The two magazines published by the mill-girls, the "Lowell
Offering" and the "Operatives' Magazine," originated with
literary meetings in the vestry of two religious societies, the
first in the Universalist Church, the second in the First
Congregational, to which my sister and I belonged.
On account of our belonging there, our contributions were given
to the "Operatives' Magazine," the first periodical for which I
ever wrote, issued by the literary society of which our minister
took charge. He met us on regular evenings, read aloud our poems
and sketches, and made such critical suggestions as he thought
desirable. This magazine was edited by two young women, both of
whom had been employed in the mills, although at that time the
were teachers in the public schools--a change which was often
made by mill-girls after a few months' residence at Lowell. A
great many of them were district-school teachers at their homes
in the summer, spending only the winters at their work.
The two magazines went on side by side for a year or two, and
then were united in the "Lowell Offering" which had made the
first experiment of the kind by publishing a trial number or two
at irregular intervals.
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