The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1853-08-05
From the National Err.
HHELP.D E1un

-'- e"@@'a. "HELP." El''
There certainly Iinger in this republ,
can land some Of the siliest and viles'
affections Of social distinctions, utterly
alien TO the principles and spirit Of ouI
institutions. '"t p"
r Among these, | have frequently had
occasion TO notice, in contributions to
our popular literature, the exhibition o.
one. apparently prt dicated upon the no
tion of the utter infe,ioiity and depen'
dence-the comparative slauery-of the
class of people familiarly known as
4" Hired Help" The magazines abound
in this species of delneation: the col
umns Of the Era have not been entirely
free from it.. a'.
Washington Irving, noticing the for.
tunes Of a spendlhrift hero, states that he
would have got along swimmingly, had il
not been for low conspiracy against him
of the tailors and shoemokers, those con.
slant foes of rising greatness ard genius
who most preposerously clamored fol
the payment of their dues. 1 #
In like manner, the writer's above al
luded TO make their heroes, or, more
commonly heroines. the victims Of theil
servants, who expect not only 10 be paid
pt,ance for their labor. but even TO be
treated somewhat like human beings
having the high presumption to repudi-
ale that chattle like demeanor so agreea
able to the incidence, selfshness, and
ups!au pride Of master' and "mis'
tress." 'H"#H @ a..
The West smore commonly made the
scene ofthese terrible tribulalons. Some
elergyman's or doctors wife finds her 10,
cast, for instance, in Illinois. Filled
with all manner of false ideas oflife, and
unknowing how 10 discharge her house
hold duties she at once finds herself in
volved in difficulty. She applies among
the daughters Of The neighboring farmers
for {" "help;" but is bornfed to find that
her " help" has the impudeace 10 bear
herself toward the great lady simply as
towards an equal and friend, and to exr
pecl similar treatment in return. The
heroine finds this spirit universal-tha,
even the Irish and German women have
caught 1t. The poor thing feels indig>
mani; s,raigbtway her grievances are pa
raded in the pages of some magazine; ;
and public sympathy is invoked for her
suferings!
p Now, | am we'll acquainted with the
West: and pronounce this overweening
vanity on the part of employers the great
source of the difficulty in occurring
4" "help," so much complained of there.-
There is spirit of independence, OF
equality, at the west, which will brook
no assumptions Of superiority. And
surely it is spirit 10 be applauded rath-
er than condemned. Let fine ladies al
length learn 10 recognise it. Let them
cast aside their silly airs, considering :
that by Natures sovereign decree, the
maid is often superior TO the MISTRESS
Let them not dream of banishing theil
servants from the family table or parlor
Let the principles of Christianity govern
in this matter, and there can be no diff
cuhy. 1t will then be found that the
neediul help, which cannot be coerced
or even bought, will lnever bs sought in
vain. 6 .ra
In the mean time, | hope to encoun'
ter no more such literature leroines. i
there is scarcity in that line, | woulc
commend writer's to the other side, where
the genuine article ts much more likely
to be found. Mrs. Gage has signalizec
her good sense and true nobility Of char
acter, by giving us lyric on "Th'
Kitchen Girl" and has thus opened
asld we'll worthy of further cultivation