Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26
THE GIRL WHO WORKS.
Problem of the Young Woman Who
Goes Into the World for Wages.

From the London Opinion
An important problem is forcing itself
upon the attention of the business girl.
Does the girl of the upper middle class,
when she works to earn her living, lose
caste with the people of her own social
position? If she herself asks the ques-
tion-especially if she asks her intimate
personal friends-she finds it greeted with
derisive laughter.
Certainly not-of course, she doesn't
lose caste. Why should she? People
think exactly the same of her as If she
stayed at home and did nothing" So
say most of those questioned. but the
thoughtful add lat least all nice people
do Precisely.
Now. putting aside these intimate
friends, whose opinion is apt to be
biased. what is the social position of the
woman worker who is by birth and edu-
cation lady?
Perhaps she is the daughter of a
wealthy man. has had an expensive if not
necessarily a very thorough education;
and when she comes OUT takes her
place in the best society the town has to
offer. Then her father suddenly dies.
money takes to itself wings. and she be-
comes clerk or typist in an Office. or
perhaps qualities as cookery teacher.
Perhaps. on the other hand, she is the
daughter of a clergyman or Noncomform-
list minister, has had university educa-
ton possible In these days of scholar
shipS), and takes a post as mistress In
secondary school Or it may even be that
she is not worker from necessity, but
from choice, preferring an active share
in life to the existence of an unmarried
girl in home which offers her little or
practically nothing to do. But whatever
she be, the social disadvantages under
which she labors are surely many.
By taking her place with the workers
she, of course becomes, nominally at any
rate, one of those with whom she asso-
ciates. During business hours she is on
the same footing with her fellow work
ers, of whatever social grade, and, like
them, merely a paid servant rms Is
inevitable and in itself immaterial: but
what about after business hours? Would
the solicitor meeting his girl clerk as his
! fellow guest at a dinner party or dance
regard her in any other light than as his
paid servant? He would, of course, treat
| her with ordinary civility, but 1t would
be surely difficult for those present to
forget that the two stood In the relation
of employer and servant To avoid the
awarkwardness of such situation, a
hostess will naturally enough find some
plea for not inviting the two to the same
function. Thus in time the worker finds
| her-elf excluded from many things which
would combine interest and relaxation,
and if invitations continue to come. they
are for quiet evenings, small family
/ parties and such like. In these matters
she has however at least as discerning a
taste as her sister OF leisure, and as good
or even better a reason for refusing lnvl-
tations which do not appeal to her.
: Then there are other facts which tend
| TO exclude the woman worker from social
/ engagements 1t is almost impossible
/ to take regular share in these when
ones work occupies three parts of the
day Clerk = lecturer = teacher-typlst-
! they usually come home at night too tired
to dress for d dance or rush of to a
skating rink Such enjoyments may be
INDUCED in occasionally, but they exact
| a heavy toll when the candle has to be
burned at both ends; And even setting
aside the mental and physical WEAKNESS
which debar the woman worker from
| frequent gayeties, there remains the fact
that a slender income does not allow
sufficient margin for party frocks ana
theater tickets. One is obliged to THINK
more than once before accepting such III
vitations come ones way.
| Moreover. pride forbids the average girl
to constantly accept invitations which she
is unable to return. Thus the invitation
| tend steadily to grow fewer, since social
intercourse is largely matter of give
and take.
/ But the woman worker whose heart Is
in her work has her compensations While
she can enjoy concert, dance or tneater.
/ she grows less and less to regard these
things the all-important part OF lire.
and ceases to- fret at being shut out from
such. The necessary concentration OF
Gus view of life than that of her sisters
of leisure. Perhaps at the same time,
| she acquires keener insight into the
| relative value of things. She has no tllL e
| for discomfort or bitterness, both the hall
mark of purposeless life.