The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-06-12
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
iyE is IN FULL SYMPATHY WITH
TIE SHOP GIRLS
And Heartily Commends the Move-
ment for Their Relief.

and rest their weary limbs for n brief
time when not waiting on customers,
and their working time is out ut =
o'clock in the evening. This is n re-
form that means much to them, and our
sympathetic people will all thank the
Chamberlin house for starting it. The
girls have not demanded it, nor have
they uttered n word of complaint, but
we know they get tired, very tired,
and sometimes they are sick and some
of them have work to do when they
get home. But they never strike-no,
they had rather suTar and endure and
always look CHEEKY and try to be happy
and contcntcd. 1 have wondered why
they did not organize and choose their
leaders and sometimes get on strike
and walk out and make demands on
No, they will not do that.
1t Is not their nature, and
for that reason, if no other,
those who employ them should be all
the more consiIeratc. Every shop
girl and every shop woman has On in-
,ividual history, and could tell tale
of sorrow or misfortune, ard some of
them would be intensely sad and pa.
thctic if written aud published. Many
of them belong to that class who have
seen better days-mauv are ORPHANS
some have widowed mother or an in
valid sister to support. All are dcpcn-
dent and have no bright prospects of
bstteriug their condition III the wears
to come. Some of them are not
strong, and often 60 to their work
with headache, or n henrt-nche
but they must not complain -
sad faces or sick faces or very homcly
ones are not wanted. know four sis
tcrs who are shop girls at different
places. Tnc eldest is Only sixteen.
They have neither father nor mother
nor brother, bat thcy live together aud
worl; by day ana comfort esch other
by night.
Some merchants are harl task
Intsters; "onIy shop girl" is their
motto, and their service is worth what
it viii brinC-that mach and no more.
They tx tho Price and keep it there.
There is n promotion III wage. |
Know one who kept Il Giri down to 500
month. She WAS refined, diligcnt,
conscientious and popular, and hal
hccn reared lady III ell respects, but
snc was only u shop girl, and out OF
mcager wages mus. pay for her board
aud clothing. Not an hour did >he
ever lose-but by and by she was Of r.
ed S3O by another house, and then,
and not till then, did her employers
propose to increase her wages to the
same amount. Why did they not do
1t before? 1 knew another large,
wealthy house that gept a young mau
Tor three years, promising at intervals
TO raise his wages, but 1t was
only promise. At Inst he quit
ana sought other business, and
then they onered INN nearly double
what he had been getting If he would
come back. That Is what the prophet
calls grinding the faces Of the poor"
Why wear poor girls life and health
turns to despair? Only shop girl!
n young lady who had once been in
dependent was forced by the common
c"!hih'ty OF theSe hnrd times to become
shoP Slrl anu she toid ne that the
hardest th!hS 10 Dear was the stately
c"!nhess OF her 1orm"r irlendS-inc
iacN OF lhmlIlar, social recognition;
"hcN thev tra"cd at u" counter they
haruly knew Atr-'hey >;li good morn
ing, put not IN the sweet old why.
Alter 'oo had lost his property, he
Snl" nnt now thcy that are younger
thau hold me IN derlsi"n-whosc
iathers L would Lave "isdained to set
win the dogs o. my i!ock.
IL IS the same old story OF social IN
sincerity. man never knows who
are MS friends until misfortune over
takes him. Thank heaven. there are
some exceptions to this rule, anu these