Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-21

have personal knowledge. The girl had the
advantage OF being both young and pretty.
She had been consecutively nursery govern
ess; child's nurse, demoiselle of the
Jardin de Paris. and an artists model
Becoming tired Of these two latter phases
of Partisan existence. she tried to get some
place behind a counter. 1t took two
months. with influence. She now receives
- week in sewing machine agency
The proprietor, who learned about her case
through a spiteful anonymous letter. took
her aside and asked her IL she wished to
stay. She said yes. II she might. He
promised her an increased salary of a
dollar week, to be given her in a luml
sum at the end of five months. In the
meantime he would assist her to pay her
room rent. This patron was an honest
man. and was only following out the die
tates of his conscience with regard to a
girl who had come into his employ. For
one such man in Paris, honorable and
scrupulous. you have a hundred greedy,
wicked, constituencies. The girl considers
she is very lucky with her So a week, and
the chance of buying her own furniture at
the end OF the five months.
The Lunch Hour.
OF all the species of working girls. the
most romantic to the eye and most frequent
ly In view are these sewing hands from the
great dressmaking and millinery shops of
the Boulevard. the Rue de la Paix, the Rue
de Rivoli and around the Place Vendome.
A. lhc AOOh Tie d peTleCI DOOu VI Etlle
women issues forth upon the street. with
tousled hair. high words, wrapped In their
eternal little gowns of black merino in win
ter and stamped calico in summer They
are speckled here and there with bits of
thread; their faces are flushed and their
eyes are bright from the overheated atalier
and they are going now to eat their lunches
at the restaurants. They are the better paid
and more chic sewing girls
All are young; the older ones, married for
the most part. have remained at the work
shop, where they cook or heat up what they
have brought with them from their homes
The younger ones love better to take the
air. Some go to little restaurants where
tney meet their sweethearts. The beau, who
Is clerk of the neighborhood, will pay for
the girls breakfast. She, in return in the
evening, will make him such neckties from
silk and satin that she has robbed from the
workshop, that he may easily rival the most
flaming dude. How a pretty working girl
In the central part of Paris shall behave
herself is undoubtedly only a matter for
her own discretion. But scant wages the
stiIl. the dangers forced on these girls by a
system universally adopted by their employ
ers have theft natural result in the majority
or cases. AT fifteen years." says a grave
authority, the street attracts the sewing
girl; at eighteen it amuses her; at twenty
it holds her fast" II the girl can persavere
till twenty-five she may marry at last the
clerk for whom she has made the flaming
herself. and not curious about her past
But even then the danger is not finished
To see this We have only to go through the
rest Of the sewing girls day.
The critical time is when she is dismissed
TO 90 to her home at night. No matter what
laws have been made. the time when work
is really at hand and her years savings
must be made Is sure to prolong her labor
far on into the night. Count Albert de Nun.
who has made himself the apostle of a Kind
OF Christian socialism, gives black de-
scrtption Of this hour. AT midnight they
go away. These working girls. live I'D at
Montmartre or farther and the workshops
are in the center of Paris, in the rich and
elegant quarters. Some of these girls prefer
not to go away from the shop at that hour
at all. For those who must venture il land
It IS nearly alb, how are they to go? The
omnibus no longer passes They must take
a cab and pay for II, for the house will
rarely do this. Oftener they must go on foot
walk of hour. And they are young
girls Of eighteen. or seventeen, even Of six
teen years OF age. Do you know what they
have said to me? We cannot ask protec-
ton from the policemen. They answer us
that honest girls do not go running on the
streets at such an hour
STERLING HELLO