Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-28


treasure and blood 10 keep the flag way-
ing over sumter, Boston works thousands
! OF lis youK women literally to death and
! puts only commercial Vaue on their
! bodies. Shut a race horse llp in one OF its
DlS dry goods stores, where hundreds of
BostOn's girls stand behind counters from
morning till night, and that would be a
ueau morse In SIX months. | went into
/ one OF these commercial sweat-boxes the
! other day, and was Obliged To note the
effect of this high living on the girls.
/ There was evident every stage of exhaus-
! ton IN their listless attitudes and fratfnl
/ expressions. The air was foul with the
emanations from the thousands of bodies
ever coming and going, TO which every
variety OF merchandise lent its Deeuliar
OQor. Ii was a vast, low-roofed cavern
| up stairs and down, built of a series of
oId dWelllng-h0uses knocked into one, and
IuiI oI hooks ana angles, windings and
turnlnRs, unexpected holes and corners
! Once inside 1t needed a guide TO find the
the street door. No honest physician
would dare say 1t was a fit place for
rich mans daughter 10 live in, But these
were all poor mems daughters. "Wby.
they look we'll enough" said n lady To
whom l complained about it. Look wellf
Why, the sick ones don't stay there They
won't let them. There is not room for
beds on the floor. The patients would
interfere with business. Who knows how
many Of these girls and children break
DOWN. They don't keep the invalids for
! show
A well-bred girl, whose parents fortune
had suddenly tumbled, and who had never
seen this side of the Boston GRIPS life. an
| piled to one Of these big Boston merchants
for situation. ''What is the salary ~
she asked.
''FOur dollars a week" 'Four dollars a
WeekT' In her days Of prosperity that
was about the size Of her daily spin
money! pile, elbow do you expect me
out of 81 to pay my board, clothes, and my
daily car fare to and from the Highlands %
she asked. "Ihats not my affair."" said
| be. THAT'S what we pay, and there are
/ plenty OF girls to be had at that price,"
Then he became confidential, aye, ten
der.
| You're pretty goOd-lOoking girl" he
remarked. "Why, you ought to do we'll
! enough. I'll tell vow what | will do.
can visit you occasionally and-PH pay
| your room rent"
| : Before the young lady knew what she
I Was saying, she said: you're too cheap
! altegether.Y
! This was new world to her. She had
/ often stood before that same counter,
/ made purchases and poured many a "a
| into that merchants till.
| He was u every respectable" man; a
| church member, and person of social
/ prominence and standing. And he thought
| he knew the ground he was on, and that
| it WAS secure, because women are very
| plentiful in Boston and in many cases
! very cheap.
| 1t happened. however, that there was
/ God in Israel about that time he had not
| counted on. The young lady went from
! that store somewhat dazed. She felt the
need OF some friend and some help-such
| help as comes of a friend to tell ones
| trouble to. She bethought herself of a
| certain lady. She went directly 10 her
| house and told of her recent application
/ for business, and the manner in which
| one of BOstOn's purest and best men did
| business with pretty girl.
| She happened to put in at the right port.
/ Nine. - heard and acted. She put on
her finest apparel, called her carriage,
| drove up to the store door, and sailed in.
| She knew the man Of commerce and he
knew her. She greeted him and pro-
ceeded to business.
"YOu had an interview with Miss -
this morning." she said.
''Miss ---? Why, l don't recollect,"
said he, with bit of quaver in his
voice, because in the air he began to
"Miss -, whose father you possibly
| have heard OF when he was alive and did
| business on Milk street."
'Oh, yes"
"And you received Der application in a
manner not altogether befitting a gentle
man or a man OF business
She spoke in a clear, calm voice not
! loud or vehement, but still very plain
| one of those quiet voices which are acOus-
| tic wonders and mafbe heard n long way,
and there were CLERKS, accountants, and
| cashiers within hearing.
81 think" said the man Of bargain,
| barter, and sale, ''that we had better not
! talk the affair over here; some other time
| and place"
''But the time and place suit me-" said
/ madame. cor If really you don't like to
1 talk it here. why I'll come to the -
| church Sunday school or up to the Friday
night prayer meeting and we can talk the
/ whole thing over with the brethren. That
/ will suit met"
Well, there was an apology and some
thing more for the shocked young lady
/ who had applied for business, and the
next time that man makes his sentimental
advances on the ''cheap- eady-
/ barter system" he will take a closer OBJ
serVatiOn TO see that no squalls are Turk
| INK In the windward horizon or uneXpect-
| edlahdf powerful friends of the helpless
| popping out when least expected.