The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-09-03

"os 'i"h'e anu now Their Actions May
Affect Poorer Giris.
There are tourists and tourists Some
will come home and be able 10 tell only
that they have seen tho Abs and been O.
Paris, while others Nill have done" Rono
I'm a day, and rs an English lady wonder.
ingly narrated OF one such American who
had performed the feat got q wonderfully
clever idea Of &c at that Nevorthoieas
the most persistent and obsorvant tourist
would find II berCulcan task 20 penetrate
into the English home uuleas furnished
with exceptional letters Of introduction "
possessed Of exceptionally fascinating man.
ners and exceptionally rnro advantages Or
meeting people who are exceptionally 40.
preiudiced.
IAN Englishmqu's house IS his castlo' "a
phrase familiar 10 ms all, but Co those uu.
familiar with the survival II feudai ideas
the full force II the saying is lost From
the noble lady who gaciOusiy accepts
American hospitality on this side OF Che
water and then forEeis 20 extend an invita-
ton for q return visit 20 the siovenly wife
of the green grocer who slams the door x
her back parlor when she enters the shop
20 serve a customer, the privacy Of the
home Is jealouSy guarded
Novelists have introduced us 90 the draw
ing rooms Of the great and Che sitting rooms
of the humble. but a discreet silence hls
been maintained concerning tho h0nss
holds Of tho shCpkeepcrs, and 10 may ha 10
mcmbcred that England IS q nation of
shopkeepers. SO, after an the stranger
forms an idyllic conception " the Eng.sh
home, which, while 10 may 0ltter the Eng-
lish and satisfy those who never learn 10
tho contrary, by no means represents tho
true state Of affairs.
Il may be- well before entering further
upon tho subject 20 explain exactly what Ia
meant bya shopkeeper The entire busi.
ness Of the country is divided into three
classes and is conducted in warehouse.
which is the name givea Go building dc.
voted % wholesale trade, Offices where
goods are sold from samples and shops.
which last is synonymous with our roal
store. A man keeping either "a warehou8
or an Office is % tradesman. hut ho isnot
a shopkeeper, though "a shopkoeper a. %
tradesman, petty OF otherwise a shop
girl is not q factory hand; neither IS she 70
"sales,ady." Her highest tltle is CHAT COO.
fcrrcd upon her by net Of parliament in ra.
~..t ouactments, "shop assistant"
tcse "young persons lend very differ
lives from those In similar positions in
This country. I'm the first place. Tor tho
most part they leave home and live in tho
house of their employer This s0i course
a survival Of the old apprentice system.
Even in warehouses 10 IS quite common f0r
those learning the business 90 live "in-
doors" and many prosperous tralesmm
have their homes over THEIR shops and oi
fees in rooms fitted not for family come
fort, but the idea n lec0mm0dntiHga small
army Of assistants-
The kitchens anu iers OF nch estab.
hshments resemble those az our hotels
When il is remembered that the irde-
mans wife has 90 superintend suchaholso-
hold the life Of an American boarding
house keeper looms up 0s elegant leisure n
comparison with BIER lot, not % mention
that the American woman has the handling
Of money whereas tho tradesmans wife
receives no row0ui save tho consciousness
Of having dome her duty Men who have
incomes ranging ae high as $1,000 "a venr
do not employ hOu7ekecpcrs but impose
households of go or more strangers upon
their wives. These young people have
to be lodged. Ted and iu many cases uni-
formed, and Che mistress must see That mo-
waste takes place i'm any direction, that
the health and morals of her charges are
carefully guarded. and n conscientious
woman she frequently performs tho duties
Of nurse 10 ser0ts illness for those who ore
far from bone or who have mo- home save
that of their employer
Il would seem impossible with the strict
Surveillance 90 which IN those IN urpect-
able house arc mbjerted for serious evil t0
creep in. bat There are sad traged.o cole
tnually taking place Ina those vast house
holds which only show that the gentle rod
checked English girl is no stronger moral
~ thnu her American sister, who bass moro
freedom, but possibly no greater tempn-
ton.
Much has been said and written nh0lt
titled ladies' going into trade, and recent
articles in the English press declare thar
the daughters Of professional men are uow
entering west end establishments and
taking their places behind rho c0unfarl and
an the workrooms All this tells sad
story 90 those who read between tha lines
While we admire the pluck and energy NJ
q woman who puts pride behind Der 9nd
works bnyoly 70 earn her living, one cane
not but remember that the entrance 0t
titled milllncrs aud dressmakers has ruined
many "a respectable shopkeeper whose mod
est bank account would NOT pay for the ar
tistic signs and expensive Fittings 81 het
noble competitor And as 90 the daufl
ters Of professional men going behind the
counter. what Is % become N them when
the upward pressure" bursts All i0ludsf
That pressure is increasing with every
class that leaves the b0aId schools God
help those who seem doomed 20 Boz caught
beween the upper and neither mIllstones
We. as Americans, must TrIOice tAas
England is fast becoming % democracy.
Nevertheless, those of Us who know tre
fcudal system only through poem aud ro-
nance, who have never suffered from the
tyranny arising from the survival of Che
| identhnt the sovereign owns the lord tls
lord owns the knight, the knight no
squire, and 80 on down 20 the beggar may
be permitted ono little sigh over the los q
| cbivalry but sober secoud Thought NAKED
usreioice that England IS becoming Amer
icauized. " that tLe rights oil the lndlflduhi
are more and more recognized but while
we look AZ the mDidlg d.ssolvlug yicWa oi
ol6ep times would 10 not be well 20 bear pa
mind that well developed systems as vel
as human beings have in them some germ
Of good worth rescuingi
we are rubbing up the old andirons and
polishing the worm eaten furniture or our
ancestors because they hayo a beauty na
modern WORK can attain. Surely tlen'
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