What Diantha Did by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
page 35 of 238 (14%)
page 35 of 238 (14%)
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Mr. Henderson R. Bell, To Miss Diantha Bell, Dr. For labor and services-- Two years, two hours a day at 10c. an hour . . . $146.00 Two years, three hours a day at 10c. an hour . . . $219.00 One year, full wages at $5.00 a week . . . $260.00 Six years and a half, three hours a day at 20c . . . $1423.50 -------- $2048.50 Mr. Bell meditated carefully on these figures. To think of that child's labor footing up to two thousand dollars and over! It was lucky a man had a wife and daughters to do this work, or he could never support a family. Then came her school-teaching years. She had always been a fine scholar and he had felt very proud of his girl when she got a good school position in her eighteenth year. California salaries were higher than eastern ones, and times had changed too; the year he taught school he remembered the salary was only $300.00--and he was a man. This girl got $600, next year $700, $800, $900; why it made $3,000 she had earned in four years. Astonishing. Out of this she had a balance in the bank of $550.00. He was pleased to see that she had been so saving. And her clothing account--little enough he admitted for four years and six months, $300.00. All incidentals for the whole time, $50.00--this with her balance made just |
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