A NEW PROFESSION FOR GIRLS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1053, 18 January 1884, Page 4

A NEW PROFESSION FOR GIRLS.

-- ■ ■ ▼ " Writing to the Athenoeum, Mr Besant prnnfs~*oiit that some New York publishers have discovered, a- way by which to cheapen and simplify the printing of ■ books. People who are fortunate enough never to have published a book do? not 'know how expensive and troublesome is the correct ion of the press. An author sends in a hasty manuscript all interlineations and * erasures. This the printers struggle with, and send in their proof-sheets to the author; but he, when he sees himself in print,-does f not like the look, of his work.; ' So he cuts about and alters the proof-sheets. Now the expense of making these alterations is very great; sometimes, as in Balzac’s case, is greater than the original cost of printing. The New York publishers avoid this expense by having the manuscripts whid£ printed by the “typewriter.” This, as nearly all the world knows by this time, is an ingenious little machine, like a very small - piano v wifh round keys (only not’ so' noisy), and it works with great, spee.d at a very cheap raite. The author thus receives his manuscript back in type, whereby he has the advantage of seeing his own workS;utider, a new light, akd the aljeratiqns'wijicbhe makes on . tMs nothing. Finally,, the printers save their eyes by working from 'by _ the typewriter... Girls are usually employed to type-writef, apd earn about twopence for every hundred words — that is to say, about twopence every five minutes. Of course, and unhappily, competition would sooiLpull down ♦his modest price. But when all is deducted, the new. profession remains not uninviting, while to publishers and authors it should be really welcome. Already some young ladies have chosen the profession of type-writing, and thus greatly oblige authors who are consciAfis of ‘writing difficult bands.