Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-03-18
EMPLOYMENT or WOMEN.


ny Mrs. NJ. A. Livermorc, Of Chicago.
Scarcely day of our life passes, that va
are not obliged 10 confront the questiop.
How shall women, depend on their own ex.
ertons for livelihood, find rcmunsrAtivs
employments" It is daily urged upon ~
by soldiers wives, widows, and children who
seek us cut at the Sanitary Commission, and
the Relief Association for Soldiers Families
---and we never enter the Home Of the Friend
less, with which we are associated, that .
dozen women, placed hors do combat in their
struggle with the world, and who have been
received to the protecting sanctuary Of tho
Home, till they can regain their footing do
not thrust upon us the unanswerable ques-
ton, :" What shall ,rc do ~
A very large number Of women are cor.
pelled to self support, and, for various rsS.
sons, the number is on the incrsase--bus
what is there for them TO do! For men the
world offers work enough--they can 60
where they like, and do whatever they are
best fitted for. The empoyments open to
women are exceedingly few, unrcmuncrntive.
and crowded to excess. Where women arc
educated, they can teach, If situation can
be found; but the Superintendent of Schools
in this city informs us that for every vacancy
he has twenty and more applicants equally
well qualified for the coveted position and of
course nineteen or more Of then, must bc
disappointed and unemployed. Where they
obtain situations, their pay is often SO mca.
ger, as In this city, that il hardly sutlces for
'ood and clothing. We have known women
who have qualified. themselves to serve a.
Ibookkeepers, and who have graduated from
Commercial Colleges with the first l,onors,
a Al
as the equal Of any young gentleman whom
they have g'aduated--but they do not obtain
employment. Bookkeeping is regarded AZ
exclusively the business Of men, and women
arc not to bs tolerated ia competition with
them. We say nothing Of literary employ
ments, for Il is well know that literature rare.
y offers to the gifted and highly cultivated,
but prccarious livelihood.
What then shall the uneducated, the Ia.
horing clsss Of women do for self support -
II any ono supposes II is easy for this class
to support themselves, VIC would like to turn
over to him the continual female applications
for employment, that come before US in some
way or other There is sewing, which IN
another name for suicide or starvation, " here
il is done by hand--domestic service, wash
ing, scrubhng. taking boaiaers, working in
/
Where woman has only herself 10 provide
for, she can in somo of these employments
obtain livelihood --hut how about tho largo
class who have families of children to pro.
vide for? They cannot leave their little
ones 20 50 away from home to work by the
day, or the wnek-- aud i, is next to iinpossi-
ble to find them supporting employment in
their own homes. Many poor mother is
forced by tho extremity Of her poverty TO
give her children away, rather than see .hc,u
suffer from hunger and cold. Among the
mos. painful scenes which we have witness.
ed, has been the agony Of spirit Of poor wo-
men, compelled by their wrotched circum-
stances, 10 give away their children.
A poor woman sent for lis not long ego,
to ask us to find home for her babe, two
days old. Her husband, kind hearted. but
feeble, shiilless fellow, had died some weeks
before, leaving her with four little children
on her hands, besides this helpless new
conner. Nobody would take the bnby ex.
cept for love Of it," the poor mother Justly
argued, and whoever takes 1t will grow TO
love it mere and more. Ii keep the baby,
il cannot be well cared for, as must earn n
living FOR the other chjrcn--ifl | gveit away
my hands will be frec and can take care Of
the rest" So we found mother and home
for the little innocent in wealthy family,
where was great Chgsnl made by the recent
death of dearly loved babe. We went UP
to the mothers sick room, to take the baby
down to the carriage, where its future moth.
CT awaited II ~-as she had stipulated that tbs
natural mother should never know who shs
was, or where she resided. % Good by, littls
baby said the poor wcrTan, taining kisses
and tears on It's unconscious face II give YOU
away, not because don't loyo YOU, but bo-
cause | love YOU so much that cannot have
You suffer AS We do" And she pac,ied the
other weeping chile By assuring them that
baby would now have clothes. and a warm
cradle, and be taken good care of.
We sometimes advertise for homes for
chilireu.--but much more frequently home.
are found for them without advertising. Jt
would startle the readers of the SsU Car. RAJ,
should we give the fearful Histories hack Of
these advertisements the suffering. poverty.
and acony--somc times the terrible sin
We do cot pretend to say that plenty of re-
muncrative employment for women would
remedy al the evils and wrongs existing
an,tng tl.cm--but i, would do very much
towards it. LIE, women who are compelled
to self support, have plenty 10 do. and that
which VIII yield them a living We have no
definite idea how Aj,e pYesent disabilities of
women in the way Of self sIppart are tn be
remcdicd ; we only know they ought TO bo
le'''eu'ea, ana .ha' tner cohsih'an'e 'i."'
ton ,h,a,Dhou, onr s sn,'i.l rsar system
The remedy is largely in tho hands o. VIC.
man and therein, we aro sorry to say, lies
',te most d'seouraglng feature IN the matter
81 reform. oh,h American women Of the