The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-10-30 00:00:00

THE GOVERNESS GRINDERS.

(FROM PUNCH.)
A " DISTRESSED NEEDLEWOMANI) has long
been an object of general compassion ; but the
governesses have scarcely obtained the share of
sympathy which their case deserves. The practice
of governess-grinding, in spite of our frequent
exposure of the offence, is still continued to a
great extent by those whose vanity induces them
to keep a governess, whom their meanness will
not allow them to pay in proportion to her ser-
vices. It may be said that education, like every-
thing else, should be a matter of free trade, and

that a man in want of instruction for his daughters
should obtain his governess as he would his gar-
ments, in the cheapest market. We, however,
question whether the article supplied is really an
equivalent for even the paltry price paid ; for
cheap governessing, like cheap tailoring and cheap
furnishing, is often a most expensive experiment.
We should like to know what Paterfamilias might
expect his daughters to turn-out, if he entrusted
their moral and intellectual culture to the article
bid for in the following advertisements :

Governess Wanted, to assist in educating six children ;
music, singing, and French desirable. No salary given,
but advantages offered —Address, T. 132, at the printer's.

Nursery Governess Wanted, to instruct and take the
eatire charge of two children and their wardrobes, ages
four and six ; also, to he a companion to the lady. A
comfortable home, with laundress's expenses, offered ; but
no salary.--Address, T. 130, at the printer's.
Who with one grain or half-a-scruple of con-
science would undertake to educate half-a-dozen
children, to set them thumping on the piano,
screaming sentimental ballads, and jabbering bad
French, without any remuneration for the oner-
ous task, beyond the vague prospect of " advan-
tages offered." We certainly see some "advantage"
to be gained in such a situation by the scope it
must afford for the exercise of patience, resigna-
tion, self-sacrifice, and a whole catalogue of other
virtues, but the obvious impossibility of doing
what is required to be undertaken, will prevent
any person of real worth from accepting the
situation.
T. number two is somewhat more liberal than

156

SUPPL

T. unmber one, for he holds out the temptation
of " laundress's expenses" 'to a person who is
expected to combine the characters of companion,
dress-maker, and governess. The " companion-
ship" would probably be the most objectionable
part of the work, for one would be naturally
anxious to avoid all. association with a "lady'
who values the education of her children at
" nothing," and wishes to make a milliner of
their governess.
The Times of the 11th contains an advertise-
ment too lengthy to quote in full ; hut which de-
mands the services of " a well-educated accom-
plished gentlewoman, not under twenty-one years
of age," to " train and educate a little girl," and
" be willing to undertake the entire charge of her
pupil's wardrobe," for a salary of £lO per an-
num. In addition to her intellectual and milli-
nery acquirements, the accomplished gentle-
woman is expected " to combine firmness with
gentleness" in her disposition ; or, in other
words, she is to unite the strength to execute her
various labours with the softness necessary to
make her satisfied with the shabbiest possible
salary.
If people cannot, or will not, pay a governess
for the qualities a governess ought to possess,
they should forego an appendage to their estab-
lishment which is in reality a badge of meanness
and degradation, though employed for the sake
of display, and the governess is thus the real
" victim to appearances."