The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-08-01
THE KAISER FREDERICK.

VIRGINIA REAL was clerk in the great
store of Pink Il Plodding. She stood in
the lace department, and displayed and
measured till her little body ached every
night. Pink & Plodding tlourished in a
brick and platc-glass block, kept score
or two Of salespeople and runners, and
drapcd all the fashionable world Their
spring and fall "openings" disturbed
square miles Of feminine hearts land
Purscs), and in any season their counters
were thronged. Virginia thought her.
self fortunate at first to be taken into
Pink & Plodding's establishment But
we are I'M grateful beings who tire Of our
blessings. She came to the city lone
creature, with nothing to advance her
except IL letter to the rector of St. Paul's.
The rector of St. Pauls kindly recon-
mendcd her to Mr.. Plodding, who want
ed young woman behind his lace-coun-
ter just then, and Mr. Plodding took her
There she stood day after day, some
times great circles darkening around her
eyes, spreading fabrics, hunting unheard-
OF patterns, and going through violent
gymnastics for hurried customers, who,
perhaps, piled the counters with tangles
up to their chins, and went away leaving
the shop-girl nothing but trouble. She
u
great deal Of dark brown hair, and
swift, dark eyes, and baby hands
when she came to work in tho morning
she was flushed and fresh as sleep and
youth will make the hcaviest-laden of
us all; but, as her day-sands slipped, so
slipped her bloomf till night drove her
haggard and old to her homeless
boarding-place. To be sure. she saw the
world. 1t flowed constantly past her,
loved to hurry and ycX her, and shook its
leisure, its plentcous happiness and full
purse forever in her face
Virginia had no, companions among he1
fcllow-clcrks. They consisted of fluffy
young women and correctly gotten up
men. Girls who hung variegated hair
round their skulls, and who told you q
thing was "vur poorly" or "chawming, u
or "delaightful who, in short, aped all
the dawdf1ng of upper tendon. Men OF
that cut-and-dry appearance which life
bchfnd:a counter gives family man. To
be sure, above. all stoad Miss Blum
the cashier whose mouth shut lille ian
oyster-shcll, and snapped so when it was
forced to unclose that you wouldn't pry
at it often. But she: was not of the low
er earth, earthly. The girls disliked Vir
ginia; they considered her an upstart
ncF reserved ways were airs; ana
altogether, she wasn't "their style ;
they Snubbed her. The cut land dry me1
were so. occupied between the rushcs q
business and mental attempts. tosstnetQh
their salaries, around the yeT that they
forgot this fatherlcssf daughter 4n'stheii
midst.
Mr.. Flooding was leathery old fel
low, who worked his human machines
hard and looked we'll to their operations
The flesh and blood and soul part of them
he had nothing to do with.
Different was Mr.. .Pink-that elegant
being! He was gentleman merchant
whose father had set him up in business
and who did the fast-horse driving of the
establishment, leaving it to old Plodding
to do the st-bargain driving. Mr.. Pink
seldom entered the store, but he delighted
in sending flutter before him when he
did enter. He scattered compliments
and silly, patronizing speeches right ant
left. When Mr.. Pink saw Virginia, hi
fixed his eyes on her and promised tt
amuse himself with that little girl, II Bu'
he never got on withsher!at all. Respect
tul toward him, she yet held herself 81
much above himthat dll hfs boasted shot.
struck below her feet. The serene shop