Explore "The Telegraph Girl" by Anthony Trollope on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Three shillings a day to cover all expenses of life, food, raiment, shelter, a room in which to eat and sleep, and fire and light -- and recreation if recreation there might be -- is not much; but when Lucy Graham, the heroine of this tale, found herself alone in the world, she was glad to think that she was able to earn so much by her work, and that thus she possessed the means of independence if she chose to be independent. Her story up to the date with which we are dealing shall be very shortly told. She had lived for many years with a married brother, who was a bookseller in Holborn -- in a small way of business, and burdened with a large family, but still living in decent comfort. In order, however, that she might earn her own bread she had gone into the service of the Crown as a "Telegraph Girl" in the Telegraph Office.3 And there she had remained till the present time, and there she was earning eighteen shillings a week by eight hours' continual work daily.
Her life had been full of occupation, as in her spare hours she had been her brother's assistant in his shop, and had made herself familiar with the details of his trade. But the brother had suddenly died, and it had been quickly decided that the widow and the children should take themselves off to some provincial refuge.