Middletown transcript., 1877-02-24


t. of friends, who were willing to de muC
r for me, for my moneys sake; for th
Or enjoyment from it which they kne
80 would be theirs. But g0u-Whi
OF prompted you that memorable night
for what we're those magic word
st spoken p
IS The brown eyes are dropped unit
Ir hidden against his shoulder, then in
whisper she says, "For Love"
1t LONDON SHOP GIRLS.
y The Bitter Life to which they are AlIotte,
A formidable briar bush in the no
g invariably rosy path through life of tn
! industrious artisan-the good, ploddinl
J family man whose matrimonial unioI
J has been blessed by numerous progen,
lis what to do with the girls whel
4 they arrive at an age to quit the pater
: nal abode and provide for themselves
Several courses are open to him, bu
r mainly there are but three. He car
! have them instructed in the art of sew.
ing by machinery, and thus enable
them to earn a livelihood as indoor OF
outdoor hands at some city ware
; house be can have them apprenticsd
to some shopkeeper as counter assist
ants, or be can consent to their joining
the ranks of domestic ssrvituds. Rather
J than adopt either Of the other courses
mentioned his young daughter goes into
some respectable house of retail busi-
ness--some inen-draper's or fancy sta
toners or milliner's establishment to
be apprenticed, and become eventually
counter woman There are many
plausible reasons for this selection which
carry great weight, especially with par
ents Of young girls whose one aim in
life is to appear 'genteel" 1t is not a
menial occupation One may appear
in it fashionably attired, and With hair
arranged after the latest mode Ear
rings and q brooch are not objected to,
and-more precious than all-it is the
invariable rule at such places never to
address employees by their Christian
names In domestic service this is oft
times the bittercst part Of the portion
high spirited young housemaid is made
to swallow She is expected to bear
her baptismal cognomen just as she is
made to wear cap and apron; nay,
some mistresses show themselves SO
arbitrarily disposed as to insist on the
new servant, whatever her name may
be, taking that of the last, because til
comes handler and the children are used
to it. But at the establishment Of the
linendraper every female assistant is
young lady," and is addressed in pub
lie, as well as in private as ''Miss -
But, alas ! when these few advantages,
considerable though they may be, are
enumerated, the bright side Of the pic
ture is exhausted. 1t is fact as un-
denisble as it is disgraceful to an age |
when grown working men have such
tender regard for themselves, and are
SO jealously watchful lest their charter
of "ten hours day" shall be infringed,
that the shop girl is one Of the most
hardly used Of the human creatures
compelled to labor for bread The
terms on which they are commonly en-
gagged are Of themselves preposterous,
and afford melancholy evidence of the
state of the girl-labor market The
ordinary practice is to insist on the
young woman first entering the busi-
ness to serve from one to two years as
a learner" during which time she re-
ceives no remuneration, excepting her
food and lodging after which, if she
has given perfect satisfaction, she will
receive in the shape of salary rather
more. perhaps, than is given to an eff
eient maid-of-all- work But no maid
of-all-work who ever .drudged single
handed for family of seven has such a
hard time of it as the shop girl who is
to be found at the present time in every
part of London OF course there are
exceptions. 1t is generally understood
that at the most important establish
ments, where perhaps 200 or 300 young
people of either sex are employed, every
possible attention is paid to their per-
sonal comfort and moral welfare, that
baths and books and all manner Of
healthful entertainments are provided
for them after business hours, which
close early in the evening and allow
half holiday on Saturday But where
there is one such wholesale place Of
business. there are in the metropolis a
hundred of the paltry sort, where the ,,
number of hands" employed does net
exceed half dozen or SO, and where it {
is found necessary to adopt vigorously
cutting" system in order to make
business pay and keep pace with the
equally sharp competitors. 1t is at
Iuch places where the poor shop girl is !
made to pay the pains and penalties
which attach to the business Of her
,hoics. Eight o'clock in the morning
5 the ordinary hour at which these /
hops are opened, and they remain open :
Until 8 or 10 at night. Ninety hours
between Monday morning and Saturday !;
light of daily work, incessant, we're it t.
lot for the brief time allowed for meals, :
Vhich-shop-room being the first con- !
liberation in the arrangements of the !,
louse-are usually taken in the more :
II less unwholesome kitchen. Crowded :
With goods in the summer time the =
bird or fourth rate draper's shop is un- 7
'ealably close and oppressive. and if 4
he place is constantly crowded with 9
ustomers, the air of course suffers in :,
In the winter time the :
Iraughts through doOrways, necessarily !,
.ept open or ajar for business reasons, =
ccount for the shop being bitterly cold, I
nd for the chilblained hands and feet : :
rom which the poor things SO com +
lonly suffer Chilblained or sound, - :,
owever. there is no rest for the said y "
Get. "No sitting down" is the rule " :,
at the shop Of the vendor of =
ongcloth and laces, and any young
al datanfad in fba a1o.r,o,,s ;,;.,.:t