Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-09-12
A SHOP GIRLS LIFE.
What Sweetens Her Existence and
What Doesn't.

bLNbhAlh VI AAAAAAAAAs eAsA . " NAoNA
isn't an unreasonable hour at all, nor
do we ever complain; but If we are ten
minutes Late. no matter why, We are
fined, OF course, TO the cash girl this
tine means going without the cup Of hot
coffee or tie little bit of fruit she
would have bought TO piece out her
little lunch; but, 50 far as / am con-
cerued, don't care anything about the
tine, u Is the restriction that i object
10 and the being repTimanded. don't
intend 10 be Late. l am Just as much
interested IA being here in time and
selling a lot Of goods as the proprietor
l. himself. ! like my business, and am
proud OF my sales and anxious TO begin
my work for the day, and the idea that
Iecause I happen 10 miss a car, or have
one II the thousand lttle delaying ac-
ciIeuts that every woman and man,
too. for that matter is liable to, that
some man who knows nothing about
ma has right to reprimand me and
Inc me Just makes me cross and hurts
my pride
Then the hardest thing Of all shop
girl has 10 endure is the constant stand
Ing from : in the morning until at
night, with only one half hour at noon-
y few years ago some one stirred up
hind the counter, but they have been,
all taken away. The salesladies in suit
departments can sit down, but not in
the room where the customers are. or
course, II they 20 away IN the little side
room to rest they miss their customers,
and the consequence IS that they stand
all day outside. We do not mind II on
busy days, the excitement keeps US up,
but on dun days we almost faint away
sometimes standing still with nothing
TO make Us forget how tired we ara
1--WE have half an hour for lunch,
which is time enough for person to
eat cold lunch, but when girl stands
from O'Clock until ,, after a O'Clock
breakfast, she wants something besides
"A sandwich and cup of tea for her
lunch. I used to go out and buy my
lunch and have regular hot dinner, as
l would ut home. l needed II, and
worked all the better for il, but of
course l couldn't get it in half an hour.
/ was usually gone forty minutes.
After while | was denied that prlVl-
lyge. and / had 10 eat my lunch in the
lunch room. l don't like a cold lunch,
and somehow the thoughts of the being
compelled % do anything like that fills
my heart with a kind Of bitterness that
takes away all my appetite. IL isn't
the cold lunch or the hot lunch room
where they make coffee in one end and
eat IN the other, though that isn't eT-
actly what / am used 20 1t home, but 10
Is the restraint that rebel against.
AT q O'CLOCK sharp We are all eNcus-
cd iu a batch, and away We pour out Of
the door like a mob Of factory hands
and tlr People all say, see the shop
girls Now, II some could, when they
bad no customers, 60 al nfteeu minutes
tu % OF ten minutes o. %, don't you see
We wouldn't AL flock Out together and
attract attention, Tor part Of Us would
20 AZ one time and part AZ another, but
uUw it j. push and crowd and jam %
get out, 50 that n YOU would 90 decently
and iu "a Idylike way YOU have % waIt
until al. the crowd Is gone.
There are q great many things /
might DO evenings % enjoy myself, but
I am too tired and feel so kind of bitter
and sOrry and reseutful in my heart
that don't want % go anywhere. 1
like my work, ann interested IN II, and
do not want to give IL up any more than
"A man wants 10 give up his business.
Ny employer IS very kind, my salary is
very generous, and all that; IL is only
few little things about the system or
managing the girls that uI.tIles US un-
happy. We are independent business
women, earning rs much, and in many
cases more than men IN the same places,
and we do not like to be governed like
the inmates Of an orphan home or house
Of correction.
"And what kind of men do We
marryF Well, they have to be pretty
nice, or we don't bother with them.
The better class of salesladies rarely
marry emI loyes in the store. Don't
you see We are independent, and unless
we are going to better ourselves very
much, or unless we get hOpelessly in
love, We do not care TO marry at all,
l know many girls who have married
very well, and have lovely homes. Do
we ever marry the customers whom we
meet in the stores? well, - with n
toss of the blonde head and pretty
flush in the timid face, II know some
who might have married some of their
customers, but wouldn't.
As far as promotion IS concerned.
that rests entirely with ourselves. is
based ON our ability, and think is
very fair and Just. some girls never
get promoted because they lack ability
and push, and others get TO the top in a
short time. The promotions are from
cash 10 parcel clerk from that to stock
clerk, one who assists in keeping the
goods IN order, then to bill clerk, sales
lady, cashiers and floor walkers, and
wages increase from two dollars up to
thirty or mOre.n
''How much pay do 1 get?" said a
little, fair faced maiden behind the
counter. Five dollars week, unless
something happens"
itY''
''Well, if I'm late few minutes L
am fined, II l am half an hour late L
lose one-quarter of days wages, if
make the least little mistake in my bills
that is taken out of my pay, and il
break anything that has to be paid for.
II am sick half day lose that, and
SO you see l don't always get the IS.
The floor walker doesn't always look
when she hears crash, because il she
doesn't know what breaks or who
breaks II, why then she can't report il.
But she always does look if the super
intendent Is anywhere on the floor.
Sometimes one dish costs i whole weeks
pay.
mo, our superintendent Isn't a
woman, and I'm glad of il, \ woman
does nothing but scOld and stew and
fuss all the time over little things
Yes, IT'S pretty hard TO keep up all the
lines. but l suppose it makes us more
careful, so that We really do not have
so very many TO pay. No, we have no
seats now; they have all been taken
away. Sometimes two or three OF us
crowd on the edge of drawer that
pulls out near the floor. but we fly up
lively if We see the floor walker coming
this way"
The girls abused the privilege" ex-
planned the floor walker, q delicate
looking girl. They were not quick to
rise up when customers came in, and
grew neglectful and indolent. OF
course, It Is tiresOme to stand so long,
and girls need to be strong to endure it.
but they like the work aside from that.
and in time they seem to grow accus-
toned to 1t, so that they do not mind it