Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/752

 732 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

some cheap candy in one apron pocket and a little vial of tooth- ache drops in the other, but they thought of no relationship existing between the two. The little girls frequently responded to the cry of, "Cash! Here cash ! " with tears streaming down their faces ; and the cause was always the one just mentioned, or sore feet. They got tired, of course. They were only chil- dren, and the instinct for play was strong. They would kiss the dolls and trundle the carts they were taking to the wrapping- room. A change of any kind was hailed with delight, as for instance the " running" of a C. O. D. check, which occasioned a trip to another floor. The added labor entailed was not con- sidered. There were a great many extra ones employed at that time, and there was a continual war between the regulars and extras. The latter were engaged every morning at thirty-three cents a day, while the former were paid two dollars a week. The " enunciator," or one who had charge of the others, received two dollars and a half a week. In that particular store the little girls looked down on the boys, of whom there were compara- tively few. The latter were supposed to clear away rubbish from under the counters, and on one occasion, when no boy was in sight, the floorwalker told a girl to carry away some waste papers, and she replied with a toss of her head : " You bloke you, I ain't no cash boy!" Childlike, they had their favorites among the clerks, and the fortunes of those they watched with much interest. One day the manager of the store appeared on our floor, and in ringing tones called out "424!" As I was starting to answer the summons, my young friend threw her arms around me and said : " Don't you mind Tom Jones,' he can't hurt you. Tell him you're a new girl, if he scolds you ; and if he's ugly, tell him to go to h — ." I did not do any of those things, and I got away unhurt. He had no grievance against me, but he had such a rude way of address- ing the clerks that they were all afraid of him.

We had our troubles with the manager and other officials, but they were not all. Some of the customers were so hard to

■This was the way the manager was spoken of by everybody. The name here is fictitious.