St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-30

tuition before, so L t0id Her 70 come
along and stay with me until morning.
As we walked along the girl told me
her experience of the preceding two
weeks. She was about eighteen years
old. quite bright and intelligent. Her
dress was neat, and she would have
been rather pretty only for that blank
look of despair in her eyes. Are you
stranger in the city?' l asked.
Yes" she said; 81 have home in
the country, but my parents gave me
good education, and thought it would
be easy to get a place in city like
this" she said.
"How long have you been looking for
work." | said.
About three weeks,' she said. 81
learned shorthand by mail from bust
ness college, but it was impossible to
secure position. There was no hope
of place anywhere. Then l tried for
a place to clerk, but they have hun
dredS of applications on file. Then |
tried the factories. but they didn't want
to be bothered with girls who had no
experience. Then l wandered about
the streets for days and days" She
ended with another burst of tears.
Ibid you have any money to pay your
expenses while waiting for placer" l
asked.
.'Yes had few dollars" she said,
"but the boarding house mistress said
she couldn't afford to let ME stay when
had no. money, so l went to an intelli-
gence office. They sent me to house,
as dining room girl. But L didn't
think it was a respectable place, so L
left this afternoon and had been walk
ing about the streets ever since. | didn't
know where to go; there didn't seem to
ha a n1app for me anywhere
Unlike the average Christian, havn't
a ready-made stock of consolation on
hand to be distributed impartially
among hungry and SOrrOwing humanity,
so ! didn't say word. What could |
say? Even better than she, | realized
how hopeless is the search for work I'M
less girl be skillful in some trade.
After my new-fOund friend had a
good supper and sat by the fire while,
we talked more cheerfully. She was
willing to do homework, so next morn
ing we searched about and found good
place. Then l left her, but that chance
encounter of two extremes in the same
branch of work gave me food for
thought. What becomes of strangers
exposed to all the temptations of our
city? It's easy to preach morality i'll
the abstract, but when girl is cold and
hungry, and without shelter, what is
the Safeguard to keep her in the right
way? l give it up.
It's surprising what a number of
high school graduates try to learn
shorthand. They seem to gravitate
toward the business college as nat
urally as plant leans toward the sum
light. Not much is heard from them
after that. Only comparatively few are
successful. | find the most skillful
l., 4
long since left behind the giddy years
of girlhOOd. They are disturbed by no
romantic dreams or idle tliTtatiOnS.
business and not pleasure" is their
motto. That is, unless going to mis-
siOnary meetings and teaching Sunday
school are pleasures. They all do that.
Occasionally found married woman
who let the servant boss the house, and
educate or neglect the children accord
ing to her own sweet wish. These
women are advocates of women's
rights every time. They point with
pride TO their record as shorthand writ
ers and tell the inquiSitiye queStiOner
that they have soul above homework
or taking care of babies. l am not sure
that their philosophy is sound, but the
fact is apparent that they are successful
StenOgrapherS.
ity of mind is one necessary qualifica-
ton for success in this business.
think it must be pleasant to sit in a
neat little office all by ones self, as
nearly all the stenOgraphers do. Their
isolation seems to give them peculiar
air of grandeur and dignity, which
places them on plane far above ordi-
nary humanity. l just want to whisper
to my less fortunate brethren that an
employer assures me that StenOgrapherS
are inveterate takers, gym chewerS
and novel readers. The fascination of
work is not enough to keep them attent-
i've to business, but they have to be
governed by little set of rules, just
like clerks or ordinary people.
The stenOgraphers have an associa-
ton for mutual benefit and advance
ment. Some girls think they will have
to organize soon in order to keep
wages up to a proper standard. But
no such action has yet been taken.
wonder if stenographers agree to re-
main in state of single blessedness, if
successful in their profession. | judged
this to be the case, because they seem
! to hold matrimOny in the greatest con-
! tempt. 1t has no charms for them.
Several wore diamond rings, and when
| limited at engagements the girls didn't
blush nor giggle, as might be expected.
They acted real SnappiSh and told me
| to mind my own business. But I've
| pretty near forgotten how to do that.
| Now l hope the StenOgraphers won't
accuse me of treating them unfairly. |
| pledge my word that I've told all !
| know. EVA GAY.