New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-03

the IdOle. NE most Oleu lauRnln Wnen
she brought her first weeks pay, s5
cents Now, what dye think about
that? She come in here an give il {
me as proud s IL it had been dollars In
stead
Working in q factory is not all
fun, but it brings a measure OF inde-
pendence which the young personality
Graves beyond all else. 1t Is not always
stern need alone that sends a girl out
to work at such an early age. Parents
may call upon her in times OF special
stress and insist upon her returning
TO school as soon as the pressure is re-
moved. But public opinion among the
girls themselves is strong and de-
cided upon this point.
"To continue in school after you can
get your working papers is a sign OF
overeducation and is not popular. 4
don't mind studyin', but ell my friends
are goin' Z work, an don't want Z
stay. Ny mother and brothers all hol-
Ter at me, but I'm kickin' to leave.
Graduate! Gee, stay two years? Not
for me-it's too slow
"a girl sees about her all sorts Of
makeshifts and hsphazsrd expedients.
One Of our girls tried 20 avert fam
lily disaster. D:spossession threatened
at the end Of the week. Mrs. Derks
was in despair and helplessly she re-
signed the situation TO Emma. With
their last SO the girl bought a lamp
and some hundred printed tickets. The
lamp was put in saloon window. The
tickets we're to be sold in rattle which
was to pay the rent. They did not sell
and the rent went unpaid.
az told her it wouldn't do no good
a neighbor said. She should a. got q
watch
Turns Over Pay Envelope to Mother.
"None of our girls belonged to that
mythical type of female wage Garner
who is said to work only for pin money
aud thereby to bring down wages. On
the contrary, the West Side girl turns
ever her pay envelope unopened to her
mother, who is by custom the spender
Tor the family. There is no pity felt
by her world for the girl who must
turn over her meagre pay. This is a
duty taken for granted. 1t is the least
return for the years during which her
parents have made sacrifices for her.
| Occasionally you find girl so inbued
with this point Of view that she is pre-
maturely 'worrisome' and old.
zone Of our club girls was afflicted
with an unselAshness which was as ex-
treme as the wilfulness Of others. She
accepted her hard surroundings, as the
others rebelled against them, without
counting the cost. and sacrificed IN
sparingiy her youthful right to gayety
and pleasure. Her mother watched
with anxious regret the effect of pre-
mature care and responsibility on the
daughter.
"'She's a good girl, Lucy is, but you
never seen anything like her. Every
pay night regular she'll come and sit
down at that table. "Now, Ma she'll
say like that, "what are you goin' 10
do? How ever are y goin' = make
out in the rente' Land sakes," Pll
say, you'd thing this whole house was
right there on your shoulders. III get
along somehow" But y can't make
her see into that. "Now whatll we do,
how'll you manage, MAJ" she'll keep
askin'. She's too worrisome, that's
what tell her. An she don't care to
20 out. Mebbe she'll take walk, but
likes not she'll say, whats the use?"
Night after night she jest comes home,
eats 'er supper, sits down, mebbe reads
bit. an then goes = bed
However, rebellion and not suomis-
sion is the common factor in the read
iustment which follows the girls debut
as a wage Garner. Along with the FIRST
humble lob and the first meagre wage,
there comes TO the young girl her first
taste of power. Her first pay envelope
is the outward and visible sign OF many
changes. Her position at home is al
tered. She has more prestige, the first
beginnings Of authority.
"Her family may be actually de-