Ways of Living

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 426, 9 June 1904, Page 7

Ways of Living

A BARRISTER. SrolKß. H. W. LUCY has a pathetic 38X1? ator 7 of a barrister who failed in HJJK flis profession. The story was told to him by an eminent King's Counsel and Member of Parliament : Seven years ago (said the narrator) a letter reached him in the handwriting of an old college friend, telling a pitiful story of a stranded life. The writer had been called to the Bar, hoping some day to land on the judicial bench, even if he did not reach the Woolsack. He had no influence and very little money. No business came his way. But he held on through long years, patiently hoping that eome day his chance would oome. Now he was sick, probably unto death, and had no money to buy food or medicine, His old friend promptly sent a remittance, which waß gratefully acknowledged. At the end of a fortnight it occurred to him that he would call on the sick man and see what more he might do to help him, Arrived at the address, the door was opened by a lady-like woman, still young, pretty in spite of the pinching of poverty. He gave his name and announced his errand. Whereat the lady, bursting into tears, told him he was too late. Her husband had died that morning. * Would you like to see him V she asked wistfully. The two walked upstairs to a small front room. Oa the bed lay the body of a man of about forty years of age, fully dressed in the wig and gown of a barrister. In his right hand he held a bundle of foolscap. «What is that ?' the old friend whispered, 'That,' said the widow, 'is the only brief he received in the course of nineteen years' waiting. He aeked m 6to drras him thus, and put it in his hand when h8 was dead.' 5000 GIRL TYPISTS. All the schools in London that„ make a feature of training girls and young women in shorthand, type writing and other commercial pursuits report a great increase is the number of their pupils compared with this time last year. The demand on the part of femahs to learn type writing at the evening schools has lately grown to such an extent that the School Board is to be asked to supply 113 more machines, making a total of 463. Any female, irrespective of age or social condition, may bow acquire an expert knowledge of type writing at these schools for la, providing she can write shorthand at the rate of 40 words a minute. There are at present something like 1700 female pupils under the tuition of School Board type writing experts, who hold certificates of proficiency from the Society of Arts or the London Chamber of Commerce. Messrs Pitman are at present teaching shorthand and type writing to 2800 girls, and have turned but over 20,000 female experts, who, as clerks, are earning from 15s a week to J6300 a year. Situations are being found for the pupils at the rate of ten per week, but the majority obtain placed for themselves. The Polytechnic has 160 female type -writing pupils. Several smaller institutions are now teaching type writing to girls, andt? ■* London representatives of the various machine making firms are-giving tree tuition,, A fair estimate puts the total of girls who to-day are qualifying for clerkships in London at 5350, The number has increased 100 per cent, in four years. In a few months' time all these girls will be seeking situations. 'And they will get them, too,' said the principal of one of the schools, 'ln fact, the demand for girl clerks who can be something more than mere writing machines far exceeds he supply. As for the ordinary male olerk, his day is obviously drawing to a close. Like the male shop assistants, he will have to seek another and perhaps a manlier occupation.'