Making Both Ends Meet: The income and outlay of New York working girls

nd inattention of New York saleswomen and their rudeness to plainly dressed customers. While this criticism contains a certain truth, it is, of course, unre

ks and jewels, the prestige of "carriage trade," the distinction of presence of some of the customers and their wealth and their freedom in buying-all the worldliness of the most moneyed city of the United States here perpetually passes before the eyes o

of youth in work involving a serious outlay of their strength, without training them in concentration or individual respon

rl, with clear hazel eyes, laid special stress upon unevenn

was light and clean, but had that unmistakably excellent and chilling air so subtly imparted by the altruistic act of fur

he time I was here. I remember, when I first came in at the door of this house, and registered, one of the other shop-girls here was standing at the desk. I had on a heavy winter coat, just a

ld and dark, I walked up to it at last; and it looked so horrid I couldn't go in. There was another cheap store just beyond it, and another. All the sho

have $9. I pay $4.50 a week here for board and lodging, but I always live up to my salary, spending it for clothes and washing. Oh, I worry and worry about money. But I've paid back my $50. I have a nice sil

and the commission we have on sales in Christmas week wasn't given to me fairly. The store is kind in many ways, and lets the girls sit down every minute when customers aren

ay, a pretty young Irishwoman of about twenty-three, who was visited in a hotel she said she didn't like to mention to people, for fear they would think it was queer. "You se

rong that she received no promotion. She could save nothing, as she did none of her own washing on account of its inroads of fatigue, and she was obliged to dress we

y conducted me into the cabin to a large party of boys, elderly women, and children, most of them visitors like myself, and all listeni

That young lady going into the pantry n

llowed Miss McCray about the boat. It was as if the hotel belonged to the girls, while in the Christian homes it had been as if everything

continued, leading me to the smoking-room, where she introduced a number of very young gentlemen reading magazines and knocking about gutturally together. They, t

g and an empty recreation pier rose black on one side, with the water sparkling in jetted reflection between; and on t

Oh, we all like it! Some of the men that were here first have married; and they like it so well, they keep coming back here with their wives to see us. It's so friendly," said the gi

with the girls in them sleeping their healthful sleep out in the midst of the river wind, the masts, the chimneys, sta

wages and overwork, subjects the women in th

from without these establishments, but also, to the sham

fear of the worst suspicion, to forego all sorts of normal delights and gayeties and youthful pleasures. Many girls said, "I keep myself to myself"; "I don't make friends in the stores very fast, because you can't be sure

itnessed by Miss Johnson, the League's inquirer, who worked

. All the girls stood all day long-from eight to twelve and from one to eight at night on the first days; from one at noon to ten and eleven at night, as the season prog

from evening to midnight. Behind the counter, with the advance of the day, the place became an inferno of nervous exhaustion and exasperation. In the two weeks of Miss Johnson's service one customer once thanked her; and one tipped her 5 cents for the rapi

and sisters, and a worshipped mother, to whom she gave every cent of her wages of three dollars and a half a week. An older brother, a day laborer, paid the rent and provided food for all of them. Every other family expense was met by Catriona's thr

irst money of her own she had ever had. With pride she told the department how it was to be spent. She was going to surprise her mother with a new waist for Christmas, a waist Catriona had seen in the store marked down to forty-nine cents.

e at hand, in a little worn black leather purse, in a shabby

er. The time Catriona consumed in eating her five-cent meal was never long, so

time, Catie?" the manager screamed at her, angrily,

with weeping. "I lost my purse," she said in a dazed, unsteady voice. "It wa

nge in the air of the department.

ash your face," said the manager, awk

" She took a dollar bill from her pocket-book. Every one contributed something, though several girls went without their s

the money into the little girl's hand. Catriona, pale and dazed, looked up at her-looked at the money, with a shy excitement and happi

the girls were gentle and dignified with each other. Catriona's eyes sparkled with pleasure. Her careworn air was gone. She was a child again. She ha

at each other and jostled each other. The beautiful manager swor

u look so sick. For heaven

afford to

sional rest sitting down. She went through the first hours of the morning as best she might, though clearly under pressure of sharp suffering. But at about ten the floor-walke

ls walked wanly out of the great store into the brillia

she said wretchedly, "Oh-I hope I'l