Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-01

reading and draping a dressmaker's
form.
Many of the girls rooms are very at
~tractive and are quite artistic. The ten
ants of them are not required to bring
any furnishing, the plain deal set and
cretonne curtains being provided by the
establishment, but they can do so If they
wish, and no restriction is placed in the
matter of touches" so that pictures,
bric-a-brac, cushions flowers and fancles
abound. A bit of embroidery half fin
lshed, an open book, a musical instrument
show the means OF spending the leisure
hours.
In the big kitchen a menu for the day
is repeated. 1t is commended that in some
Of the London establishments where the
living in system is really a means Of
profit to the house the scanty food necessi-
tates the buying of supplementary sup
plies in order to keep soul and body to-
gether, and for this the meagre wages are
obliged to be taken. Here several Of the
girls testified that while of course If
they wanted goodies or sweets they had
to purchase them outside, necessity was
no different from the one that existed in
boarding houses or other places where
life was reduced to its simplest elements
There is meat once a day, fish, eggs and
simple vegetables, a plain and healthy
fare.
One of these girls has acted as cicerone
through the feminine section Of the es-
tablishment She has been, she tells
you, sixteen years with the house, having
come there from her home In Essex
when she was a little girl and worked up
through the various branches OF the place
until now she occupies a position in the
wholesale department. She wears a
black satin gown. with demi-train, made
princess style and to fit her tall, slim
figure perfectly. Her hair is carefully
coiffured, but is not exaggerated in mode.
She is very intelligent, with a pleasant
face and well bred manner. She is a type
of the English saleslady at the best.
She asks naively If you do not think that
sixteen years of service in the workaday
world deserves it's reward. The English
girl Of her class looks on marriage as a re-
ward and she has earned hers, leaving the
establishment very soon for a home OF
her own in the country. She is frankly
happy over the prospect and it may be
mat she LOOKS at ire even the liNlllB III
life, through rose colored specs.
Il am glad to have a home Of my own"
she explains, "and l want to get away
from London into the country with the
flowers and the chickens and the quiet,
but I would not be without the expert
ence I have gained. l think every sir
should touch with life such as have had,
She knows then the value OF money and
that her real happiness is in her home.
There is no one probably who knows
more about the living in system than
do, that is from the point of view OF a
personal test OF It. ! have met some.
times girls who were very u~nhappily
placed in houses which exacted that they
live in and provided only poor accommo.
dations and bad food, but on the other
hand a house like this really gives the
girls it enjoys a home in every sense Of
the word. I think the living in system
but I think It will be a great loss If it is
ever done away with entirely,
Il don't believe there is a girl here who
would prefer 70 live out. Why should she
II has never occurred 10 me TO thins
even OF such a thing, the advantages ar,
so obvious Of staying near ones work
You get up in the morning and you have
nothing TO do except dress for breakfast
which you don't have to prepare yourseli
or eat in a hurry. Then II is very mic,
TO be able to step into the shop on a rainy
day without being all mussed up, your
hair blown about and your gown muddy