Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-28
ELLEN ADAIR HAS
TRYING ORDEAL IN
Big OFFICE BUILDING
Recovering From Disap-
pointment in Employment
Office, She Makes Futile
Effort to Answer Tele-
phone.

see Just loneliness Those years may
bring dull resignation in their train,
The foot less prompt to meet the morning dew,
The heart less bounding at emotion new.
again.
want to i've. live hard and think
and learn, and dol ! hate the thought of
pain and poverty! Since mother died.
all the old longings that I thought long
since were crushed, all the old, vague
desires have come to me again a thou
sandfold. Those restless STRINGS for
full deep life are here again. o, Moon
OF my Desire! Is happiness for me just
like that pale, cold orb shining beyond
this earthly kingdom here?
Why are we humans such strange, rest
less things, with vague resolves that melt
like snow before the heat OF selhshness?
Why are we given souls to ache over
our own sad falings and our pain? We
struggle on like children In the dark
Light half-believers Of our casual cresds.
Who never deeply felt nor clearly wtlled.
Whose vague resolves never have been full
filled.
This sadness must be shaken off to-
night Yet in the telling OF simple
tale like mine I still must write in all
sincerity
ALMOST ENNTOUS.
After my interview at that employment
place ] walked in Philadcphia's streets
for quite an age. I thought the shops in
Market street held lovely things. The
girls who passed me on the street struck
me as having such a fashionable air;
their clothes seemed cut just in the
height of style" The way their hair
was dressed was most severe, dragged
ii, o,h1 ysiSh
jeweled pin projecting at the side
thought they looked so pretty, yet some
had an artificial air-the color in their
cheeks seemed sometimes hard and fixed
so different from the glow that cold winds
and sea breezes bring. How wealthy they
must be to dress like that, thought, and
almost envied them.
TI walked through Chestnut street and
saw the hurrying crowds go by. How
narrow that street seemed 10 be! Long
lines of motorcars crowded the traffic !
everyw here.
In wanamakers cool department store
I fingered, hoping to hear the organ
play. At length "one chord OF music |
Hike the sound of a great amen" rang
out, and 1t seemed to give me courage TO |
face these noisy. sun-scorched streets |
again. loved to hear that organ play.
AN UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY.
After an hour of wandering I saw a
notice in a window. Employment Bu-
reau." 1t was a large typewrting office,
and rows of girls and men clicked busily
at different machines. AL. seemed so
competent, so capable so self-assured. l
felt too shy TO risk another rebuff such
as the last, so stood Just inside, close to
the door, and as far from the Employ
ment desk AZ possible. Two girls were
talking close to me and I could not help
hearing what they said.
I'VE need a girl in our Office uptown
at once" said one, "Just to do all the
odd Jobs, answer the telephone and do
all the things no one else wants to do.
Aren't you Just dying to apply?'
'Gee-not for me-" was the response. 81
guess have dandy Job already. thanks.
Besides, the sound of it amt good
enough"
This was my chance. screwed up
courage. and I spoke
Would I be good enough for this par
ticular post OF which you speak?"
queried. IT have had no experience. of
course. but still want to start in right
away"
The girls turned round. and stared,
amazed.
'T guess no particular experience is
needed, Just some common sense" said
the one who had spoken Arst eyeng me
curiously. II know we want a girl i'm
mediately; go right up now and see the
boss"
She handed me an ONCE card and on
set. I reached a great high building
that seemed to me TO tower right to the
heavens, real skyscraper. The elevator
shot me like a streak OF grea sed lightning
TO the 17th floor. I entered a large once
and perceived the boss" He was a wiry-
looking, worried ltle man. and seemed
to preside over score of stenographers
all girls. He clucked around Just like a
IAN he will I
home, who found her brood were duck
linss and could swim away from her.
Miss Smith, Miss Smith. stop talking
over there and go ahead with your
work"' he cried
Miss Brown. you've placed your chew
ing gum right on these bills OF lading
there and II has stuck, 7 hate TO see
young ladies chew the way you all do
herep'
He turned to me. "Are you the new {
girl7 Why. I guess you'lI do. Salary Is S
week to start-begin right now. There
goes the telephone. please answer H." He
hurried or again.
THE DREADFUL PHONE.
I hastened to that dreadful Instrument
The nearest girls all stopped their work
and watched. I did not know what I ,
should do. for I had never touched
telephone before. But thst Wild bell kept ,
ringing on, so l lifted tNa instrument |
bodily on the table and placed the mouth |
piece to my earl OF course, I heard no
sound, except the Wild ringing Of that
dreadful bell, which kept up one contin-
uous uproar
For heavens sake. answer the phone
right. can't you. girlF' shouted the
boss" In nervous wrath. That darned !
wild ringing makes my head go round" "
The earpieee now fell 10 the floor with
a loud crash. but luckily by doing so /
IL stopped the mad ringing OF the bell. l
lost my head. picked up that earpIece
from the floor and shouted down II !
VINO Is there?' A shout OF laughter
from ghe girls stopped further foolish
blundering.
Come here, young lady" said "the
boss" II see you've never touched a tel
sphone before. Are you accustomed to
clerical work.
What a strange question IN that busi-
ness place. | thought. I've taught In
sunday school. II that is what you
mean" said I. THE clergyman used to
say I could teach the children well"
Another shout OF laughter greeted this
saw that l had blundsred once again
Il was too much. l hurried from the
place and shook that ofhce dust from
of my feet a hateful ofncs and a /