The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-02-06

Charity begins at home. Not alms-givina
but charity, that considerate regard and franI,
kmdliness which the word originally signified
at time when some people really loved their
neighbors and before philanthropy was in
vented. Philanthropy is very grand thing,
no doubt, embracing the whole race in Its as
pirations but in constant danger of forgetting
| individuals, warmly sensitive to the interests
of the antipodes, but somewhat forgetful of
the people at the next door. Charity is fine
thing at the head of subscription lists, and
conveniently expressed in Federal currency.
an important item in the expense account,
easily calculated beforehand as certain small
percentage of the years outlay. The New
Testament charity is of another sort-charity
that suffereth long and is kind, the quality of
which Paul wrote, saying, Though bestow
all my goods to feed the poor, and have not
charity, it profiteth me nothing" nHsJ ii +
Here are eight servant girls who have been
ruined in this city and have taken refuge
within few weeks in the Aims House. 1t
is not charity in the old sense which relieves
their immediate wants, supplying food and
shelter for them and their unhappy offspring.
1t is in some degree no doubt the lack of such
charity which has left them to fall into sin
and misery What life can be more lonely
than that of maid-of-all-work in small
familyl Under the most favorable circum-
stances she is not a member of the family.-
She has no lot or part in their enjoyments.
Condemned to solitary confinement in the
kitchen, without mental resources TO make
the heavy hours even endurable, what won
der il she seeks the company of others of her
age and station? Ignorant and inexperienc-
ed, what wonder if she falls into bad company
and bad waysp ailu son 19qsl tias iltil
1t is the duty OF housekeepers to do some
thing to alleviate the monotony of such an
existence. The task is difficult, no doubt.
The stupidity and frowardness of servant
girls are oftener spoken of than the actual
hardships of their dreary, unsocial life. But
charity suffereth long and is kind. Kindness
alone would go far. 1t is not kind to treat a
human being under your own root, as you
treat stove or clothes-horse, as a convent
ent and useful ms chine, part Of the kitchen
furniture, to be shut up in vacuity and silence
until wanted. 1t is the duty of housekeeper
to become acquainted with her servants, to
learn their histories, to study their characters,
to know how they spend their evenings, to
provide them with rational amusements at
home, to make their apartments reasonably
pleasant. So doing, any housekeeper will be
crra fn hatt &,
long as human nature is human nature. am
1t will not do to proceed to the other ex-
treme, to undertake arbitrarily to control the
disposition of servants time Even SER
wants have rights. They will say that the
work Is worth the wages, and that if the work
is properly done the employer has no right TO
make any further requirements. What is
more important, they are unquestionably
right in so saying. The weekly wages give
the employer no right to claim anything more
than punctual fulfilment ofdaily duties. But
the fact that an inexperienced young person
is brought into intimate relations with you, is
domiciled under your roof, is exposed 10 your
service to great danger, while it gives you no
right to invade her liberty beyond tine terms
of the contract freely made, imposes upon YOU
nevertheless the duty ofusing the influence
which maturer years and superior education
may give you, to protect and save her. Ifthe mis-
tress is worthy to be an example, her indirect
influence ought to be very great. But like
mistress, like maid. If the mistress be selfish,
exacting, Indifferent, these qualities will be
reflected in the kitchen looking glass with the
utmost flelity-unless indeed it is an angel |
in disguise that washes the dishes, and that |
others as you would be done by. And so
ends this lay sermon. sttaA 'szloh a-aa