The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-12
MARY JANE'S LETTER.
she adyiscs Young ladies Sot - Deccne
CovcruD'cnt Clerks.
Il 1 -.... - u -


Government Cicrhs-
Especial C)rr,spoadcacr-
WAsIuyGToN, Aug 0.-Not q great
while ago q Young lady wrote % ne ask
Ing if / would not u>c my Influence IN
helping her 70 get % position in one ot tho
departments I'm Washington She was
not obliged TO work. but she had passed
the ciyi! service examination and wanted
20 be Independent If her father.
Very laudablc, you say.
Possibly say /
wrote to her 20 ne effect Tat | was
glad to hear she desired to get a place
here. because would mako il my particu-
lar business - frnvcnt The accomplish
ment OF Lcr p-r-o.e.
And why;
Because no young woman. unless com
PEELED by poverty or having helpless ones
dependent upon her, should take de
partmeutal position. | might possibly
except such a, IiTc with their own fami-
lies in Washington. \ young woman
from a distance comes here . stranger and
takes mp her habitation in a boarding
house. know how girls away from the
capital build castles on the foundations
of hearsay and imagine if they were here
with $500 or 5000 or Sl2G0 a year. end
only seven hours work y day, then their
lives would b. continual round of social
enjoyment aad Indulgence in the numer-
o.s diversions az city. Tho salaries
paid are SD much larger than those Of
sim..lr po it.9ui elsewhere that govern
uut work seem % l.r- tlldliu'5 lamp
which. BIS the ,rra rubbing. bring alt
sorts ct pleasures. 10 rather the gold
which may -.ocurc them. With This sort
Of notion ID hcr Inexperienced head the
girl comes from "a comfortable home and
good social position in her country town
and enters upon the dream of her life.
\ month r. a Washington boarding house,
and the dream is not quite 50 pleasant
rs it was. Then come troubles in
the Office. bacSbiting by her fellow
clerks if she happens 10 prove
a fayoritc. and repro0f from her supcriors
if she H. SLOW 20 learn or shows = desire TO
make social flight. | have heard it
stated that department people are quite
as welcome in society rs the rich and great
of Garth. but have yet 70 see it eXempli-
fed in fact Young women from Some OF
the very Oldest and best families in the
United States hold positions in tho de-
plrtmcnts. byt | have never seen their
names mentioned IS society bellies, Is
have often seen the names of others who
are quite as poor, but are not III the de-
partments. If they essay the social role
they are not snUbbei outright, because III
a democratic capital that would never do.
but the fact that one young lady is in tho
depart ment5i is known just as that another
is an heiress, and ever after there is that
something not CONNIE il faut
which people always recognize but never
attempt to explain 1t is this moving in
a shadow which chilis all the better part
of a yoman's nature and makes her in n
very short time cold, cynical and heart
less. There arr temptations also, more
materially serious in their results, if
yielded to- bit an glad 60 say they are
the rare exception. and the percentage of
vOmlnS Ucal-n-.s is 80 higher | believe,
th.u alol, an equal number of women
in other walks OF liiy. There are "A few
garng examples, IL is true, but the seal
# general condemnation is stamped upon
them. and otiicia. favor alone prevents eX-
purgltlcn.
presume there is 40 class Of women in
the world more Disconnected than are
these in the departments Euyyings pre-
vail constantly. and there is even reach
ing for something not in their possession,
a Graspng for salary higher than that
which they have and which, before they
received, appeared 20 be more THAI enough
for all their wants. Except to those re
siding in Washington there is no hOmo
feeling, and the con5taHtIy changing life
Of the capital has its effect in making OF
these women uncertain, yacillating. IN
creatures, 10 whom in timc
home is disagrecablc restraint and do
nestle care is CALLING yoke.
My advice to every girl who wants to
come to Washington is--dont. Stay at
home on one-third or one-half the money
if you do not care TO DO dead expense TO
your parents; teach school, stay in a
store, be typewriter anything respecta-
BILE except coming into the departments
at Washington. where the round is the
same Yesterday, today and forever; where
earnest endeavor meets faint recognition,
and where every laudable ambition buds
only to be blightCd.
There is another side TO this picture,
but so few look upon it that it would
be recognized should | turn it
out. and will let it remain face to the
wall, with the hope that what | have
written will prove of benefit to some OF
the many hundreds Of young women who
look upon Washington as the Mecca OF
all their hopes. and may turn them into a
better WY. MARY JANE.