, 1866-02-16
ssA QUESTION FOB SOMEBODY y
The Question ConaTdered-Emp1oym
for Dependent Young Vomen-A SnE-

The Question ConsTdered--Emp1oym
for Dependent Young Tomen-A Sng.
geAtfnn.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
In your last Issue, there appeared among
your local Items paragraph With deeper
meaning than pertains To many inquiries that
find their way into the public press from
chance contributors. Will you republisb It,
and give me space for briet suggestion In
reply:
A QrEs11ox FOE SoxEnopT.--Ed!to.e cnieaso
Ttibnne-W,l1 you, or sorne Of The reade1s Of your
paper, please n.wer the following question: When
looks long and su1sously ior employment, when
Street afteF street has tcen trasefsed, and store
slter store cutefed+ with no other enccess than
she ie Obliged 10 eet ffom morning In night, md
night Ill morning, at tho everlasting needle, With
which rhe nny, pethapt, csfu from four to 1ve dol
rcven dollars for q comfortable boardIng house );
low. IN eueh case, IL the 70 MAINTAIN herself
respectfully! 1oCSo Lazy
It Is undoubtedly one Of the gravest ques-
tions in our social economy, and vital one
10 the large Glars who are sufferers In default
Of It's solution. II is the compression into a
few lines, Of the narrative OF the tnrnlng point
IN mary life, the actual history Of many
young women In our great cities, and through.
out the community. The boys 10 the family,
at an early age, engage readily In an industrial
calling, which, with attention and diligence,
Is sure to open upward and offer broader use
fulness and better compensation rs the youth
gains In years. 1t is not a question that can
be e1haustedly discussed within any moderate
limits, why the girls of the same family, driv.
| en- TO seek support, must In 20 many instances
read their fate In the abofc paragraph. But
! It Is 30. There Are hundreds OF shop girls,
cloak and dress makers' apprentices, and sesm.
I ,ttesses' assistants, who, by their best eIer
tiobs, are only able week by week to earn q
1 few shil1ings more thnn they are called upon
| to pay for current living expenses. 1t Is mol
| necessary to concede the fact that there are
! female accountants and saleswomen we'll paid
| end highly priced By their employers, and
| that there nre ueedlcwomen Of expertness
whose services are in demand at the best
rices, aud who make their labor profit.
! able, These are the few among the
many, and the many are the sufferers
Lei Us meet the inquiry with suggestion
not a new ono indeed, and not perhaps at tht
first presentation an attractive one. % Bat y
is, we believe, one whose apparent dIlcultiet
VIII be Emoothed by nearer approach. Sup
poee after this distressed young stranger hnd
made the fruitless tour Of Lake street, and
lad sharpeped her necessity by week or two
ol struggling labor at lily paid needlework a
checTless, cheap boarding house, she should
enter upon the experiment Of household ctn
ployment In some one Of our Chicago homes
Would not the reinforcement of few hun
drcd intelligent, active young women be vel
coined IN the domestic sphere By our an1loul
md careworn matrons troubled with the evil
Of poor help. II the reinforcement came a
earnest workers, md took hold with an inter
est in the concerns Of the family Of which thel
became part, two things wonsd be certain t.
result: Ii would give them shelter comfort
able and respectable 10 degree far beyont
| that to be found By lonely young womel
In cheap city boarding houses. And tn
position would be one Of pocuniary profit CT
cccdipg the one above complained of. Whll'
the entire items Of board, fuel, washing nni
lights would bc merged In the "keep' Of tn
famlIy assistant, there would remain un
touched by either, the weekly stipend OF fron
two to three dollars per week. Anotbe
feature OF advantage would be found in th
fact That the young domestic would be gain
ing practice and adroitness in the yery spher
10 which she and all her sex look forward
homo and the affairs Of the household. III
exceptions 10 The possession Of anticipation
ar tits kind are SO few rs to require p
csfecIal rule. And II these last have ski
and energy, they may create exceptions nPo