The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-01
the sewine.sairIs 81 New Yor..
"Macaulayo writes from New York t

'. Macaulay0 writes from New York to
the Rochester Democrat ..5
BY no class Is the approach Of winter
dreaded more than by the poor girls OF This
city. This class numbers at least thirty
thousand, and includes some very WORTHY
characters. Indeed, there are frequent In.
stances of families reduced from wealth to
poverty, and dependent on the earnings of
IN industrious daughter who teaches or
serves In store, and thus keeps her aged
parents from the streets.
The autumn now just closing has been a
very dull season, and most branches of en-
ployment have been diminished. Clafiin g.
Co., who usually employ large numbers of
girls In their cloak department, discharged
most of them early in the, season.
The stamping establishments. whose imi-
tatlon OF embroidery has been 80 very
,, popular, have also discharged large mum.
bers. The book trade has been very slack,
and hundreds, If not thousands, Of book
| folders and paper stitchers have been idle.
The perfumery business Is greatly reduced,
and even dress-making, which improves as
! winter fashions prevail. is unusually dull.
The highest price paid for women's wages
Is FIVE dollars per week; that is, on an
average. a very capable hand In some
shops can make seven dollars, but there
are few that reach that figure. The cheap
est rate Of board is three dollars and q
half, and the reader can form an idea of
the chance these girls have of saving any.
thing.
Having been occasionally brought behind
| the scenes. cannot now gaze into my of
the splendid windows of our fashionable
ago very remarkable piece of embroidery
was exhibited. 1t was noticed In the
papers, and many went to admire the Won
dcrful skill which it manifested. A few
days subsequently strange suicide oc-
CURED. / have not the time to give the
particulars, but the victim was the author
Of that exquisite embroidery, and the story
Of her life and death afforded the crowds q
fresh sensation as they gazed upon this last
effort of despair.
Some of these girls are of very respecta-
bic and even first-class families. which have
fallen into evil times, and thus try to resist
want. knew an excellent man who was
highly related, but who became poor, and
who had several accomplished daughters
who had been very tenderly brought up.
One Of these girls determined to take in fine
sewing, but having no acquaintance in the
trade, she knew not where to get 1t. At
last she made tour through the great
establishments, but sought in vain, and be.
came very nervous and distressed by these
refusals. However, at length, she did get
some materials and an order to complete
them, aud returned home in great haste,
but such was her state OF mind as she en-
tered the room, that she dropped all and
tainted. Her mother and sisters saw at once
what she had done, and after she was re-
stored they all went to work and completed
the task. The girl returned the work and
got more, and thus the family was kept
from suffering until better times dawned
upon them. It was bold movement for q
delicate girl to make, but it saved the fami-
ly, and poverty is apt to make any one
bold-an experience which was early learn
ed.