The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-24
rae GIRL WHO TRIES ON.

THE GIRL WHO TRIES ON"
She Relates some of Her Trials and Griev-
ances and Regrets Her Limited Stature.
New York Tribune
II sometimes wish my good looks was IN
Would be awful nice to have my eyes blue
instead Of green. n my mouth little in
stead of big. However, since that wasn't
to be so. Pm glad 4 amt so scrawny as some
girls hat amt adlooking in the face. Folks
are q dozen pretty faces to one
real good figure, but the best consolation /
get is the sl2 q week that my figure brings
me In. now tina. Pve got place. Ii I was
out any trouble: but, though 1 wear the
very hia~hest-heeied shoes I can find. still
amt tall enough to suit some Of them.
Who are themf Why. the bosses IN cloak
places pcs. Of for eou ass classes hss d0n, do ' SOui
Not much. / don't. Pm fig
ure. not a model. Cannot add q
cubit to my staturef / don't want to add q
ure, but I'd like 70 be just an inch taller.
I'm all right in other matters-thirty-eiRht
inches in the bust and twenty-three
inches In the waist. with nicely-sloDing
shoulders and a iong-enough ~neck-short
that would like to be figures. and a good
mani more are all right except for their
big waists Now, some of the girls say Pun
laced tight because my waist is so small in
so; nobody ever saw me puff and pant as
girls do who tie one of their corset-strings
TO the bedpost and pull for all they are
worth on the other.
Al easy berth Nv gotf Well, yes. it is
easy work IN comparison with what some
other girls have to do for half the money,
but / have the care of the fine stock, and 1t
weighs On my mind. / can tell you, to be
held Tor all them hlghrprlced
trying 0nl It's true my hours are only from
Q till 5. but / earn my salary, as well as
the black satin dresses that i wear
in the shop. Yes, of course. they furnish
salary of So q week. buying my W silks
ana satins. for they wear out awful quick
under the constant putting on and pulling
of Of sacques and wraps. No, i don't do
any trying on in the work-room. Figures
are expected to do hat in smaller estab-
lishments, but in our place il is as much as
i can do TO try on for custom
ers. Sometimes there will be as
many as five ladies standing around
they have took a fancy to Will look on me.
From o o'clock till 5 it Is usually try on and
try on, with hardly any let up, and some
LINES assa ! nav. have Isen r nea, stoo ad'i ~ ng. 'h han any
/ knew that fainting folks amt wanted in
business. No, 1 don't have to stand still.
4 almost always walk up and down the
room TO show off the things, and while the
customers are looking at me and passing
remarks / am expected TO look Just as
sweet and smiling as one of the wooden
dummies in the window. no matter what
they may be saying Not always compli-
mentaryi You Just ought to hear EN-!
Sometimes they will say that avery body
can see / am a made-up figure or l wouldn't
be so stiff. The square-shouldered sort say
that my shoulders slant too much, and
what would tit me wouldn't mt them. 1
should ope not The stoutones say that it is
inhnman to keep melaced MP so tight-that
I'd have a twenty-eight-inch waist if ] was
let alone. The awful tall ones say
they can't tell what a cloak really
looks like when they see it on such a
squatty figure. and some who walk like
cows themselves say they could form q bet
ter Judgment of q cloak il they saw it on q
graceful person. I'd like to know if any
body but an actress could walk natural
with so many folks staring at her all at
oncef Frown 'em downf l darsn't A
figure has got to look Just as pretty as she
can or she'll be bounced. and as matters
stand IL makes against me. 1 can tell you,
that j amt nc better looking in the face.
.'Our business booming. you thlnki Well,
IL Amt bad. but, of course, you know
there's q dozen cloaks tried on for one that
is sold. and sometimes for none that's sold.
cloak for customers that had no more idea
OF buying 'em than / have of buying the
moon. You may say it is sll in the days
work and I hadn't ought to mind it, but
when the buyer scolds the sales
ladies for not selling more cloaks,
some of 'em has a way of blaming it
onto nee. telling him / leave all the talk to
them about their being warm and comfort
able, and at the same time light and stylish.
I'd feel like it. wouldn't i. say on a hot day
IN September. prsising mp Newmarkets and
seaiskin sacques. and such things that I'm
nearly suffocated IN Yes. we are awful busy
in September selling our imported articlesto
the buyers for small stores. and my work
lasts on later into the summer than
you might think. so MANI folks buy
when the season is over. so as to
get things cheap. / hardly ever go
IN my vacation before the last week in
June. Some of the girls in our place say /
don't need no vacation. and it's only fun to
be wearing fine clothes all the time. or. at
least. all day. as l do. but 1 don't see where
the fun comes in. / like fine clothes as
well as other folks. but there amt no salts
faction in putting 'em on If they don't be-
longt TO me, and having a $500 sealskin wrap
on my back doesn't make me forget that my
Sunday sacque cost only SIS. and if / buy a
silk dress this year it VIII have TO do me
another winter"