The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-07-11

| TRIALS OF A WOMAN.
SHE WHO TAKES THE TICKETS At
THE PICTURE SHOWS.
Her Task, While Nerve Racking, In
vites a study of Some of the Curl
Gus Phases of Human Nature That
| at Times Are ON Dress Parade.
AS rule the young woman who
takes tickets at the picture exhibition
is an art student herself. The other
girls trying to earn. money envy her
and think she has soft thing" It
Is apparently easy enough to be the
ticket taker at picture show. All
there is to do, apparently, Is to sit In
a roomful of pictures, take peoples
tickets as they come in and sell cata
logues.
"You would be surprised to see how
much work it is" said girl who
takes tickets at one Of the big exhi-
billions. you have to keep your eyes
open all the time, for there are large
number Of people who try to run past
without tickets. 1 have to go after
people dozen times day, calling
ticket, please and they turn on me
| with an indignant stare. Most Of
them then go and buy tickets. But
one we'll dressed woman the other day
took up her lorgnette, looked me over
from head to foot, and said in an ICY
tone: Ticket! l have no tickety and
proceeded calmly on her way. l ran
after her again.
Madame said. i shall have to
trouble you for ticket
81 have already told you had
none she said.
one,' said l. was beginning to be
afraid should have to get a sbouncer
to put her out, for was determined
: she should not go in without paying.
A That is what I'm here for, and I am
conscientious. Well, at last she founc-
ed out to the ticket Office, bought her
ticket and put it down on my desk,
saying:
"'What an imposition!
THAT is one sort Of the people have
to deal with. Then the other Is the
kind who wish to borrow catalogue
for minute and keep it the whole aft
ernoon. have to be very stern about
catalogues. The best way is to polite
~ look up whatever picture is asked
for and to absolutely refuse to let any
one take catalogue for moment.
, One nice old lady took me at my word,
and really believe she asked me
every single number in the room. I
did more than IS cents worth of work
: for her. can tell you. The worst is
telling people the price of pictures. Aft
ter about six weeks of 1t it CRATES on
ones nerves. This is what continually
happens: A threadbare old gentleman
. comes to the desk:
do you know the price of pic
lures? he asks.
= Yes; would you like to know the
: price of anyY reply.
There is one in the other ROOM he
says.
) What is the number? Iask.
81 can't tell you the number, but it's
in the other ROOM
> "rhen have to send him for the
, number
. No. 221.'
That is $500.
/ "'Why?' asks my old gentleman.
o IF it's early in the afternoon, ex-
: plain to him that I suppose the artist
4 thinks it worth that; that he is well
n known. or what not; later say, I
], don't know Not one person in so Of
J. those who ask the price have the
4 slightest idea of buying. Some will
: go through half an exhibition and In
: sist on knowing the prices of all. 1
= get SO tired Of being polite and affable
to oil these people that by the time /
get out in the evening am ready to
insult my dearest friend for the sake
of being rude to some one. It's SO
t hopeless telling the price of picture
over and over again and each time
= having the people exclaim, What an
S awful price!
"a great many people hold me per-
: sonally responsible for the pictures.
It Lots Of people come and talk very dis
l. agreeably to me about them. What
s makes them have such bad shows?'
!. they ask me. Young men come up
Y and say, Isn't this awful trash?' in an
accusing sort of way, as though /
n had done 1t all myself. And one man
l. fairly shook his fist in my face and
s demanded his money back. It's q
t. swindlev he shouted at me. But II
it really wasn't nv fault
b Eat private exhibitions it's different.
e There people come up to me and say,
8 What privilege to sit among the
+ works Of the masters all day. /
d don't tell them that If sat among
e the works Of the masters much longer
Y should go mad, but would like to.
d 1.-THE other day friend Of mine
d took my place A man came up to her
? and asked:
h Miss. is your picture among these