The Portland daily press., 1864-05-11
Wednesday Morning, May IL, 1864.


Do virtuous, Christian wives aud daughters
ever reflect upon the deep import of the phrase
above quoted? 1t is heard. especially at this
season of the year, daily and hourly, by de-
spairing, sckening hearts. Let us put a case
in illustration. pure and amiable girl has
lost her parents, or they are too poor to sup
port her. She comes TO the city to teach
school, or make shirts, or fold books, or do
Whatever honest work she may, with light
heart and a willing hand. Her first absolute
necessity is place TO board. She goes from
house TO house, only 10 have doors rudely
shut in her face, with the answer, I'VE don't
want no girls here" or perhaps an equivalent
sentence in better grammar at the upper
class of boarding houses. Why this antipaihy
TO women? No respectable man is ever re-
bufied in this way. Why should "man's in
humanity TO man" be so immeasgrsbly over
done by woman TO her sex? And not only
working girls, but those in easier eircumstan-
ces, suffer from this peculiar misfortune We
have known young ladies of tender culture,
of rare endowments OF mind and education,
wander from street TO street until almost iu-
sane from ever-recurring disappointment
from the uniform and often insultingly-ex-
pressed objection to women as boarders.
Letus beg the respectable Christian women
of New York to reflect upon these facts, for
they are facts beyond the possibility of denial
What, think you, good woman, must become
of that pale, and perhaps feeble, working girl,
whom you, the tiftieth woman this very day,
have driven into the street by the reply, "
don't take ladies! r. That girl is somebody's
child; perhaps poor mother, far away in the
woods, strains her old eyes over the letters of
her hearts idol, and reads something like
this:
DEAR MOTHER: | am quite discouraged,
and know not what TO do. 1t is not for work
of that | can get plenty, for | am honest
and faithful, aud employers like me; but,
mother, would you believe it, i have used up
the better part of week in trying to get
place to board. am willing TO pay all they
ask, and in advance; but at every house the
answer is, We don't want girls What am
to do? | fear must return to The country,
or 20 into some house OF doubtful character,
such house as many poor girl has been ab-
soutely compelled to seek, because her own
sex, of the respectable class, heartlessly turn
ed her from their DOORS"
This is plainly, perhaps forcibly, stated; bat
It'll true, as every man and woman who has
suffered the annoyance Of looking for board
can testify. Men and women-fathers and
mothers-do you realize that girls, young
women, single women, widows, must live
somewhere? Where do you suppose they
can live, ii you thus shut the doors upon
them? Shall il be furnished rooms in q
tenement house, where all the world may
come and go, and no questions be asked p
Let such an one come next spring to get
board with you. You ask tsupposing you do
not repel her at oncel, where have you
lived?" She tells you. :" Oh, that Is tene-
ment house, and have heard that there are
bad characters there" g. know it, madam,
but 1t was the only place | could get. Indeed,
/ am honest, whatever Others may have BEEN"
How many mothers, with their little ones
clustering at their knees, would give house
room TO this poor, lonely heart-sick daughter
of some mother? Few, indeed-yery few.
Now, good women, where do you suppose
you are thus-let us admit unconsciously-
driving the children of your sister women?
Have these hard-working, wandering creal-
ures the means, the nerve, or even the will TO
resist the snares spread for them by the viii
laIns of both sexes who curse our large cities ?
Is it to be matter of surprise that the weary
wretch, who has travelled for days to find
shelter for her head, should at last listen to
the promises of one willing TO house her in
the very fulness of sensual luxury? And
when she falls, and graduates from some fash
ionable school of iniquity, aud you walk apart
from her in honest indignation, lest her touch
should polute, are you quite sure that it was
not you whose cold refusal, years ago, 10 rent
one Of a dozen empty rooms TO that poor
child, drove her to this; that such dishearten-
ing refusal was not " the ounce that broke the
camefs back" aud changed one of Gods good
children into follower of Satan? Fathers
and mothers, think of this! Do not rudely re-
pei the applications Of those of the sex whom
we all know in this matter, to be realy de-
pendent and helpless; hear patiently. inquire
strictly, and for the sake of her immortal
peace do not drive the stranger from your
door, solely because she is a woman-one of
those most needing, most hoping for your
parental kindness.