The ladies' garland. [volume] (Harpers-Ferry, Va. [W. Va.]) 1824-1828, 1828-01-05
VARIETY.
ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN
AS ARTISANS &C.

ne eCdfCHV Oh Icillale eIllploym"ntS mas al
ways been in England subject of lamentations
On the Continent il is otherwise: there The wo
men perform all the duties Of shopkerpcrs and
bookk-epers and, in all thriving mercantile es
tabhNhmrnts, the daughters AS useful and
as fully engaged as the sons. Hence, though
there enou III Of idle men in France and toe
Low Countries. there are few IDLE women
In Eng and female employmcnts are more
clrcufm>crlhr and find men in the shop,
OF lln"n'irap.rs habrrdl shers. Ilslers. ErocerS
booksellers, sc. all the occupations which,
On III" { ointment, are filled by women In truth,
the English Gust nm In :hls respect, is con
sta't theme of their remark and astpn >hncnt
II is enqdiic1 what becomes Of our women and
IT eXritrs 40 sirprl,e that the degraded part of
the sex IT. ten TINS more numerous in t,Ag,
land thn N any other county
Surely tli, Hhert merits special notice and,
anil all orr ins'i; !tons and rrlprmttinn,, il
seems to be Que, IN regard to winch. much good
night be done, and much happiness, substituted
for extensive and nd.srrhAbc m:srmcs
II must be unnecessary to enlarge on the
cares created in families bv the dependence of
girls, and the want Of suitable empoymens
while to describe the complicated Suffrrines of
the ahan,ned and deserted part of tina, sex. SO
interesting in a state Of virtue, would fill hun
nS theme, for the tragic muse Even the stu
atlon Of the virtu)us old maid is Que of mcrited
sympathy ,-,utvns at once the attractions of
her sex. and all the come ylnns of her youth
She exists unprotected, and dies concerning and
contemnrd
In truth, though woman is said in England
to be Queen, UT II is only in l,vclnrss and in
powers OF fascination, not IN condition. Subor-
dnatc in power aud authority to her husband,
dependent on his resources Of mind and indus
try and bound down to his fortunes and msior.
nes,--thDse who prosper and obtain happ
ness are comparatively few in numh"r Bot.
in seeking a compauion for life. on whom their
prosperity depends. all The usages of society
operate against the sex, They are restrained
from making, ovcrtures, and must wait to be
sought If they have preference, they must
practice self denial; and. if they refuse offers
made. they are charged with pride. In short.
not one woman 10 fifty (b1und even as the sex
are to the fortunes Of their husbands marres
the man Of her choice while the man chosen
is forbidden, by our laws of drcorum. from
knowing that he is a iav2ufed object. II would
be impossible TO le@isatc en- such subjects; but
it would be useful to consider thrm-to exa-
mine them as would topics in phlosonhy-
and reason upon them AS very important to half,
and the best hall. Of cur species. The object,
however, OF this paper is, to point out some
means OF rendering the sex more independent;
and, by giving them employment, to render
them, 10 that important respect. more happy.
The first plan that offers, grows out of the
peculiar constitution of women, and suggests
that, to considerable extent, they might be
their own physicians. D"lcacy forbids women
trpe Ia