Smyrna times., 1877-02-21
London Shop Girls.
THE BITTER LIFE TO WHICH THEY AErAlLorrl


a formidable briar bush in the not inyari
ably rosy path through life OF the industri
Gus artisall-the good, ploGling family man
whose matrimonial union has been blessed
oy numerous pro9cny--is what 10 do with
tue girls when they arrive at an are 10 omit
the paternal abode and provide Tor them.
serves. several courses are open to him,
but mainly there are but three. lie can
have them instructed in the art OF scyint
by machinery, and thus enable them to
earn livelihood as indoor or out.door
"AahGs at some city warehouse: he can
nave thein &pprenticed to some shorkecppr
as counter assistants, or he can consent TO
thtr joining the ranks OF domestic seryi.
tuae. Rathcr than adopt either Of the
other courses mentioned lis young daueli,
Ter goea INTO some respectable house of re-
iiiI o'i7in'as-s0me Ilncn-drapcr's or fancy
5i1t!ohcT ) or millincrs establishment to bc
apPfeht!ced, and become eventually a
codntcr-Woman. There are many l}Iausiblc
reasons tor this selection which caTrv Great
weight, especially with parents Of younc
girls whose one aim in lii. is to appcar
&chtee!. /; is not Il mental occupatiou.
One may appear in it iashiouahly attirod.
an" VITA AaIr arranged after the latest
mode. Lax rlnss and u brooch are not ob-
!ected to, and-noge precious than ALT
Is the lnVallabic ru!c 1T such places never
to address The cml lloyccs by their Christian
names In domestic service this is oltiuos
the blttercat part Of the portion a h:rh-
Spiflle4 young Hou5emal is made to
swallow. She IS expected to bear her
oaIt!Sihai co5noment Just as she is made
10 wear cap ana apron: nay, some mis-
ut%S1s SHOW Themselves So arbitrarily dis
poet rs 10 INSIST on the new servant, what
ever lier name may be, taking that Of the
last, because 1t comes handler and the chill.
dren are used to it. But at the establish.
ment oi the i!ncndyap2r every female as
s!st"nt IS young lady" and is addressed
IN public, as well as in private as Mis-"
But, ai;,. "hen these few aCyantacps. CON.
siderable, though they may be. are enulncr
atc;i, I'll" bright sie OF the picture Is ,,y.
hauStcd. Il Is a Tact rs undcniable as it is
dISEraccin! to an age when crown WORKING
men nave such tender regard iog themselves.
an" are so jcalously watchfu lest their
character oi "tra hours day Shall be in.
ifA&ed, that the shop Girl is one of the
most hardly used oi ti!c human creatures
coinY@i!vu - Labor to9 bread. The terms
on which they are commonly cnca.cd are
o' themselves preposterous, ana afford
nri2Hch"'y evidence of the state Of tie
@rI-lahor market. The ordinary lract;rp
= 70 INSIST on the yo"H:; women first enter
M the business t. serve FROM ono to tv.o
years as o ''ic"rncr," ,luy;ny which finn
She receives no rcmUncr&tion, c.;coutinr
her food and lolg;nr: after w..ic!,, II Sine
mas gwen perfect satisfaction, She VIII Ic.
ceiEe IN the shape OF salary rather more.
perhaps than IS given TO an efficient maid
oi-ai!-""rH But 10 maiG-ot-all-worll who
ever dludsod sinelc-han1cd for a
iaa!uy'y 0t aevcn has sijcn hard time
o. 1t as the shop girl vino is 10 be found at
nc present time in every part Of London.
vi course there are EXCEPTIONS Ii is uan
orally understood that at the most imnor-
dant establishments, where perhaps POO or
ou0 young people Of either sex are enplov
ed, every possible attention is paid to their
personal comfort and moral welfare. that
baths and books and all manner Of health
lul entertainments are provided for theln
alter business hours, which close early in
the evening and allow Il half holiday on
saturday. But where is one such wholesale
place OF business, there are in the metro. |
poHs hundred Of the paltiy sort where
TIE number Of ''hands" cmpi0ycd does NOT
exceed q hail dozen or 50, and where it is |
ioun% necessary to adopt vigorously "cut- |
tIhG system IN order to make business nay |
anu Keep pace with the equally sharp com. |
peIitors. It is at such places where the |
poor shop girl is made to nay the pains and |
penalties which attach to the business |
OF her choice. Eight O'Clock in the morn |
lnG Is the ordinary hour at which these
shops are opened and they remain omen |
until or 10 at night Ninety hours be- /
tween Monday morning and Saturday night |
oi dally work, lnceasant, were il not foY thc |
oilei time allowed for meals, which-sh0p-
room being the first consideration in the
arrangements Of the housc-arc usually
Iakch IN the more or less unwholcsone
kitchen. Crowded with goods in the sum.
ner time the third or fourth rate drancr's
3nop IS unheaTably close and oppressive.
lnd II the place is constantly crowded with
customers, the air OF course suffers in uro.
portion. In the winter time the dYaughts
..ro1@h "oorways, necessarily kept open or
gar Tor business reasons, account for the
mop beng bitterly cold, and for The chill
'Ianed hands and feet from which the
poor Things commonly suffer. Chilblaincd
u sound, however, there is no rest for the
aid iect. mo sitting down" is the rule
niieXIblc at the shop Of the vendor of long.
Hotn aud laceS, and any young lady detcc.
ed IN tho enormous iai4uity OF evading it
while on duty would in first instances be
severely reprlmandcd, and in the second
probably discharged. 1t is a monstrouslv
'rucl rule. and makes one almost wish
hat the Cruelty to Animals bill included
iuman kind so that Mr.. Coiam might step
n.-LoadoN Giobc.