Daily Republican., 1890-06-19
THE BLACK-DOIsDERER.
New York Tribune.

New York Tribune.
"You can't tell me there is no good In
novel;" said the girl 10 glasses. "Somc
years ago my father read In q novel
which was then coming out In one OF the
magazines-I don't remem ber the name
of 1t row, nor in what magazine It was
coming cut-that every girl should know
how to do one thing wei enough to earn
her living by IL; and he was no much
taken with the idea tha. lie determin
then and there that should learn .
trade. was his only daughter, oily
CHILD In fact, aud there were but two Of
us In the family, - my mother had died
some years. before. Well, agreed to It
Just to satisfy him, though l didn't see
the use OF 1t, as he was making money as
real estate agent and had always given
me everything wanted.
First l tried tslegraphy, and found
was no good at that, and then tried
typewriting, and found that wasn't my
forte either. Igsve uD then, aud told
papa that II be couldn,t support me ia
either have to get married or 60 to the
Free Home Tor Destitute Young Girls;
but he had lately visited u paper mill.
and SO he sugRes another trade, the
one you see me working at now. Do l
call myself a paper decorator No, l
ain black borderer; but, all the same,
am just ~ much Of = laborer IS any
girl who paints flowers aud newly
hatche.i chickens on Easter cards, and
such things, though l do nothing but
blacken the borders of mourning paper,
Thought that Was machine work7 No,
that It isn't. 1t Is woman's work. They
have tried, time aud again, to invent
machines that would do 1t. but they
have all turned out Hat failures, and /
am glad OF It, as this is the only kind of
work by whi.h L have been able to earn
my bread aud butter for the last ihreo
yeurs-sluce papa was taken of sud
denly by heart failure, and 1t was found
that he had laid up NO money, and his
insurance po Icy had lapsed.
"Profession much crowded? No,
thank Heaven! this 10 one profession In
which there is little elbow room. One
reason, I suppose, Is that II is not SO well
paid as 1t might be, and another ia
(though ! say it that shouldn't say it)
that 1t isn't every girl who could learn
the art. You thought yourself that It
was done by machlue, so you must have
noticed how very smoothly the black II
laid on. OF course do not take such
psins with the inferior qualities as with
euo Hoot huuuy suCu 40 Aui QUltN now,
but the worst must be done well or Il
won't pass muster. My employer, when
he advertised ior a Ri,l to do this work,
didn't get more than q dozen answers,
aud m0st OF them were from girls who
didn't know anything Whatever about IT.;
they only thought they could do it, as
tLty had taken lessons in water colors
They didn't know that this kind OF paint
ing Is q trade by itself. 1t 10 a great
satisfaction to me to feel assured that as
long IS there is work at this place can
get It, and that II ! were to be bounced
to-cay another worker as good a. myself
could not be found to- morrow.
"Trying to the eyes? Yes. when ones
eyes are not very strong to begin with;
but II l find my eyes giving out can
always stop aud rest awhile. 1t is my
own loss, you know, as mine is piece
work, paid Tor by the ream. How much
q reami For fine qualities, 81. SO a ream;
for the very commonest, 45 cents; but
there 10 very little OF that kind to be
done, for which mercy am thankful.
Unless we are awfully busy can come
when like and 60 when like. Usually
get here at half-past eight In the morn
Ing and leave at tvo In the aftern oon.
In that time, If don't give my eyes too
many resting spells, I eau border . ream
and q half.
Lonely? No, am too busy to feel
lonely, though sit here all day by my
self, seeing nobody but the man who
brings In my paper. That Is, he brings
1t to me In the busy season, but II the
work is anyways slack have to 90 for IL
myself. The slack season begins in June,
aud work does lot pick up again till
some time In September. In July live
In daily fear OF being laid of for awhile,
though that hasn't opened to me yet.
l am not like girls WHO live al home and
work for SUM- When q crowd Of tn em
have been addressing circulars In q nov
city establishment they don't mind 1t
bit when the superintendent announces
that the lob 10 finished and the mob 10 10
BE- dispersed. II were to be laid of I'd
have to draw on my savings, instead of
adding to them, IS do every week now,
except when there 10 . new dress to be
bought, or solno other expense Of that
kind to be incurred.
"Treated as . lady should be? Yes,
my employer is 10 polite as pie whenever
see him, as indeed he ought to be to a
girl who he knows b7 this time is work
log for all she is worth. At tirst 1t seon-
ed to me TO be an Awfully solemn kind OF
work, and used W think about deaths
and funerals, and sometimes would get
to crying. though took good care not to
damage the paper BY letting my tears
fall on it; but ono can get used to any
thing, and now don't any more mind
painting black borders than I'D mind
painting red ones."