The morning call., 1893-07-30
Ireceived a letter the other day from a

life: that she found it dull and uninterest-
ing; that she had saved little money.
earned by year or two OF teaching. and
thought she would like to come to the city
to live. Was there any chance that /
knew of for her to get position in an
office or store? She would not mind if the
salary we're small could she but get to the
city.
| pondered this epistle for long time.
TWAS but another chapter in wide and
varied experience which | have had with
the girl who comes to town.
Briefly. Here is the apparent situation
for the young girl who sends me the letter
referred TO- She writes from pretty,
prosperous farming settlement within
easy distance, say two hours of San Fran
cisco. She is young and in good health, a
fair education sufficient to enable her to
maintain herself as teacher in the public
school of her town. There she is COM
paratively independent among friends
who love her and amid haalthtul surround
ings.
The intellectual resources of the place
are naturally somew hat limited. but this
circumstance does not necessarily limit
her resources. Nor are these the limita-
tons of which she complains. She finds
country life dull. She longs, not Tor
the wider opportunities. the wider
field Of usefulness, but the i've
lier atmosphere of the city. To gain
this Questionable advantage she is will
lug to accept GrGdgery IN store or once
for the mere pittance for which. to our
shame be it spoken, our girls In business
are expected to toll; give up her comforta-
bic home. the free, healihfu! out-of-do or
life. the associations and Influences of old
friends and surroundings, and accept in
stead Tie close, sQualid, cherries quarters
obtainable by the average business girl
the long, wearying hours at desk or counter.
the less d6sira bic social POSITION, and 10 en-
counter all the rebutfs the trials, the vexa-
lions and mutations that assail the lonely
and unprotected girl on every hand in
great city.
Is the girl crazy?
know that she not. know that she
is only misled by false ideas of what life
in city IS for worRlng-glrl.
When she comes uD from her quiet home
on shopping expedition it seems like
beautiful dream TO her. She travels
through the handsome stores, shs sees the
well dressed, lively, cOnien'ed looking
clerks, is fascinated by the ever-chanxing
crowd, finds iuncnins at restaurant an
attractive change from thu home table,
aud perhaps attends the matinee. Then
debarred from all these delights and be-
gins to consider the possibility OF obtain
ing employment in the fascinating city.
She would be con tent with the smallest
sort of salary could she only attain her
great desire.
wrote my little correspondent and told
her sonnet thing of whatthe life toward which
she aspired is like. | told ner 10 imagine
herself arising in the early morning to eat a
hasty. cheap breakfast; TO rush downtown
through rain or shine; TO work steadily
all the forenoon among strangers and un-
sympathetic felIo -toilcrs; to have but
. scant hour at midday wherein TO lunch
and rest, and then the long ternoon OF
toll, with weary back and feet, tired nerves
and bewildered brain, till the healthy
color faded from her sun Drowned face
and her eyes grew tired aud heavy, longing
for the sight OF green fields and growing
trees and flowers. [ told her that ii she
wished to employ her savings in somo line
Of study that would fit her for wider life
and higher employment than she had
now the capacity Tor, the city was the
place for her. but that If she was merely
DESTROYS OF liveier times and more of
them she would find tho life she sought
To enter a much duller one than that Of her
country home. | told her how l recently
spent an evening in the company OF
number of business girls, and how, when
one of them tainted, from sheer fatigue,
the hearts Of the others were opened TO
tell me something Of the WEAKNESS and
trials of eacn working day.
Oh, the girl who comes to town from the
quiet and peace of her girlhcod's home.
how little she knows what she is coming
to. Advice is seldom taken. Ii it were l
would never give the girl who is coming to
town 10 work any but that Of Punch to
people about 10 marry-D0n't. Don't. IN
less you have some strong, irresistible
II. ri iynn hat nyH SO
here, and that here, alone. you can DO it;
unless you are prepared to dare and en-
dure and conquer sill that fate may bring
TO you. Remember that every one Of you
who fails makes it harder for every other
to succeed. and there are many, many
kinds of failure that this world calls sue
cess. l believe that every woman has as
genuine right as every man to ask en-
ployment in this world. but no man and
no woman has right to retrOgrade one
step in business or moral or intellectual
life. The girl who comes to town, leaving
honorable employment of a high order
land there is nothing higher than the hei,-
ing to train and teach human minds and
souls to take up dull round If under
paid Intellectual drudgery, is taking de-
cidedIy retrograde step.
But what a tide it is. this never-ceasing
stream OF girls who come to town, from
every corner OF the State from every part
that creep into the lives of so many of
iheml Could We but know them there
would be no need for the .tory-writer to
rack his brain for plots, or the student OF
character and life TO 90 searching The
world Tor types; but there would be,
there Is, never-ceasing demand upon us
al for bound ess patience. forbearancr and
watchfulness over the girl who comes to
town.
j learned that lesson we'll some time ago.
was just leaving the house, one pleasant
afternoon. when the bell rang as | was
about to open the front door. On the steps
stood fresh-faced. earnesi-looking young
girl, with bundle in her arms.
She gaZed at me. rattle, stupidity, it
seemed to me, and said not word.
what can do for you?" / asked, some
what impatiently, / fear, ter | thought
was in hurry. Il want work." she said
bluntly. Her abruptneSs wa. somewhat
disconcerting. l was about to say that |
knew of none just then. when a second
glance showed ME that the fresh face was
strangely anxious and there was strained,
haunted look in the blue eyes. | obeyed a
sudden impulse and opened he door more
widely. "Come in moment" snid.
She stepped inside and followed me into
another room. Tell me abont it?"
asked, and in a moment the poor child was
weeping bitterly. Her poor little story
eonn tol6 She wae Girl wh od