Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-16

| pretty at my business. and I'm not fool
enough to try, yet when these miserable
cads draw aside their nicely creased trous-
ers and lock intently the other way. or
perhaps smoker at me IL I happen to sit
beside them in a street car. it makes me
mighty sick of honest toll. and l feel like
taking even a job at a ribbon counter for
very little pay just to show 'em how pretty
ana popular with the girls it's in me to
make myself
"As for the girls-it takes an awful lot of
nerve for girl to smile on carpenter
L mean the sort who are naturally friends
or my eminent professional brothers
Know one who is equal to it, but l had her
out the other evening. and we both over
heard an old lady saying to her mother.
L m surprised your daughter will go with
carpenter. 1t didn't take me long to
turn around and say to the old lady that
Whie L thoroughly realize a carpenter s
unfortunate place in the social world, l do
at least have the pleasure of earning a de-
cent living, instead of sponging on my
mother, as her own does. But of
course. to this she answered How dread
fully rude he is and set that too, down to
my being a carpenter.
Labor and Capital.
"How about the bitterness of Labor VS..
Capital?' l asked
Il experience very little of that 1 never
find 1t among men working anywhere but
in shops. This. of course, brings them
that employs them than men working on
buildings, and / sometimes hear growing
discomfort with capital-profe labor
talk, you know-but generally, as | have
told you. the individual laborer doesn't phil
osophize over his troubles. and isn't much
concerned about labor with big L. and
capital with big c. 1t is his job, and his
wages. and his needs and his family's that
make up his problem of life and engage all
his attention"
n 11v, }y,lr
trying some profession?'
Il do, indeed, for the reasons I have
given you. It's all very well to talk about
the dignity Of labor and the man ennobling
the work. and that sort of thing, but fell
low can't stay in the dignity and ennobling
business with much heart or much reason
when 1t Is never going to pay him enough
to get married on-now, can he? Do you
blame me? Would you make carpenter
or your boy after all I've told your"
Theory and Practice.
I groaned-Im still grooming Theo-
retically I'm heart and soul devoted TO
the idea that all work is equally honorable
and that human intelligence and right pur-
pose can make any work attractive: but
here this young carpenter had not only
given me his practical experience to the
contrary, but oh, oh, oh! l had been part
of the experience. l had wanted 10 feed
him because he was poor carpenter"
udu dSheu SISTER come COOK ana
scrub for me because he was poor car
penter!" 1 had ceased to wound his self
respect only after his best suit of clothes
had brought out the fact that he
brother to my peer! No. l could not blame
him. All circumstances considered /
wouldn't be a carpenter in the United
States If l could be anything elsa con-
gresham even I'd go into the trust and
monopoly business-put myself in line with
the actual conditions of virtue and its re-
ward in our glorious free country. Clio
rious free country, indeed ,-unless the
figure Of your bank account makes 1t SO.
But there. l don't want to be hanged for
anarchy and treason until I have done
something for the young workngman l
helped to discourage If anybody has a
nice government sinecure or an office in
the Standard Oil Company, or possibly a
place on the United States Industrial COM
mittee to dispose Of he will y lease kindly
communicate with PAULINE PRY