Evening star., 1898-03-05
ASHAMED OF TOLL.
The Average Working Woman WOr-
ships Unlimited Leisure.
From the phflatlelnhia Times

The Average Working Woman WOr-
ships Unlimited Leisure.
From the Philadelphia Times.
The average working woman has little
respect for other working women. This
doesn't mean that she is without respect
for herself, of a certain self-Satisfied sort,
but 1t does mean that that self-respect is
not broad enough to include Difference for
fellow wage-earners. and 1t must logically
follow that 1t is very low grade of per-
sonal regard. The woman wage-earner
whom one most often meets has been the
one standard of gentleship-uniimited lei
sure. According to her. the worker, no
matter how creditable remunerative her
labor may be, is something just a little to
be ashamed Of: yet beyond the pale of all
those who sit with folded hands, no matter
now much more content. not to say COM
Portable, those hands might be If engaged
in good, honest employment. 1t is but an
other phase of the false and one time all
prevalent squeamshness as to confessing
financial straits: a modern development of
that spirit that decade ago led an impov-
erished family to declare that they only
took boarders for company" A successful
woman teacher, who did really love her
work, used to say that she was the only
member of her family she ever met who
taught because she had to-all the rest did
it lust from pure love of it." A girl whose
family have recently lost everything dis
posed Of some embroidery at the woman's
exchange. When an intimate friend con-
graduated her upon her good luck at find
ing way Of making money, the girl out
at elbows and patched as to shoes as she
was, hastened to say: "Oh, 1T wasn't the
money. You see, l have so much idle time
on my hands now, and this embroidery
does entertain Inc So" The new phase of
the old subject was brought the other day
to the rotice of the head of an exclusive
and very prosperous girls school in this
ri tan INryv, nt,NoI Il 1ncsva .Aa
in place OF the amanuensis she had here
tofore had.
Applicants cne after another presented
themselves. and with each one the principal
found some cherished notion as to the good
sense and stability of the modern business
woman laid low. If 1t wasn't one thing it
was another. but she at last realized that
they were all imbued with the Pm-as- good
as-you-are idea. The principal finally en-
gaged young girl who was less ''uppish"
than the others and whose spotted veil was
not quite so obtruslve. At the end Of one
week the girl resigned her place. why, /
pay you 81 week more than you were
getting in your downtown Office" said the
teacher. Yes said the girl, but like 1t
better in the office. It's more fun for one
thing and her She paused but the
this way" the gill finally blurted out; you
see, it's sort of more honorable for me. 1t
isn't because I don't like to be employed by
a lady, but you're lady who works Why.
none of my lady friends do anything ex-
cept one or two, and they're employed by
gentlemen In offices: I don't know any
typelady who is employed by woman who
works. and. to tell the truth, we think 1. a
little beneath US. I'm sorry" with COM
miserating glance at the teacher, ''but the
$5 week extra couldn't make up for it,
you know. The teacher steadied her voice
for one question. Don't your men en-
ployers in the offices work.? she asked
''Oh, yes. indeed" was the answer "but
then they're men. It's different with wo-
men, It may be of interest to add that
this teacher subsequently secured a man
stenographer, he having no objection, he
said, TO being employed by a woman who
worked" With such standards as those in
the minds of the rank and file he business
woman has a good many lengths to 20 be-
fore she can hope to attain even a quota of
that which her apostles declare for her