The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-01-31
ABOUT SHOP GIRLS.


New York Sun.
A compact and enc rgetic little woman
with neatly brushed hair, high color
and an exceed: ngly business-like man
ner, was busting Gown the floor Of a
great up town dry-goods store recently,
when the pectacie OF solitary man
among several hundred Indifferent
women attracted her attention. The
man could MT endure the situation much
longer. He had b1en stared at, jostled,
ieered, and snubbed until he felt round
shouldered and hollow-eyed.
"What can l do for you, slr" asked
the compact little woman in an agreea-
BILE voice. =. -
"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. I 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 ether
that the best time for casual CONVEX
sation was on Monday after 6 p. M"
"You made the mistake Of approach
ing pretty girls. Men always do that,
and they usually do it with smile that
gives the pretty girl an opportunity.
Plain girls are aiwa' 8 civil with men.
It is habit they acquire early"
81 know all alb. ut shop girls," contin-
ued the little woman, resting a plump
hand on one hip, while she tapped her
teeth thoughtfulIy with long pencil
where it had stuck out like the fish bone
in the head-dress of Fiji Islander. II
have been with them all my life. 1 am
one now, only Pm no longer a
girl, but have three of my own. Pm
superintendent of them here, and l
end them easy to manage. One must
not be the least bit familiar with the
girls, or they will become unmanage-
able"
"A great many of them have been in
much better circumstances, have they
not?"
''That is very common impression,
but one that hasn't the smallest founda.
ton in my opinion. The girls are fond of
giving people that idea. In point of
fact, however, they are almost all of
them the most pretentious and am
bilious members of their families, and
miles above their parents in the social
scale. When woman opposition meets
with misfortune she resolutely 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-
cisive shake of her head. '"The Amer
lean girls are superior in every respect
Intelligence, taste neatness, Quickness.
and courtesy. It may strike you that
there is doubt about the last, but ana
right. The London shop girls are inso.
lent, while here they are only saucy or
impairment, if they offend at all. There
is vast difference. London girls are SO
stupid, you know"
There are many complaintsabout the
girhp, .S5
"Oh, yes, quite number. We OBJ
serve, however, that the complaints al
ways come from. shoppers who are not
ladies'. AWell-bred woman will not find
q disagreeable shop girl in long pill
9rimage in New York. IL the girls are
bothered by questions which no one has
q right to ask, they are very apt to be
With this the lite woman nodded
brightly, thrust the pencil into her
back hair again, and hustled cheerily
ayay. sss.s