The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-06-09
From the PenaSyIUantan.
Employment of Women.


males, in what is called genteel and fash
ionable life, are devoted, whose time, a
least that portion of which can be spared
from scenes of dissipation, is spent in pre-
pairing some Insignificant and useless or
nament for the person or the chimney
piece-devoted to such manual labor a.
administer only to personal vanity; femin
Inc gewgaws which call forth no real tai
ent, no thought, no reflection, no judge
ment; wasting the time in emptiness anC
frivolity which ought to be devoted to the
cultivation of the mind and in the free
exercise of the body. 1t is vice as vel
as folly to spend valuable time in sucE
useless employmehts. If the female sex
could only know with what contempt al
men of good sense look upon such painted
emptiness, such perishable gewgaws, they
would seek occupations more in accOr-
dance with the dignity of human nature
A writer, whose name we do not re-
member, has remarked that the scarcity
of employments for females in England
and as consequence in America, where
we so blindly and subsequently initiate
everything English, has ever been a sub
ject of grief to the philanthropist and
christian. On the continent it is other
wise. There the females perform the du-
ty of shopkeepers, booksellers, and in
nearly all the thriving merchantile estab-
lishments the daughters are nearly as USE
full and as fully engaged as the sons.--
Hence, though there are idle and good
for-nothing men enough in France and
the Low Countries, there are few idle Wo-
men.
The English and American custom in
this country is constant theme of remark
and astonishment with the foreigners who
visit US. It is inquired, what becomes Of
our women: and it excites no surprise that
the degraded portion of the sex is ten
times more numerous in proportion than
in those countries where females find en-
ployment suited to their strength, and fo1
which they receive an adequate compen-
sation.
Surely this subject is too deeply, vital.
ly important to be overlooked. Amidst
so many institutions, this matter seems
to be one in regard to which much good
might be done, and much happiness sub
stituted for extensive and indescribable
misery. Do those who declaim so loudly
and SO zealously upon the wrongs Of the
well-fed blacks at the south ever dream
that there are worse evils in the world
than those of negro slavery!
That the female sex should be rendered
more independent in the means of obtain
ing livelihood will not be denied; by
having suitable employment, virtue and
happiness would be generally increased.
The first plan that suggests itself to
our consideration grows out of the pecu-
liar circumstances of the case and the
constitution of society. They might be-
come to a very considerable extent their
own physicians: Delicacy does forbid
them from communicating at all times
with male physician. 1t is we'll known
fact that hundreds Of lives are lost annu-
ally from commendable reverse in this
respect. IF women would make them
selves acquainted with diseases and their
remedies, if institutions for imparting a
knowledge of physiology; anatomy, &C.,
could be established for females ten
thousand ofthe sex might derive inde-
pendence from advising and prescribing
in disorders of females, and particularly
in diseases of children, where such woful
failures are SO frequently made at pres
ent. This good work has commenced in
this city, and we hope to see it carried
on elsewhere.
Fifty thousand retail stores in our cit
les and towns ought to afford employment
and good wages for one hundred thousand
women. The employment of fifty thou
sand men, now engaged as tailors, and
other similar light work, might be advan-
tageously filled by women. Bookbind-
ing, in nearly all its branches, might be
given up to females. Watch and clock
making are also admirably adapted to
the female sex, and might employ some
thousands more. Engraving and similar
callings might be surrendered entirely to
female artists, which would still swell the
number of those profitable and agreeably
employed. AS accountants and book
keepers females would stand unrivalled,
and this would give employment to some
thousands more. We would drive men
from most of the easy employments with
in doors-'those employments especially
which rightfully belong to the other sex.
Thus, with little energy of invention,
we have easily pointed out the means of
saving thousands from life of wretched-
ness, if not of vice. If attention could
be drawn to this matter by society ort
ganized for the purpose, and the object
would be zealously promoted by the phi
lanthropic and judicious, a multitude
would be raised in social utility impor-
tance and independence.
We are aware that it is usual to treat
this subject sneeringly and jeeringly; hence
nothing is done. But in calling public
attention to this matter We are serious
and in earnest. At present great evils
exist, breaking unhappiness pre-
walls in a multitude of miserable and