy was shouting out a hymn in a vain endeavor to quiet it . One way and another, the mother, poor soul—she was quite a young woman—seemed well nigh distracted as she banged away at her work, bent Beemingly on getting some set task done; the perspiration streamed down Ler face as though she were crying. She stuck to her work, however, the sparks flying-showers of them besprinkled the occupants of the cradle, bat with-

out producing the least effect on those young salamanders—until a shriller shriek than hitherto caused the woman to throw down her hammer and take tho child on her lap as she sat down on t!io j oso of tho anvil. " Hard work !'* "It is just flint, master," she re!)i!v,k«'d in reply to an observation of mine; " and oi'ton I wish I was in Heaven, and out of it all, 'pou my soul and body, I do; 1 raloy get so sick os it."

And as the took tho sooty handkerchief from her head and wiped her wet face with it, a milder form of asseveration would have satisfied me of the probability of tho change suggested being to her advantage. It was in vain she tried to pacify tho squalling child at her lean bosom.

" Hush, then, and mammy'll spare a penny for half a pint of beer presently, and then, perhaps, she'll tuckle down a bit," said tho poor soul, as, protesting against tho mockery offered it, the little rebel stiffened out, and refused either to unbend or leave off shrieking.

" Haven't I got no help in working for 'em all ? No, master, I've got no help. How much can I earn ? Well, it's right slavery to earn a penny an hour at it. More often, especially when this young un o' mine is cross—• it isn't more than ninepence for the whole day. No; we don't live quite on that, sir; I'm 'lowanoed two loaves a week, but it's nigh on four miles to fetch 'em, so I don't know, reckoning the loss of time, that I'm much richer after all. I'm sure I don't know what's coming to the work, and the price they're giving for it It's almost as bad as chain making." " Is that worse than nail making T " For the women it is. Just you go to old Cradley and ask 'em." It was too late to follow her advice that night, but I did so next day.