Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-09
MEN ARE BETTER
HAMMERED FOLK
That Is, One of the Species
Says So in Letter to
Beatrice Fairfax
BY BEATRICE FAIRFAX.

A correspondent who signs himself
"A mere man." writes me letter
which is worth careful thought.
why is it that most working girls
are so ill-mannered? l useC to think
that women were etter-mannered
than men, but l find by experience
that such is not the case. The average
working girl in stores, etc, is i'm
pertinent and feels insulted if you
ask her to attend to your wants. Cash
iers will throw down your change in n
perfunctory and almost insulting man
ner. Shop girls will listen to your in
quiries with bored expressions or with
an attitude that seems to indicate that
they consider themselves imposed up
on by your presence.
The refined well-mannered young
lady who used to be so prevalent
some years ago seems to have disap-
peared. What's the explanation"
Is this true girls? Or is there even
modicum of truth in it? Don't toss
your heads and angrily deny, for l
am sure the excited man who wrote
so emphatically must have had several
unpleasant experiences before he de-
cided to go on record as q critic of
feminine manners.
L know quite we'll how tired you
get standing on your feet practically
all day long and trying to figure out
the wants of people who can't or
won't make up their minds. / know
how hard you work and how little
Kindness comes to you across the
counter But you owe something to
yourselves and to the fine chivalry of
womanhood. 1t doesn't take a bit
more time or energy to smile and
speak in q pleasant voice than it does
to scowl and grumble. In fact, when
you slam things down on the counter
you are wasting nerve force and en-
ergy.
Every once in a while I find myself
compelled to quote the old German
proVerb which translates itself: "As
one shouts into the forest, so the
echo returns To say please"
thank you" and other little pass
words of courtesy, is almost habitual
with most of us; to make the tone
your whole frame of mind and atti-
tude into friendly communication is
well worth your while.
In a certain large shop there stands
behind what New England calls the
small wares counter" (and most of
the rest of the country terms the no
ton counter'), an elderly and very
unattractive looking woman who gets
$50 a week for a position which gen.
orally pays about IS. Women actually
stand in line waiting for this pleas
ant, self-respecting and angular New
England spinster to give her interest
ed, if dignitied, attention to their
needs.
She matches silk with as much zest
as If they were going to sew her own
fine seams. With quiet authority, she
discusses whether you ought to wear
a cap" or fringe" hair net and the
advisability of buying bronze instead
of black hairpins.
That almost homely middle-aged
woman started life with tho handicap
of ugliness, with no brilliant intelli-
gence. and without robust health. She
brought courtesy. interest, kindness
and dignified friendliness to a simple
task. 1t has paid her we'll for her SAL
airy is a splendid one and she has
faithful customers who greet her at
Christmas and Easter with gold
pieces which she has fully earned.
The voice with smile wins" and
the manner with the scowl loses. The
world responds to friendliness.
Now, girls, are YOU foolish enough
to be rude and impatient either in
work or when you play? My expert
ence with the shop girl is almost in
pleasant. Although the girls
who wait on me do not know who l
am, l know thatSI am their Big Sis
ter" and / offer them a big sisterly
to which they seldom fail
to respond
Mr.. Mere Man. are you sure you
are courteous and kind, or do you go
into shops with an irritable air which
fairly drives the tired girl who waits
on you to show all that is least ami
able and least desirable in her nature?
Who is to blame? I should be glad
to hear from some of my girls on this
subject.