My First Working Day by Madge

I remember my first working day very well.  Being only fourteen years of age I was excited but nervous.  I arrived at this big house which was home to nine lodgers.  The landlady took me on a tour of the house pointing out all my duties.  At the top of this four story building I started making beds, dusting, sweeping floors and polishing them.  There were four big bathrooms.  With all the jobs done I then had to sweep, wash and dust four flights of stairs and landings.  Eventually I was down in the main big hallway and I had to do the washing and dusting there.

The landlady came along, went upstairs and checked the work I had done.  When she came back down she was pleased.  She told me to go and have a cup of tea and she would put the polish on the floor and I could shine it off when I finished my tea.  While I was polishing the lodgers started arriving for their lunch.  Happy but very tired I thought I was finished but, Oh no.  This nice lady told me to go in and clean the dining room and the kitchen.  It took me another hour to do that.  I told her I was finished and ready to go home when she said she was short of eggs and would I go to the corner shop to get some.

I got them for her but going up the steps I tripped and broke five or six eggs.  This kind lady opened the door to me and when she saw the broken eggs, told me there would be one shilling and six pence stopped out of my wages.  I was downhearted and disappointed and never went back again.  That was my first working day, a day I will never forget.