The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-30

waited upon by a professional beauty.
Moreover, no dependence was TO be placed
IN the clerks themselves. The handsOm-
est girls were pretty sure TO be vain and
'touchy,' and when one proved really valu-
able she was morally certain 10 get mar
ried at the very time her services were
most needed So practical men began to
see that pretty girls did not pay as a cold
business proposition. and the same dis
coVery was presently made at the Offices.
IyPeWriting bellies made more trouble
than they were worth. They demoral!Zed
thelr fellow-employes and created no end
OF Jealousy and bitterness and friction.
IN many cases, perhaps in most cases,
the poor girl wasn't In the least to blame.
she couldn't help being good to look at.
and was probably trying her best to at
tend to her own affairs. but the idiotic
men wouldn't let her However. results
are the only things that count in business
nowadays, and few years age a big re-
acton against beauty set in.
isinee them" the young woman want
on, smiling, Il am sure that the fealing
has been growing steadily stronger Ind
stronger against the pretty girl in bnsi-
ness. But please don't misunderstood me
am referring altogether to the girl who
travels on her prettiness,' as the saving
goes \ pretty girl who doesn't make her
good looks obtrusive and who shows nv
her bearing that she expects to hold her
position by simple hard work has lust as
good chance as anybody; but. unfortu-
n&tely, such girls are rare. A very at
tractive young woman gets SO much at
tentlon ard fiattery that she has TO be ex-
ceptionally sensible and strong-minded
not TO have her head turned. AT present
most stores prefer clerks VINO are nlain
and lady-like in their appearance and
make no pretensions TO beauty. In the
offices the feeling is still more pronounce
ed, ard many professional men Will not
engage an amanuensis unless she is
downright Ugly-and the older the better.
Let me give you a little Illustration: l
have younger sister. who-if | do say
it, who shouldn't-is a real beauty. Some
time ago she learned that the president of
q big Alabama corporation wanted a pr,-
waite secretary. and, being highly compe-
tent. she wrote, applying for the place
He answered, requesting her photograph.
and We both got angry at once. Ny sister
happened TO have an old tin-type that.
somehow or other, made her look like a
perfect freak. and, as a reproof to the
gentlemans friyolity, she sent that 10
him by return mail
You may imagine our surprise when he
engaged her by telegraph. As it turned
out, he didn't want a pretty girl, but an
ugly one, and when she put in an ap-
pearance he came near backing out OF mis-
agreement. At last he told her, very
grutfiy, that she might try for a month !;
and. as she happens 10 have a lot OF COM
mon sen he has given great satisfae-
ton. But that case will show you how
men OF affairs feel on the subject
There is 4 big store in Chicago that
employs about go girl clerks. and used TO
boast that there wasn't one in the lot
that wasn't an admitted beauty. / was
in Chicago during my vacation, and Wis
tied that establishment 10 make some
purchases. Upon my word, j thought l
vas IN an old ladies home. The woman
who waited on me was fifty IL she was a
6av. and she had a face like a pair OF
nut-cra ckers- OF course, that was going
10 the other extreme. but | noticed that
business was something tremendous.
Here in New Orleans l think Shey have
struck the happy mean our large stores
contain lots Of pretty girls. but the fact
isn't featured as they say at the the
aters. You can see at once that no i'm
porfance is attached TO IL; and that brings
me hack. by the way, TO the starting
point. II a CIR; is thoroughly capable and
has plenty OF tact and discretion, her
r-ood looks will ne no especial handicap
in earning a living. Otherwise. nowadays
sbe Is AZ a decided disadvantage, compar-
"a To the girl who is homsly and industrl-
OILS"