, 1891-11-04

Miss Potter, however, seem destined at
first to other worlds. After her mothers
death and the marriage of her seven sis
1ers she naturally took charge of her
fathers house, and became for a few
years a well known member of London
society. But n life of amusement and So
Cial duties is apt to pail somewhat upon
those trained TO mental activity, and
Miss Potter soon followed the example of
her sister, now Mrs. Leonard Courtney,
in engaging in work among the poor at
the East End. There she acted as agent
Tor large blocks of artisans dwellings,
coming into actual contact with the daily
lives not only of the respectable work
ing poor, but also with that crowd of
loafers and semicriminals which intensi-
1ies the difficulties of the social reformer.
From the years 1886 to 1899 Miss Pot
Ter was engaged in assisting Mr.. Charles
Booth in the preparation of the first vol
ume of his great work on the Life and
Labor of the People," to which she con-
Iributed a graphic chapter on the jew
ish community of east London, in ad-
.lition to articles on the docks and the
tailoring trade. In order to obtain alb
solutely correct information on the lat
& ouOJtCbt AhlSo 4 oLLtI bptuL " Wtth5
under a master tailor training herself as
a. ~tailor's finisher. She then disguised
herself AS a "tailor's hand" and boldly
sought employment in the East End.
The poor, untidy dress and bonnet,
rough hair twisted into a knot and APP
pearance of extreme poverty which she
assumed gained her admittance only into
The lowest sweater dens," where the
work was exceedingly coarse and heavy.
Six weeks training had not hardened
her fingers sufficiently to make twelve
or fourteen hours continuous sewing on
hhoddy clothes au easy matter, so her
work was sufficiently bad to insure her
1Olerably frequent dismissals, and thus
TO widen the field of her investigation.
That this courageous experiment was
successful is well shown to us by an ar
1icle which Miss Potter contributed 20
The Nineteenth Century of September,
1888. entitled Pages from a Workgirl's
Diary" In reading this the student of
psychology cannot fail to be struck by
the curious way in which the feelings of
the actual workgirl seemed to accom-
pany the wearing of her dress and the
doing of her work. The weary, hope
less trudge from shop to shop, the keen
disappointment at r~efusals and the
anxious depression as che caught the
warning eye of her taskmistress or heard
the cry, This won't do, this work won't
suit me-" appear to have been as real as
though her very livelihood had depended
npon her efficiency.
Having thus acquired a practical ac-
quaintance with the problems to be
dealt with nv the salact committaa If
the house of lords on the sweating sys-
TEN, which commenced its inquiry in
1883. Miss Potter was naturally one of
The principal witnesses, and several Of
her recommendations were embodied il
the report of that committee.
Miss Potter, it may be added, is a
strong democrat-indeed, somewhat So
"ialistic in her yiews-is an honored
guest at the annual congresses of CO.
operators and of trades u~nionists and is
AN intimate friend of most of the lead
'rs of bot these movements. Her
bright, vivacious manner, charm of con-
Nersation and prepossessing appearance
are sufficient to draw to her many friends.
But work is to her the most important
lining. and she now lives u quiet, almost
secluded life. that social distractions NAV
not Interfere with her studies and re-
search. Her training has given Eer a
mind ~singularly free from prejudice. and
ier exceptional and varied experiences
have filled her with a true passion of
pity for suffering humanity.
She IS at present engaged in an impor-
liant work dealing with the history and
philosophy of the trades union move
iueut.