Year: 1876




out without trouble. through the devotion
of the girl; but all the same, he leaves he
| to die miserably in a hospital. s.s5
THE sHoP-sIRL QUESTION.


The shop-girls are moving for thei


rights. 1t appears that they are compelled
to report for duty at s q. ms and stay til
p. M, with an hour for lunch at noon


What they complain of now is the regula,
ton that is made in all the stores, from


Stewards down that they cannot sit dowl
during trade hours. No matter whether
there be customers or not, no matter i


there be not soul in the store, the poo
gil must stand ON her feet till the welcome
stroke of twelve gives her an hours respite
And then from one to seven she stand.
again, till worn out with fatigue shs
crawls to her wretched lodgings, only tc
go through the same torture the next day
A number of influential ladies, the most
prominent in fashionable circles in the
city, have taken the matter in hand, an6
have petitioned the leading merchants tc
abrogate this rule, and permit the girls to sit
when it can be done without interfering
with ther duties. They have examined
some of the girls and found them all at:
fiicted with varicose veins, weakness OF
the spine, and more or less with female
diseases, all of which, medical men say,
results from this practice. The mer-
chants, in defense, say that to alter the
rule would be to do away with discipline,
and impair the efficiency of their help, and
that they will not change the rule. The
girls do this fearful amount of work fol
prices ranging from $500 to $500 week
and severe as it is, were they all to quit to-
morrow, there would be ten thousand not
only willing but. anxious to take their
places. And they have intimated to the
benevolent ladies that they had better mind
their own business.


But what wanted to get at is this:
what kind of life is it that a girl leads
that compels her to work twelve hours
per day for 80 per week? She pays &c
for her board, for which she gets a little
hall bedroom without fire, and the vilest
table imaginable. Her washing she does
partly herself but that which She has to
have done costs her at least 81 per week
This leaves her dollar for clothes, medi-
cines, and what Injuries she has. And
miserable as this life is, there are twenty
thousand girls in this city to-day who
would cry for joy to get it. The numbers
who live in garrets on such food as they
can get for almost nothing is appalling
Is it any wonder that the bagnios are full
to- overfiowing, and that suicides are of
daily occurrence? 1t seems to me that
life on such terms would hardly be worth
having.


Is still non est, and the meaning of it is
no one knows or can imagine where to
look for him. Tile officials have a dozen
theories, but as not one of them lead to
the place where he is, they might as well
have none. The general impression is
that he is in good hiding in this city, wait
ing till he can make terms with the city for
an unconditional release. This may, or
may not, be the correct idea. but whether
the venerable thief is in New York or Bel
GUM, he is doubtless waiting for settle
ment in a very safe place. His counsel are
the way in the courts already,
and when they get through work the Boss
will make his appearance and take charge
of the city once more. There is no danger
of his ever being caught. He had his
plans too well laid, and there are too many
prominent men interested in his escape for
that.


BEECHER.


Plymouth Church is, at last, acting on
the offensive. Beecher and Shearman, his
lawyer, have decided to no longer be quiet
but to strike back. They have refused
Mrs. Moulton's demand for an inyestiga-
tion, they have squelched Deacon West,
and they have said to the other Congeega-
tional churches that were interfering with
Plymouth, "What are you going to do
about it?" In short. Bro Beecher pro-
poses to paddle his own canoe without
any interference from the other churches
He feels that Plymouth Church is strong
enough to go on alone, and he don't care
4 straw whether the Congregational body
it or not. Of course, The other
Churches will refuse to consider il as
member of the general body, and Ply
mouth church will stand alone-an indie
pendent body ain association all by itself
Mrs. Tilton is keeping a boarding house
in Brooklyn, and her daughter, Florence,
is doing copying for lawyers. Theodore
is lecturing in the West. Beecher, now
that he has taken the step, is happy once
MORE


BUSINESS.


There is no such thing as business. The
merchants are doing nothing. that is, the
The retail people are doing
a fair holiday trade, and that is all. When
[ say fair, I should say light, for it is not
SO heavy by half as that OF former years
All other lines of trade are as dull as dull
can be. Thank your stars that yon are not
in New York. PIETRo


New YORK, December 81, 1875.


A LARGE DIAMoND.--A diamond, said
TO be the largest in the United States, is in
The possession of Colonel J.. FL. Wood, OF
ph;ladalrhia who xras IN Raifiynara Tuas
lay, and exhibited it to some friends at
MIR. Lewis VI. Coles Office, Camden station.
The diamond was found at the Cape of
Good Hope. Southern Africa, and weighed
IN the rough 107 carats. 1t was cut in New
York at a cost of $1,000. and reduced to