River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-01-31
ABOUT SHOP GIRLS.
AN English woman's Observation


An English Woman's Observations,
New York Sul.
A compact and ems rgetic little woman
with neatly brushed hair, high color
and an exceed ngly business-like man
ner, was busting own the floor ct
great up town dry-goods store recently,
when the pectacle of a solitary man
among several hundred indiherent
women attracted her attention. The
man couldn't endure the situation much
longer. He had been stared at, lostled !,
ieered, and snubbed until he felt round
shouldered and hollow-eyed.
'tWhat can | do for YOU, sirY" asked
the compact little woman in an agreea-
BILE voice.
ION, / came in search Conformation"
"Have you found it?
"No. [ can't say that | have. | want
ed to make some inquiries about the
merits of foreign and domestic shop
girls. | asked two of the many young
women here. One told me that the IN
telligence Office was in the basement,
behind the elevator shaft, and the cher
that the best time for casual CONVEX
sation was on Monday after p. m.
"Ycu made the mistake OF approach
1
and they usually do it with a smile that
gives the pretty girl an opportunity
| Plain girls are alwa s civil with men
| 1t is habit they acquire early"
| 81 know all ab-ut shop girls" contin-
ned the little woman, resting a plump
hand on one hip, while she tapped her
| teeth thoughtfully with long pencil
| which she snatched FROM her back hair
| where it had stuck out like the fish bone
| in the head-dress of a Fiji Islander. u
have been with them ali my life. ] am
one now. only Pm no longer a
girl, but have three of my own. I'M
| superintendent of them here, and l
| 6nd them easy to manage. One must
not be the least bit familiar with the
girls, or they viii become unmanage-
able"
"a great many of them have been in
much better circumstances, have they
not?"
THAT is q very common Impression,
| but one that hasn't the smallest founda
ton in my opinion. The girls are fond o.
giving people that idea. In point Of
| fact, however, they are almost all OF
them the most pretentlous and am.
| bilious members OF their iaulIiies, and
miles above their parents in the social
scale. When woman Of position meets
with @ misfortune she resoiutely avoids
| the shop. She will do anything rather
| than come to an establishment like this.
| She takes in sewing, gives painting
or music lessons, or goes out as gov
| erness for half the money the money
| that she could earn here"
| "How do American shop girls com
pare with those in England?'
"There is no comparison whatever.
said the little English woman, with de-
| cisiye shake of her head. The Amer.
| lean girls are superior in every respect
-intelIigence, taste neatness, quickness
and courtesy. 1t may strike you tina
there is doubt about the last, but am
right. The London shop girls are inso
| lent, while here they are only saucy OF
| impairment, if they offend at all. There
| is a vast difference. London girls are SC
stupid, you know
sfThere are many complaints about the
girls2n
ooh, yes, quite a number. We OBJ
serve. however, that the complaints al
ways come from shoppers who are no
| ladies'. A well-bred woman will not inc
disagreeable shop girl IN q long phi
grilnage in New York. III the girls are
| bothered by questions which no one iai
right to ask, they are very apt 70 bt
With this the lite woman nodded
brightly. thrust the pencil into hei
back hair again, and hustled cheeriiy
away.