The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-11-02

bodies striking, or on tho eve Of striking |
may be numbered tho female cloak and |
mantle makers. They have held a NICE
ting to express their opposition to the
American sewing machine and they
call upon all senmstrcsscs engaged p cs-
adjustments to aid them in opposing il,
as it is likely to be introduced generally
into Wholesale houses, aud the ruin Of
thousands of females must necessarily
cnsuc. A petition is in the course Of
signature from them addressed To the
employers generally, showing tho ncom
potency of the machine to complete arti
clcs Of dress requiring excessive neat
ness, aud bcgeing thcm earnestly 20 con.
slider the results of tho usc of the mn.
chino M likely 10 drive women 10 moro
"ignoblc" pursuilT for An existence. --
Lon,ioH Correspondent PhtiddcIj,hid
Gasdic.
II is hard indeed that the needle to
which those poor women havo chung so
long aud so faithfully, is about to be
forced oui of their hands II would
seem that to have plenty of work to do,
would be hard enough for those who
must sit over the needle from morning
till night, without single hour to enjoy
the beauties Of Nature, or taste of social
pleasures, but TO have this cup of bitter
ness infused with gall to get from this
deep into lower one, is hard, hard in
deed. That kind suggestion in regard
to the incompetcncy of the machine to
do all kinds of work well, would
hardly influence men who look to the
price current and nett profits, rather
than to the conscientious discharge of
duty, and the plea, urged so innocentiy,
will probably do little towards staying
the progress of the one-eyed monster.
Yet those women should not despair
There is dawning for them brighter
day. 1t is little consolation to wrecked
mariner to be pointed to land, unless as
sisted to get there, but it may cheer
some poor sewers heart, as she views the
approach OF the wicked invention which
takes the work from her hands, and the
food from her scanty board, to know
that good time is certainly coming
when she will not consider the crampcd
and cruel position she has so long been
dying in, over the glittcring, tormcnting
needle, as the only sphere she was crea'
ted for, but shall find many more agree
able ways of obtaining a living. We dc
not think she should preach or practice
law or wrantle with bold men in noisy de-
bate, but why should she not write, teach
print, keep books, attend post-oflice. act
as clerks, telegraph operators, waiter,
at hotels couldn't she learn to fla
watches and clocks, mend jewelry, and
mix med icines, as well as make bonnets
and sew on buttons Couldn't she han
die ribbons and teas behind the counter
and make shoes and hats, rather thar
turn from light and hope to those darn
shades of death that hover over and ar
ound those "ignoblc pursuits" Couldn't
she sell tickets at concerts aud lectures
as well as some black whskered fellow
who ought to be rolling logs in Oregon
Couldn't she sell papers and rail way
guides, as we'll as impudent little ras
Gals in pantaloons A good deal taste,
We think, if she was modest aud prett,
about it, as she would be, of course
Why not Couldn't she cut and drcs
hair ? Couldn't she shave, we were jus
going to say, but took it back) Couldn
she take dagucrrcotypes and edit news
papers, and do many other things, whicl
t would be quite as becoming for womer
as for men with physical energies bette
adapted for rolling logs and pitching
hay. than for handling ribbons or dres:
ing hair? Surely, instead of woman
getting ont of her sphere, she has lon
been kept ont of it, and it is high tim
that men were driven back into their.
1t is well enough for woman to be retil
ing and domestic, but to starve throug
, excess of modesty, is not good policy.