lame little excuses until some day the
full .trqtlj is .brought &ome. to. them.
when it is too. late xo do more than
break tbejr hearts.
I am-going to tell you, as gently as
I can, of a little Bohemian girl of 15
who started to work in. a clothing
house. Her wage 'was $2.50. She
was pretty as a flower and as sweetly
innocent. However, she came from
a large family that huddled n a few
rooms without eyen the luxury of a
bathtub, and the girl was not as eaf
as she should have been. Conse
quently, some of the better class of
girls agnored her.
The woman who talked to me iB a
woman who has never 'gotten "beyond
what she cp.la "the crust without
butter, stage." Perhaps it is because
of this that her heart is so wonder
fully big and she-has such a tender
pity for humanity that is trodden
down
The sweet flower face of the little
girl appealed to (her and she tried to
show her in 'anice way that she
should be more -tidy. The child did
her best;-but,when the improvement
began to be. noticeable, a. painted girl
entered the enipjoy of the house.
There is something fiendish'ih the
cruelty, of. wojjjen towomen apd It
isn't limited ?to bad -wpmen either.
Since the vice investigation, whep
the employers emphasized the fact
that they preferred the girl with, a
home in order that they might pay
her several dollars less than she was
woHh, I ha?e notjced that many gfrls
are advertising for cheap positions
and adding "I live at home. Giris,
won't you" ever grow to understand
that until you fight for each" ojher
and not for self alone, you will always
be an object, of .contempt to men?
The painted girl took the little Bo
hemian girl as eT rightful prey'
She was pretty, young, and heh small
white teeth glistened like pearls wljen
her red hps parted in merry peals pf
laughter.. ' " ;
y The' lady who talked to me
watched. tbe intimacy" between, .the ,
twq .girls 'wK ah aching heUyt. She
dd nqi'fry to Jnterfefe until the child
came .to. work with her face painted
then the lady who tglked tq. me tpqk
the little girl into the w&shrdom and
told her plainly whathappene4 to
girls who started oiji on that road.
And the'frightened child washed'off
the paint. h
But little girls like coddlihg; more
than scolding; and.the wpuMrrier
be "taflgfit hpgr tp laugh, ttan fiqw 'to
be goodly grave. The influence of
the painted girl, who knew how
money is made easily and how one'
may wear an abundance df cheap
jewelry and gaudy finery, increased.
Finally; the. little girl begn to stay
away from work several days a week';
and when sheucame in the whiteness
of her skin and the shadows of dis
sipation" under hereyes ccfald not be
covered by make-up.
The .lady'who talked to me looked
very sad when she wasjtelling me
this,
".One day I. followed he to the
washroom. 'You are flji,' I said to her,
'and I want you to tell irie the whole
story as &ou would tell your
mother.' "
" 'Oh,? she said,' with a breathless
sobt 'I am terribly sick, but I don't
dare -tell my mother she would, kill
P?e"
And. then the Btory was told. The
painted girl-baa nQt only opened the
philds eyes 19 vipe, but.ahe. had also
taught her to wait oHts.lde of dance
halls and to even frequent them,
places, where men grow so beastly
drunk -tkftt they, do apt know; what
they dp and to rob. these men when
they.werehelpless. ,
The girl waft very sick and it
wasn't lqng that she Uyjid her life, of
shame pnd misery. But, if only her.
busy mother hadspent a few hours
investigating J&e p&QP where her .lit
le girl worked, or if. perhaps hep
older gister had done this he hux
man soul would have been'stiiLaUve
ana clegp. "