Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-11-14

NIplNLG Ot I.
who cannot support her. She may have Sc
been returned with thanks on her family'S
hands. like a rejected ESSAY from the popular
magazine uiiirr She may be single, and
past 30 or -. The position and >Orial stand
ing Of the family require that she should
have as many costumes per year as the
girls, her more youthful sisters. who are nov
taking their first society headers. But some
body must pay for the merchandise. She
cant. She cannot earn 81 much as a bread
and water living. SDnebply GrumhleS he
hind the scenes, and the poor surplus girl
must hear this grumbling, and must bear 1t,
because her own pride and the family pride
and all of the azure tinted blood of the Amer
lean CTSars demand that She must dress up
to regulation rules. visit the summer water
ing place. and move first class i'll every
direction Perhaps the misery Of obligation,
of dependence and of n splendid helpless
ness is in cases greater than that of the lily
paid and overworked waiter or factory girl,
who may have the satisfaction Of feeling that
her own hands and brain bring her own
money.
There is one type here of surplus girl who
says openly that she will marry anything
or ANYBODY" young or old, handsome or
ugly, providing the "thing" has money \
former landia1v of mine had two girls Of this
order of mind and intent ! think that in
such declaration they meant business. Life
with them had always been hard. meager,
stunted affair-a mixture from their youth
up Of hard work, hurry. debt and anxiety
They had seen mostly the back door and
kitchen side Of il. They waited on the table
performed the chamber work and in leisure
intervals sat in the windows to watch with
euyiOus and cOvetous ewes the spring, sum
mer and fall dresses 20 by which they could not
afford; TO see their wealthy sisters roll by in
their carriages, rolling in world they could
never reach. SO had they sat for years. So
had combined envy and desperation grown
on them and over them. Little wonder
They slept in the attic and lived in the kitCh-
en-, for the best rooms must be reserved for
others; We're snubbed by the bOarders and
weighted down by-H shiftleSS mother who was
ever iii debt, ever borrowing in advance from
the iOdgers, and ever tearing down with her
Sossiping tongue whatever luck or good will
from Others her spasmodic and lily regulated
industry hal built up for herself.
A story current here runs thus: 4 Young
woman, brel in circle of wealth anS refine
nient, Is suddenly reduced TO poverty She
is obliged To explore for herself that unknown
world where a living must be earned. She
must look for "somrthing 10 do She offers
at last to stand behind the counters Of
wealthy retail merchant before which in her
day Of prosperity she had so often stool and
made expensive purchaSes How much
would she receive per week. -Four dollars
was the answer. Four dollars, She was um-
pleasantly astOnished This was her first
view Of the wide Chasm between the world Of
work and the worlG of leisure TO which she
had been accustomed.
But how am to pay room rent. board,
car fares and dress myself out of 81 per week"
she managed at last TO ask.
Il don't know" was the merchants reply
Il have nothing TO do with that; you must
do as the rest do
| find this an oft-told story in Boston,
and also find that the Interpretation given
the clause, doing as the rest do" to be an
unsayOry one. have heard also this same
story applied to two well known merchants
here. For such reason take the liberty Of
doubling the story as told with its most ul-
favorable application, and at the same time
believing in the event that gave it founda-
ton. The story involves phase of life that
belongs to its own time. 1t will in one senss
apply to hundreds of stores and places Of
business. II is the embodiment of a ruling
sentiment here-the sentiment of getting US
much as possible, and giving for labor. in
telligenCe, skill or material az little as pos
sible. But common sense and self interest
would deter any business man from giving
such reply TO young woman under The
circumstances, in its lower application. AMI
again, IL is sometimes an unfortunate tsyI-
HAnry v.apT,la tF los,
application and motive i'll the words whfre
such spirit was never intended. And Vet
the story may be true-and it NAV not
PRENTICE MILFORD