January 1905


Pauline


Dear Diary,

Someone came and took a picture of the other workers in the factory today. What will the stranger do with them? Daddy is troubled with this, as he thinks that people will stop letting children work and get pay for their families. Working in the factory is an exhausting, dangerous job. I notice that my hands have cramps in them whenever we walk home in the evening, and some nights I just want to climb into my nice warm bed and not get up in the morning, but I can not do that.

It’s not fair that Arlene gets to stay home. It’s just not fair. Jimmy, the doffer boy who changes the bobbins was hurt today. He will have one less finger for the rest of his life. I feel sorry for him, but he was a little too careless today jumping for the bobbin. My foot aches as Jimmy had landed hard on it when he fell. I feel like Arlene. Not good.

Mr. Godbold told me something that makes me laugh. Tomorrow, Arlene will work at the mill. Arlene. Finally she will get to see how hard my life is. When we got home, Arlene was nowhere to be found. Her dinner sit cold on the back burner and the fire was not burning. The laundry and dishes still dirty. Where is she? My foot throbs so much, there was no supper, I am so tired and yet Mama still made us do Arlene’s jobs that she slacked off on today. Finally, after finishing all Arlene’s work, Mamas favourite child comes home, takes my nice warm seat by the fire, and tells us of Mrs. Harrell’s newborn boy, Aaron. I tell everyone that my Sister must work tomorrow, and Mama fused over Arlene. She gets all the sympathy. Hello, look at my foot, it is swollen! Does only Arlene get attention in this house? I hate her.


Arlene

Dear Diary,

The lint that my family tracks in with them from the mill is all over the house. The house has three rooms that I am supposed to keep in order while my family goes to work. I wish I could go with them to work. I did some chores around the house like feeding the chickens before I start on everyone’s dinner. I hope that Daddy and Josh will like the extra biscuit I put in their pails.

Pauline was there, glaring at me as I approached her and Margret and Katie where laughing at something. I am almost positive that the perfect Pauline was making fun of me. Oh how I hate her. I left the mill to the sound of the whistle screeching behind me, calling its workers back to it.

Mrs. Bertha had me go to Mrs. Harrell’s house today to help her deliver her new baby boy. The only thing is that the chores at home where being left undone, but I went, because they needed my help. I’m sure Mamma and Daddy understood that I was not at home. While I was at The Harrell house I was in charge of taking care of Percy. When he awoke, the boy decided it would be suitable if he bit me! He must have been hungry, so I made him some yellow bread. Looking at the food, my stomach growled fiercely, but I ignored the hunger pangs. This was not my food. I left after Mr. Harrell got home, and rushed into the snow.

When I got home, Mamma gave me a biscuit as supper was cooking. Pauline gave up her seat for me as she was told, but she had a sour face when Mama told her to. Can’t you see that I have just walked home in the snow after a long day of chores that where not mine to be done?!?! You are selfish! I didn’t say these things out loud, but I was screaming it on the inside. My day got better when Pauline said that I was expected at the mill tomorrow to take over a sweeping job. A job at the mill! What I had always hoped for! Tomorrow I will show Pauline and her rotten friends that you do not pick on Arlene.