The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-13
THE
A Profitable. hut "a Very solemn Kind of
Work.

From the New York Tribune.
"You can't tell me there is no good i'm
NOVELS said the girl in glasses. "Some
years ago my father q in n novel which
was then coming out in one of the maga-
zines.I don't remember the name of it
now. nor in what magazine il was COM
ing out-that every girl should know how
to do one thing well enough to arm her
living at il; and he was SO much taken
with the idea that he determined then and
there that ] should learn a trade. i was
his only daughter, only child III fact. and
there were but two of us in the family. as
my mother had died some years before.
Well, / agreed to il just to satisfy him..
though | didn't see the use of il, as he was
making money as a real estate agent, and
had always given me everything ] wanted.
First | tried telegraphy, and found |
was no good at that, and chen l tried type
writing, and found that wasn't my forte
either. ] gave up then n told papa that
il he couldn't support me I'd either have
To get married or go To the Free Home Tor
Destitute Young Girls, but lie had lately
visited n p mill, and so he suggested
another trade, the n you see me work
ing AT now. DO ] call myself a paper dec
orator? No, | am "A black borderer, but all
the same | am just as much of a skilled
laborer as any girl who paints flowers and
newly hatched chickens on Easter
clriS ann SUCH tl1ltRS. tltbuGn NO
nothing but blacken the borders of mourn
ing paper. Thought that was machine
work? No. that il isn't. Ii is woman's
work. They have tried. time and again,
To invent machines that would do ii, but
they nave all turned out fiat failures, and
| am glad Of il, as this IL the only kind of
work by which l have been able To earn
my bread and butter for the last three
years-sincc papa was akeno of suddenly
by heart failure, and IL was found he had
laid up no money, and his insurance pol
icy had lapsed.
profession much crowded? No, thank
heaven! this is n profession in which
there is a little elbow room. One reason,
i suppose, IL that IL is not so well paid as
il might he. and another is Though ! say
il that shouldn't say III that il is not every
girl who could learn the art. You thought
yourself hat il was dom by a macbine,so
you must have noticed how very smoothly
the black is laid on. OF course I do not
axe such pains with the inferior
qualities as with the best linen,
such as ] am doing now; but the worsS
must he dom well or IL won't muster. My
employer. when he advertised for "A girl
tn do this work, didn't get more than n
dozen nswers and most of them were
from girls who didn't know anything
whatever about IL; they only thought they
could do il, as they had taken lessons i'm
water colors. They didn't know that this
kind of painting Is a tradeb by itself. IL is
n great satisfaction to me 10 feel assured
that as long as there is work at this place
/ can get il, and that IL / were bounced to-
day another workman as good as myself
could not be found tomorrow.
''Trying to the eyes? Yes, when ones
eyes are not very strong to begin with;
but IL ! find my eyes giving out | can al
ways stop and rest awhile. II is my own
loss, you know. as mine Is piece-work,
paid FOR by the ream. How much n ream?
For fine qualities, S1.D a ream for the
very commonest, 45 cents :but there II
very little of that kind to be done, for
which mercy l am thankful. Unless we
are awfully busy i can come when i like
and go when ! like. Usually ! get here
at half-past 4 in the morning u leave at
3 in the afternoon. In that time, IL l
don't give my eyes too many resting
spells, l can border "A ream and n half.
Lonely? No. ] am too busy To feel
lonely, though | sit here all day by my
self, seeing nobody but the man brings in
my paper. That is, he brings IL 10 me in
the busy season, but il the work is any
ways slack | have to go for il myself. The
slack season begins in June, and work
does not pick up again until sometime in
September. In July | live in daily fear Of
being laid OIL for a while, though that has
not happened TO me yet. i am not like
girls who live at home and work for fun.'
When IA crowd of them had been address
ing circulars in "A novelty establishment
they don't mind il a bit when the super
intendent oun hat the job is
finished and the mob is 10 be dispersed.
IL | were To be laid oil I'd have
To draw on my savings. instead Of adding
10 them, as / do every week now, except
when there Is a new dress TO he bought or
some other expense of that kind 10 be in
CURED.
Treated as a lady should be? Yes, my
employer Is as polite as pie whenever see