The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-10
THE GIRL WHO WORKS.
SHOWS WHY SHE DOESN'T
ALWAYS GET ALONG.

Taey Know Too Lit.ls-sOme Types
OF Modern Stenographers and Type
writers as Portrayed By a Woman
Who Uses Them Every Day.
Copyright 1927
NEW YORK, Jan. 9.-One is gravely as
sured nowadays by the women who are not
not only supposed to be in the swim, but
who are at the very head Of the river in
which all the little crafts float, that qniet in
everything is counted best form. This was
told to me very sedately the other day, and
to it was added the facts that 1t was thought
that in time the use Of quiet oolors and quiet
words would induce good manners. This
may be true. but certainly the quiet colors
or quiet words have not appeared as yet.
WHEN FAIR WOMAN SHOPS.
During the Christmas holidays all women
were free and equal-free and equally be-
haved in their conduct; they pushed and
skirmished; they let spring doors fly on
other women and they battled over bar
gains like hyenas. | never saw a hyena
over a bargain myself; never saw a hyena
trying to get ten yards OF cashmere for 81,
but have seen women, and don't believe
the hYena would be more fierce or worse
behaved. My sympathies have been for a
long time with women on this side of the
counter, but never with the women who are
like the nyenas. No shop girl can, by any
possibility, be too impertinent for them, but
it is rather hard that she should wreck her
vengeance on the inoffensive ones. on the
women who have no fight in them, who
have every determination to be civil, and
who would not say rude word because of
respect for themselves, but with few excep-
tons, the average shop girl treats every
woman alike; that is, as If they were
thieves-as if it were her duty TO punish
them as far as possible, and us if every de-
cent rag they had on them had been stolen
directly from her.
A HINT FOR SHOP GIRLS.
feel sorry for shop girls. who stand for
hours, who breathe foul air, and VINO have
SO little pleasure, but feel less sorry when
| think how they refuse to fit themselves to
be good ladies' maids or first-class nursery
governesses. A lady's maid seldom has
difficult life, is usually we'll treated, can
keep herself looking we'll, is well fed, and if
she wants to attain a knowledge of hair
dressing, or OF keeping gowns in order, it
adds Just SO much TO her value, and she can
make just so much more money. And yet
these girls stand behind the counter, many
Of them are half-starved, thinly clad and
have miserable homes. l have no sympathy
tween the shop girl and lady's maid; con-
slider one position quite as dignified al the
other. and if had TO be one or the other,
should choose the latter.
GIRLS AS sTENOGRAPHERs.
There have come 10 me great many let
ters asking about positions as stenographers
and typewriters aud a girl seems to think if
she has taken a course in some college, she
can Immediately work into position where
she can get not less than $25 a week, where
she will wear a silk frock, and work from
10 in the morning until in the afternoon.
Now, Iregret very much to throw bucket
Of water on this beautiful dream, but
about one out of every 100 stenographers is
n success, and the other ninety-nine are
bowling and distinct failures. Having at
various times had some Of the 100, my ex-
perience counts for something, and am 60
ing to give it,
TYPES OF MODERN STENoGRAPHERS.
The newest young woman is generally
very willing to not only do your work for
you, but to furnish you with ideas. She
tells you how rapidly she writes, and ex-
poets that you will not object to her will
ingness to supply you with lack of brains;
she seems a jewel to you. Later in the day
you conclude she is either paste or jewel
in the rough, for, although she takes your
read a single one of them. You have
wasted your time, the printer is waiting for
your copy, and the devil is to pay. This is
type number one. Type number two has
serious objection to your debating any
thing that she does not consider grammat-
zeal. You may desire to be just as ungram-
NAUTICAL as you please; you may be paying
your money to be just the reverse of gram
NAUTICAL for a purpose; but she does not pro-
To annOIIrapa in XuaakDnco
and when your copy reaches you your dia-
lect story is written out in the finest Boston
grammar, and no editor would pay a cent
for it. Type number three is young and
innocent, at least, she looks that way; but
she interrupts every other sentence to tell
you where she has been, and about the
young man who took her, and then she
says, as you dictate just as you talk, that
she wonders the newspapers pay you any
thing for 1t; you wonder that the doctor did
not chloroform her when she was born !;
but, having some of your original breeding
left in you, you don't tell her this. Type
number four objects to coming to her
office before IL O'Clock; you have liking to
begin your work at $50; she thinks this is
funny in you, and you think she will see the
poorhouse before she dies.
THE WOMEN WHO SUCCEED.
Now, the women who succeed as ste
ncgraphers are the women VINO have a suf-
ficlent amount of brains to use for their Gus
toners good, and who DO not want to quar-
rel about spelling gray with an or an a,
without having violent discussion; and
are willing to give you a kind of paper
and the kind Of treatment which business
woman gives to another. You pay Just SO
much money for just 80 much work, and
when you don't get it you are being robbed
II you can't dictate properly, then the ste
nographer has the right to charge you more
than for the woman who dictates with ease,
and can do a certain amount of work in a
certain amount Of time. Give good pay for
good work Is my motto in this, but, my
friends, you can't always get the good work
just now l am fortunate enough TO have it.
But 1t will be just my luck to have the girl
go and get married, and have somebody else
take care of her, and l should not blame
her one bit, for in these days, when grip Is
rampant, and every woman's back aches as
If 1t we're going to break, the only desire is
to have man TO take care of her. and it is
always the good workers who get good hus>
bands, who leave you to hope that light will
be an incentive to the number of bad STE
nographers all over the country-women
whose hands are too heavy for the type
writing machine, whose brains are not
strong enough 10 learn to spoil properly,
who are 50 very much filed with conceit
that kindly word of advice ia re-
ceived meuaphoricallY with kick These
sound bitter, but come from a very over
flowing heart and aching brain. 1t comes
from desire to bear with my sex as Ste
nographers, aud, as said before, and repeat
again, the girl who is going out to be Ste
nographer In a silk frock and gay gold ring =,