The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-06 00:00:00

DRAPERS' ASSISTANTS.

An appeal on behalf of girl seamstresses is made in
the Daily Telegraph. A fair correspondent writes to
describe, with wonderful minuteness, the trials of
"six or eight" young ladies, who have all to work
" fourteen hours every day, and sixteen hours on
Saturday." Of course the tender chords of sympathy
so often touched before by " neglected wives," and
" clerks " whose salaries are small, are again
unwound, and a leading article taking the thousands
milliners in London for its subject, is issued full
of severe rebuke to the givers of fashionable
balls, and the heartless dressmakers of Bond-street,
while the public, who are neither ball-lovers nor dress-
makers, are given a thrilling picture of the monoto-
nous wearying life of the little " draper's assistant."
The Daily Telegi N.)14 is no doubt right in bringing
forward the subject in harrowing colours, and
with due condemnation of the guilty parties. No
one who is returning home at a late hour
of the evening in London can help noticing
the worn faces that pass him in Regent-street,
Oxford-street, and Bond-street, and one cannot help
believing that such haggard and wan looks are caused
by long hours of work, and want of nourishing food,
which wretchedly small earnings will not allow the girls
to buy. The Daily. Telegraph blames all concerned in
this work of murder, " dowagers " and " ladies
anything grand, are reproved for wearing new
"artistic absurdities," every night, giving no mercy
thereby to the makers of such articles, while women
in general are blamed for not shewing common sense
in the choice of their apparel at dances and flower
shows. To the mind of the Telegraph the dress most
suitable to the movements of the dance is a "simple
one," which will not be torn to shreds by even the
slightest touch. Finally, the Telegraph censures the
inspector whose duty under the Factory Act is to
visit all drapers' establishments, for his carelessness
and blindness in cases where cruelty and a hard life
are too obvious on the faces of the girls employed_

THE PRINCE AND THE GLOVE.

In spite of University examinations and scientific

PRICE I d
STAMPED 2d.

associations, and the somewhat alarming catalogue
of feminine acquirements and feminine ambition
constantly paraded before our eyes, it is tolerably cer-
tlin that all English ladies are not yet too wise. The
Derby Day, is famous for its follies, especially on the
homeward road; but the neighbourhood of Tooting
last Wednesday has really the distinction of havinc,
reached the ne plus ultra of absurdity. The
Prince of Wales went to - the Derby.
Passing by Tooting, he raised his hat to
a group of ladies, who were regarding him,
we may suppose, with enthusiastic devotion. In
doing so—fortunate occurrence—he dropped his
glove. Here was a wonderful chance ! A chance to
be striven for valiantly and resolutely. A. scramble,
a rush ensued, and the trophy was borne off in
triumph by the feminine conqueror of Tooting, to the
overwhelming disappointment of her competitors and
to the very natural amusement of the Prince. No doubt
the prize will be carefully treasured and ostenta-
tiJusly displayed. Encouraged by this success, the
ladies of Tooting will henceforward look to the great
race days as eagerly as the bookmakers of the Milo-,
in the expectation of something not " turning up," but
tumbling down for their benefit. Perhaps we did not
need Epsom week to demonstrate that, however wise
and practical our nineteenth century we are not likely
to want either men or women to run the race of folly,
and in this case, at least, no one can dispute that the
ladies are the winners.