The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-07-06
LURE OF THE CITY
FOR COUNTRY GIRLS

LURE OF THE CITY
FOR COUNTRY GIRLS
There health, so wild and gay, with
bosom bare,
Rosy cheek, keen eye and flowing
hair,
Trips with a smile, breezy scene along,
And pours the spirit of content in
| song"
! Most of the girls who live in small
villages and hamlets have an almost
irresistible longing for a taste of city
life. Secretly they are weary of the
youths and maidens whom they have
known all Of their lives. They long to
spread their wings amid the pleasures
of the great, city. It is generally the
poor girl who feels the call of the city
most. When the city boarders come
out to the isolated village in the sum-
mer they tell wonderful yarns Of the
gaiety and the joys of city life. When
the country girl looks at the city girl,
who has come out in rural surround
ings for a two weeks vacation, and
learns she is employed in a factory or
shop, she concludes she must be maxi
ing fabulous sums to dress so well,
and look so fine She gains the inn
preston, too, that the city must be
overrun with fine manageable young
men, or else the city girl could not
boast of having a new beau" for
every evening of the week.
The country maiden is never salts
fed, until her longing to go to the
city is gratified. From the moment
she arrives there her decisions begin
n 70 Sha 7Yds hAYSa1f hl1f a helm
less atom in the great surging crowd
that fills the thoroughfares If she is
an utter stranger, she does we'll to es-
cape the pitfalls of the innocent, and
unwary. Finding something to do, is
not the easy matter she anticipated.
She supposed all she had to do, is to
walk into any factory, or shop, an
nounce that she was a candidate for
employment and be snapped up at
once. The reality she finds is entirely
different. She is turned away with
scant courtesy, from one place, after
another. Every avenue of employ
mentN is crowded. It is a case Of the
survival of the f1ttest She anticipated
counter of some fine store. She is
obliged to take a job in a paper box
factory where scores of energetic men
and women are employed. She soon
finds that good looks do not count. It
is wonk they want. She has no time
to dream She has to pitch in,' and
work swiftly, untiringly to hold on
to the position. She has to find cheap
lodgings. Her companions laugh when
she calls for fresh milk, butter, or
eggs. It ends by her being glad to
swallow a factory breakfast take it
hot or cold. scant or any way she can
~ 1ry@ !
apples at the fruit stand outside the
door. and half wormy peaches, that
no one ever thought of putting to use
back in her country home AS for
getting acquainted handsome, unat-
tached young men do not promenade
the streets in factory locations seek
Ding pretty girls to he introduced to,
perhaps to fall in love with. and wed
The country girl who comes to the
city to work for a living, finds exist
lence is not one long grand sweet song,
by any manner OF means. Few girls
have the courage to go back to the
country and tell the disappointments
they faced. On the contrary they stick
It out, gradually becoming less lonely.
They fall uncomplainingly into the
rank and file of the great army of
working girls who are tolled in by the
bells at dawn, and tolled out by the
bells at dusk. There is not a minute
for idle rest in the city's beehives.
Scores of girls are in a waiting line to
sleze upon any vacancy. Few of the
girls lured to the city, ever are sat
isfied to go back to the old farm If
all such girls could give advice they
would say to the country girls the
Woe world over: Stay where you
are, the farm and a good honest t1s-
band to work it, is happiness. Girls
make mistake in longing for the city
instead Of the country"