Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-01

''IT's TERRIBLE BUSINESS"
pened. We've got a column in the
paper called The Height of Fashion,
a column for women, you understand"
"Quite So"
well, it used to be written by a lady
journalist, a Miss Calling. 1t was one
of the most popular features of the pa
per. Now the editor, on the plea of
economy, has turned her off, or, rather,
asked her to write gratuitously. She
says she won't work for nothing, and
she doesn't care. She says she shall go
and be new woman, and write an i'm
proper novel. You can see she's cut up
about it."
"Well,"I said, I'm sure your SYM
pathy with her does you credit, and if
the editor discontinues the most popu-
lar feature, it may retard the progress
of the paper, but after all"
''Stop!" he said, irritably, that isn't
it at all. The Height of Fashion is to
come out every week as usual, but the
scandalous-the absurd-I may say the
unspeal1able thing about it is that Zee
got to acrite it," He laughed bitterly. 81,
Charles Bacllerton Salemaker-moi Qui
cous pdrle-have got to write fashion
article for women. Think of it! Pic
ture i'll"
why don't you protest?"
Protest? What else do you think
I've been doing at the office except pro-
testing? Heaven knows l don't mind
work. I give them plenty for their
money. write the politics, the art
and the nursery notes, and other things
besides, and I've never complained. l
told you that 1 did eight columns a
a week. That was lie. l wrote
eleven then, and 1 have just had two
more put onto me. The Height of
Fashion makes the thirteenth. lied
to you because l was ashamed to say
how much l did. had high princi-
pies once, but Homo Happiness has
about done for them. You see, pub
fishers won't send us books for review
say they've never heard of us. Thea
ter managers won't send US tickets
What's the consequence? l review
books I've never read, and criticise
| L
them favorably, and so I've never been
found out. Last night l wrote an
obituary of a man who isn't dead, and
some Genuine Experiences Of a De-
tective, which never was. But that
was honesty itself compared with what
the editor wants now. Besides" he
added, more quietly and rcflectively,
sit will be very difficult thing to
write that article without being bowled
out"
said that the subject was probably
much easier than was generally sup
posed. 1 had known some girls who
appeared to be singularly, impressively
stupid, and yet they thoroughly under
stood fashions.
"Ah, yes" he said; ''it is not so much
question of brains as question of in
stinct. All women have the instinct.
You think the subject easy? I'll guar
antee you don't even understand the
elements of it, the mere question Of
structure, letting alone ornamentation.
Here's a thing which may happen any
day, and I've seen it myself: The top
half of woman's dress has two rows
of buttons and button holes; one row is
genuine, practicaland works; the other
row is pure fake just put on out Of
exuberance. Can you tell me which is
which? No, you can't, and l can't, but
q girl of twelve could without looking.
Then there are dresses which can never
be put on at all-at least, one would
say SO if there wasn't q woman inside
them. How did the woman get there?
The only possible explanation is that
she was melted down, poured in through
the collar and allowed to set. l say
that it is the only possible explanation,
but am perfectly well aware that it is
not the right one. And you can't tell
me the right one. don't know and
can't find out the bare clements of the
subject"
''Then why didn't you tell the editor
SOP"
II did," said Shoemaker, pacing ex-
citedly up and down the room. "He's
a married man, and has got two sisters
into the bargain to my certain knowl-
edge. He lives in the atmosphere of it.
! He would only have to leave the women
! in room together and nature would
do the rest. They would begin to talk
clothes, and he could have his clerk
at the keyhole to take it all down in
/ shorthand. That would give him some
thing to go upon. AS for me, 1 have
not got one living female relation.
However, he wouldn't hear of doing it
himself He said he had enough to do
already He told me that good all
/ round journalist could write any arti-
Gle on anything"
CHAPTER II
"You said yourself once that you
would tackle any subject if you were