"it is a frequent practice to confine them
closely to work during the whole day and for a
considerable part of the night; that the intervals
for meals are few and short, and that
relaxation and exercise are out of the question.
It was, therefore, no matter of surprise to him
to find this class of persons exhibiting extreme
cases of those distressing nervous, hysteric, and
dyspeptic afflictions which the worst debilitating
causes can induce among young females.
Pulmonary consumption was of frequent
occurrence." Another medical practitioner, who
had for twenty years been in the habit of
attending workers in, the millinery rooms, said
he had " known numbers of young healthy
women who in this way had been reduced to a
permanent state of debility. Many of them
die, especially of consumption. He was
convinced that in no trade or manufactory whatever
is the labour to be compared to that of the
young dressmakers. No men work so long. It
would be impossible for any animal to work so
continuously with so little rest." Healthy
young girls, left, often by orphanhood or
domestic calamity, dependent on their own
exertion for their bread, toil themselves weary,
and withdraw to die, worn out before their
time, or to live sickly lives, and become,
perhaps, the mothers of a feeble race.

During the activity of the association there
was a declaration signed— ten years ago— by
the principal millinery houses, to this effect:

"We, the undersigned principals of millinery
and dressmaking establishments at the West
End of London, having observed in the
newspapers statements of excessive labour in our
business, feel called upon in self-defence to make the
following public statement, especially as we
have reason to believe that some of the assertions
contained in the letters published in the
newspapers are not wholly groundless: 1.
During the greater portion of the year we do
not require the young people in our establishments
to work more than twelve hours, inclusive
of an hour and a half for meals. From
March to July we require them to work thirteen
hours and a half, allowing during that time
one hour's rest for dinner and half an hour's
rest for tea. 2. It has been our object to
provide suitable sleeping accommodation, and to
avoid overcrowding, 3. In no case do we
require work on Sundays, or all night. 4. The
food we supply is of the best quality, and
unlimited in quantity."

But, a member of the committee on Lord
Shaftesbury's bill says: " We had very sufficient
reason for believing that the hours were not kept.
One letter I have before me, the writer of which
says that he cannot give his name. He is a
retired officer in her Majesty's service; he has three
daughters employed in this way; he dares not
give his name, because he says they would lose
their position by it, but he assures me that the
degree of oppression and tyranny that is
maintained over them has completely injured their
health, and that that arrangement itself has been
altogether disregarded. It is not merely upon
a single testimony that we have come to that
conclusion, but we made inquiries, from which
we believe that at least nine of those houses
which signed that agreement, have broken the
agreement, and that their hours vary from
fourteen to seventeen hours a day." Some heads of
houses " refused to sign it, because they said
the trade would not allow of its being carried
out, and that they would not sign what they
said they felt they conscientiously could not do."

And so, after all the good promises, backed,
we believe, with really good intentions, here is
an interior view of milliners' life as described by
one who made the plunge into it, and withdrew
only half-killed, with a resolve to try no more.
The case was published in the season to which
it referred, by Mr. Lilwall, the active honorary
secretary of the Early Closing Association:

"I was born in London. My father, who was
a goldsmith and jeweller, is a Frenchman; my
mother was an Englishwoman. I was apprenticed
at Madame—— , in—— Street, London.
We never worked after nine o'clock in the evening
at this establishment, but our hour of
commencing was usually seven o'clock, sometimes
as early as six, with just enough time to take
our meals— no more. After this I took a situation
as governess at a school at Edmonton, where
I remained till the establishment was broken up.
I then went to stay at—— , where I remained
about seven weeks, when I took a situation at
Madame—— , in—— Street, London. This
was on the 1st of April, 1856. I was to have
ten pounds for the ' Season,' with my board and
lodging. I was informed the season terminated
at the beginning, or possibly the end of August.

"The first week I was there, we began work
at eight in the morning, and worked till between
eleven and twelve o'clock at night. There was
no fixed time for meals; we had to take them
as fast as we could, and return to the workroom
directly we had finished. The second week there
was a drawing-room. We worked on Tuesday
till twelve o'clock, and on Wednesday we
continued at it till between three and four o'clock
on the following morning. We then went to
bed, but had to begin work again at eight o'clock,
and continued at it till twelve. The following
day (Friday) we worked from eight till between
eleven and twelve o'clock at night. We always
breakfasted before we began work— that is,
before eight o'clock. The third week, we worked
sometimes till one o'clock in the morning;
sometimes only till twelve o'clock at night.
The fourth week, it was much the same, till
Friday, when we commenced work, as usual, at
eight o'clock, and went on till between four and
five on the following morning. It was near five
when we went to our bedrooms. During the
day we had our meals as usual. At midnight
we had a cup of coffee brought us. I am sure
something improper was put into it to keep us
awake, as when we went to bed none of us could
sleep, which was invariably the case after having
coffee at midnight; whereas the coffee which
was given us those nights when we could retire
to bed at eleven or twelve o'clock never