Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-04-21
The Dignity Of
Labor
A Story Showing Its Change
In Half a Century
BY JOHN Y. HARMED


change has come over what we call the
dignity of labor-not that labor Is a
more honorable calling than formerly
but 1t Is 80 regarded. In America we
took originally our ideas concerning
trade and labor from England, where
neither was then regarded as ut oc
cupation for gentleman. Fifty years
ago one might not In America sell
goods at retail and maintain a first
class social position. The daughters OF
money without being taboo by persons
of their own set.
Today our merchants and social
princes are retailers The daughters OF
well to do persons prefer to work rath.
or than wait for husbands, and many
a young man with taste for mechan-
les prefers to make his start In the
machine shop rather than In the count.
ing room.
Nevertheless snobbery has not died
out. 1t will never die, filing Its ranks
mostly from the get-rich-quick ele-
ment. Modern high social life Is a
combination Of refined persons and
snobs. For the snobs nothing is quite
good enough. Refined men think little
of taking Off their coats and doing bit
Of carpenter work about their homes.
Their wives are every day coming
more and more to dispense with hired
help.
One August day young man knock
ed at the door OF Mrs. Bradbury, who
lived In small town called Glendale,
situated in u beautiful valley, and said
to her:
II am looking for place to spend a
month In which to regain health i'm
paired from overwork. l have been
told that II | can get you to take me
In l will be very pleasantly situated"
The lady looked the young man over
and consented to take him to board
and treat him, II he 30 wished, as Il
member Of her family. He gave his
name as Charles Treat, but concerning
his antecedents or his occupation said
nothing. The accepting OF Mr.. Treat
as a member Of the family meant more
to him than would at first appear.
Glendale society was more than usual
ly pleasant, and Mrs. Bradbury, whose
ancestors had been Its leaders in for
mer times, though she was now poor,
retained her membership. Many good
men and women had of late years been
admitted to social companionship, but
the snob had not been kept out New
ertheless Glendale social life was suf-
flciently progressive to take persons
for their intrinsic worth.
For the first week OF his sOjourn In
Glendale Charles Treat divided his day
between sitting on Mrs. Bradbury's
porch and taking walks In the country
round about. Then Mrs. Bradbury,
finding that he was growing impatient
to get back to work, suggested that he
would be better satisfied to remain II
he had some companionship and offer
ed to introduce him TO the young men
and young women Of the place Treat
consented and became a member Of
the younger social circle of Glendale.
There were tennis courts there, in
which those devoted to outdoor sports
gathered, and Treat found the game
both attractive and Of advantage to
his health. He was well liked, though
not what Is called popular. Popular
young men and women In society are
usually ephemeral. Unless they have
sterling qualities they are liable to
drop out OF the esteem In which they
are held, taking a back seat Among
the more refined young men and WON
en- Treat was considered an equal
among those whose parents had re-
Gently got rich he found little favor.
They required some information as to
what was his occupation, and he did
not seem inclined to crafty their curl
oslty.
Treat took more especially TO tennis
than TO the other methods OF recrea-
ton. He played a good game, though
at the time, his health having been
impaired by overwork. he did not play
a strong one. 1t was noticed that he
was dreamy--that is, he was liable to
be thinking Of something else than
what he was doing. On several occa-
siOns while at tennis, struck by sud
den thought while a ball was to be
sent back, he would let It go by with
out seeing It. This was not acceptable
to his partner when he had one and
gained him the name Of "woolgather-
err" One Of the young men who no
ticed this idiosyncrasy declared that
Treat was either mad or a genius, add
ing that geniuses were part lunatic
and, after all, there was not much
difference between the two. But the
others would not agree to this.
In these days wealth counts for 30
much those possessing II naturally be-
come social leaders Among the young
ladies' Of Glendale was Miss Martha
Broadnax, whose father had made a
great deal OF money In manufacturing
bones into fertilizing material Miss
Broadnax, being able TO entertain more
lavishly than any Of the young women
In Glendale. naturally fell into the po-
sition Of leader OF the younger set
About the time that Mrs. Bradbury
Introduced Charles Treat this young
woman had begun TO assume the right
to pass upon any person who was re-
ceived within the circle. Not having
been consulted as to Treats admis-