THE SWEAT-SHOP IN SUMMER
297
One of the saddest sights I ever saw was a group ot three little girls under ten years of age sitting on a tenement-room floor pulling bastings out of neckties the mother and aunt were finishing. The little things were piling up the threads and pre- tending they were balls which they would play with when the night's toil was over. But the little tired eyes grew sleepy long before they were free to play as they had planned.
My employer had two chil- dren who worked in the shop during the day time, and I have every reason to believe that they performed some services after we had gone home. 1
The second morning I was at my place at seven o'clock, a worn and weary creature, to face the hardships of the day, but glad to be allowed to re- turn. I was told that my work was not of a high order, but as I was swifter than many beginners I was regarded as hopeful. Two days' work making pockets quite recon- ciled me to belong to the pocketless sex.
1 Illinois child-labor law in force after July I, 1903 : "Section i. Child under four- teen years. Be it enacted by the people of the state of Illinois, represented in the general assembly : That no child under the age of fourteen years shall be employed, per- mitted or suffered to work at any gainful occupation in any theater, concert hall, or place of amusement where intoxicating liquors are sold, or in any mercantile institu- tion, store, office, hotel, laundry, manufacturing establishment, bowling alley, passen- gen or freight elevator, factory or workshop, or as messenger or driver therefor, within this state. That no child under fourteen years of age shall be employed at any work performed for wages or other compensation, to whomsoever payable, during any por- tion of any month when the public schools of the town, township, or village or city in which he or she resides are in session, nor be employed at any work before the hour of seven o'clock in the morning or after the hour of six o'clock in the evening. Pro- vided, that no child shall be allowed to work more than eight hours in any one day."
GIRLS OF FOURTEEN AND FIFTEEN YEA RS.
