Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-12-02
,rHnw way OF fHn WORLD.

THE WAY or tHH WORLD.
"Mother," said Harrison, and he
spoke with earnestness, s'to . woman
who respects herself, kitchen is as
safe place as parlor; it il not the
trade that gives dignity to man or wo,
man-but the man or woman should
give dignity to the trade. If kitchen
work is disgraceful, why did you ever
90 into your kitchen I? Why did you,
a christian woman and mother, ever let
the child of another mother 90 there :"
"Why, my son, 1 don't think kitch-
en- work disgraceful you know j
DON'T" replied Mrs. Grey, excitedly Il
ssbut you know how all ladies feel about
it. 1 can't control public opinion, and
somehow there is kind of reproach at
tached to hired girls, and it's useless
for me to attempt to get society right
Z in that matter. There are too many
kitchen girls who are not intelligent and
upright, and I suppose that is the rea-
son they stand SO low"
O "Exactly so; but where good girl,
one every way worthy, makes it her
choice Of business, and does, day BY
day, the same work you have done for
wears, is it right, is it just, for You to
withdraw your kindness from her, be-
cause some unworthy woman has done
the same work? 1t is the heart that
people carry into labor, not the labor
itself, that degenerates.' aea
'' Mrs. Grey knew her son was right,
but yet she was not quite willing, or
had not moral courage to acknowledge
her error so, waving his argument,
she replied:
"Why did she, knowing all these
things, refuse all other modes of living?
I should have thought she would have
had more respect for U.S.
81 tell you, mother, Kate had re-
spect, and honor for us, and for her
self. You offered her home +; it would
have been a home of dependence, and
the world would have said-'Shame OF
Kate, she is fishing for husband.
Mrs. Preston would have given her sew.
ing, but she knew that sedentary life
would not agree with her, and she pre-
ferred health to- a false responsibility
Father offered her school,"
u "And she ought to have taken it,
replied Mrs. Grey tardily; ''there wa
no dependence or sedentary life il
that"
ssLet US see about that, too. Mr.
Boyd, ten years ago, was the wealthies
farmer in p. He was sent to thu
State Legislature, as well as to Con
gress, drank his wine, and believed
like thousands of others, that he coulc
not fall, and like thousands of other!
he was mistaken, as I fear, my deal
mother, one we love will be ere many
days pass, if he does not take heed
The sons, following the example Of the
father, fell also-money went through
their hands like water.
y-oH Meantime, Mrs. Boyd, almost bro
ken hearted, to save Kate's feelings
sent her off to school, abeut the time
went to college. She remained three
years and then returned to find her ia.
ther drunken sot, property all gone
and her brothers gone to California
where probably they have ended theil
days, as she does not hear from them
Her mother died very soon, and her ia.
-ther having no check, put an end to hi
miserable existence by delirium tremsns
Kate's early life was free from care
she was the child Of wealth her schoo
days gave her no chance Of learning tt
be useful and at ease in house. Sht
felt that every woman should, if posi-.
BILE, be good housekeeper; she hac
reason to hope she would one day be-
for from my boyhood up, with YOU
consent, too, mother, she has had the
promise of being my housekeeper, and
so she resolved to engage in that work
which would best fit her for the place
she expected to occupy. And is it you,
mother, that would advise me to desert
her, because she is struggling to pre-
pare herself for duty ?"
"Well, don't know it does seem
hard, but still, Harrison, I somhow
don't like the idea of you marrying a
kitchen girl"
cit is strange" said young Grey,
pacing the floor back and forth, and in
an almost angry mood, "that this
abomnible prejudice has taken such fast
hold Of all women. You, mother, of
all others, to talk thus of the few and
stinted callings opened to a woman, to
make this one, which is more import
ant and indispensable than all others,
and upon which more Of the happiness,
health, comfort and prosperity of a
household depends, disreputable, seems
to me to be the height of inconsistency.
Half the married women in the State
are kitchen women for somebody's es-
adjustment, and often work more
hours, and harder and faster, when
supported by husband, and for less
wages, too, than when they were kitch-
en- girls on their OWE hook. 1t has al
ways been wonder to me that women
will so Cypress their own sex. A man
may work at any trade he pleases, if
after his work is done he puts on his
aristocrat coat and behaves and is at
heart gentleman, the world at large
recognize him as such But education,
talent, beauty, grace nor goodness, can
wash the brand from the brow of the
kitchen girl"
"Your love for Kate, my son, makes
you see these things so strongly"