The Child Labour Diary of Flora Rutherford
Almonte, Ontario, 1887
by Sarah Ellis
ISBN: 978-0-439-95594-2 Hardcover
224 pages
Ages 9-12
5 ˝" x 7 5/8"
Young Flora is happy to leave the orphanage behind and join her aunt and uncle, even though it means working at a textile mill where there is the constant threat of being injured or going deaf. She writes about her feelings in her diary, addressing her father and mother who died when she was five. Then her uncle loses several fingers at the weaving machine leaving him unable to work, and money is very tight. Can Flora help her aunt and uncle survive?
An Excerpt from Flora's Diary
June 24
Dear Papa and Mama,
I am at home even though it is the middle of the day. I had an accident at the mill. I had crawled under the machine to twist a broken thread when a mouse ran over my bare foot. (I take my shoes off to save them.) It startled me so much that I sat up sharply and hit my head hard on the machine. Next thing I knew was Auntie Janet’s face close to mine and blood on my pinafore. I knocked myself out under there and the only way they could get me out was to drag me by my feet. My head was bleeding where I cut it and my face was scraped from the floor. The doctor came and bandaged me up. Then Auntie Janet walked me home. I wasn’t very steady at walking and I vomited twice in the gutter on the way.
I feel terrible to be such a bother. I know it is not sensible to be scared by a mouse. Mr. Haskin was mean about letting Auntie Janet off to bring me home, even though Agnes said she would mind Auntie Janet’s machine.
My head hurts in two different ways. The pain all over comes in waves and on my face it burns all the time. But mostly I am so sleepy.
June 25
Dear Papa and Mama,
I wanted to go to work today, but when I got up the world was still tipping back and forth. So Auntie made me stay home. Mungo was happy about that.
I have a big lump on my head. Uncle calls it a goose egg. Auntie told me that on the way home yesterday I just kept asking, over and over, “Have I spoiled my pinafore?” I don’t remember that at all. The not remembering is frightening. This morning Uncle James collected my pay, which was not very much because of missing two days. Auntie Janet lost two hours for taking care of me yesterday. That made Uncle angry, but she said, “They’re not likely to be paying me if I’m not working, James.” Auntie and Uncle can disagree about something without getting one bit angry. I wonder if that is another family thing.
Sleepy again.
From Dear Canada: Days of Toil and Tears. Copyright © 2008 by Sarah Ellis. All rights reserved.
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