Before each of a row of machines in a certain Pittsburg shop, as
described in _Charities_, sits a girl. Each girl picks up a
bolt with her left hand, takes it from the left with her right
hand, feeds it point downward into the machine. When she has
done this 16,000 times, she will have earned ninety-six cents.
Unless she or the machine breaks down, such is her ten-hour day.
In these machine-made days, it is not the monotony of such a
task which is most impressive. The girl of the 16,000 motions
attracts and holds the attention.
With motions fewer in number but infinitely greater in variety,
the day’s work of a family is done. The house-worker is not tied
to a machine. She stands up to her tasks one moment and sits
down the next. She may think of other things, and to-morrow will
be in its duties and performances a little different from to-day.
The house-worker gets tired. Is it really the same grinding,
breaking weariness as that of the girl who sits before the
machine and makes 16,000 identical motions in a ten-hour day?
(2093)
=Monstrous Treatment=--See CRUEL GREED.
=Monument=--See LOVE, FILIAL.
=Monument of Christ=--See PEACE.