El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-12-13
The Spectator.

A retail merchant of Chicago, talk
ing to an Inter Ocean reporter recent
ly, told in bright and witty way why,
in his opinion, beauty is not only not
desirable in women who have to work
for a living, but is positive drawback
in many cases to their securing and re-
tanning employment. and although it is
hardly probable that the average wo-
mau would not prefer beauty to any
thing else, the merchant makes out a
strong case. Here is what be says:
''It's no joke, and there's no senti-
ment about it. It's just a cold-drawn
matter of business. [ don't care how
competent strikingly handsome wo-
man may be, or how discreet and quiet
she's bound to demoralize the force.
She makes the women jealous
and the men absent-minded, and
1t tells on their work. OF
course, she can't help it, but that's no
affair of mine. I've made a study of
the subject" he continued, land 1
know what I'm talking about. A real
beauty in a store will reduce the work
ing capacity of it's employees about 20
per cent. If she happens to BE- very
unususl type-a blonde, for instance,
W tn dark eyes-the reduction will be
fully % per cent. Suppose the pay
roll is $3.50 week; you'd have to
make an entry every Saturday
like this: To depreciation on account
of blonde dark eyes, 1857 so That's
enough to break Vanderbilt. I'm
young lady clerk here once who had
everything in the world to recommend
her except homeliness. She was beauti-
full, poor child, and W hat made it worse
she had that hopeless, incredible
kind of beauty that one doesn't out
grow, like warts or freckles, and is al
ways the same, no matter what hap
could have fallen into hogs
head of black molasses and come out
still radiantly lovely. Well, she went
to work and l never had a better or
more faithful employe, but the deadly
decentralization began to spread the
minute she stepped behind the counter
Everybody felt it. The book-keeper
was surly Scotchman and about as
emotional as fried oyster. In less
and making at least forty
errors q day on his ledger. The cor
his letters Dear Annie instead
Of Dear SIR and the cashier
was short every night through trying
to make change with one eye on the |
lady. And that wasn't all. The floor
walker and head salesman became |
rivals-in their minds, because she |
never as much as looked 1T either one |
Of them-and bad it out while the |
store was full If customers. They |
spattered gore all over he ribbon de-
partment and finally rolled through an |
open hatchway and both were laid up
for ronth. And now, by George,
they are threatening me with dam
age suit
A baby can beat any alarm clock
ever Invented for waking family up
N the morning Give it fair show and
It can smash more dishes than the
most industrious servant girl 10 the
1t can fall down oftener and
With less provocation than
'he most expert tumbler in the
circus ring. 1t can make more
genuine fuss over simple brass pin,
says an exchange, than it's mother
would over broken back. 1t can
choke itself black in the face with
greater ease than the most accomplish
ID wretch that was ever executed. It
IAN keep family in constant turmoil
rom morning till night, and night till
morning. without once varying it's
;unes. 1t can be relied upon to sleep
peacefully all day when it's father is
Town town, and cry all night
when he Is particularly sleepy,
It may be the naughtiest, dirtiest.
lgliest, most fretful baby in all the
world, but you can never make Its
mother believe it, and you had better
not try it. 1t can be charming and
model infant when no one is around:
but when visiters are present it can OK
n1b1t more bad temper than both of it's
parents together. 1t can brighten up
; house better than all the furniture
aver made, make sweeter music than
The finest orchestra organized, fill a
larger space in it's parents breasts than
hey knew they had, and when it goes