The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-12-10
VIII the Coming Womnn
Work.

] WAA sAo NOihhuH W o2HllA
WOrlr2
I Yes, you give her the oppot
unity. Bot before this time
comes. We must brush away mADy
Old cobweb prejudices, and start
upon a very different idea of The
sphere OF woman than that which
generally prevails. The common
i.ea is, chat our girls have got 10
DO supp0r,e= at homo until they
are married and then the husband
will take them in charge. Henso
the great Woriiy of our young
women, among The more comforta-
bic aud wealthy classes, grow W
in CON tarativc idlepess. Thor
education IS ofthc>most superficial.
character, and If they are thrown
upon the world in after life 10 sup
port themselves they are wholly
uufttcd for It. Besides, there is u
slilI larger number who by their
necessities are obliged to earn thoiE
own bread. et.4f
In our older communities, the
excess Of women over men is that
OF two 10 one, so that at best only
one .ahalf can be married. III
lingIaud and Wales there are from
lhrce 10 Jour hundred thousand
women who are obliged to remain
single in consequence OF tho excess
of numbers. In the State OF New
York there are 3S,783 more women
than men, bcetwen the ages Of III
teen and twenty, and the same ra-
ito holds with all the other States
Now this large number must live
in state OF dependence eating the
bread of idleness, or they must
work. But what can they do?
Here we como to the radical
question OF woman's work. At
present, she is restricted TO q few
vocations. She can hire out for
domestic service, teach, sew or
try her ha-d at writing. All these
being crowded, the pay Is small.
he remedy is very simple. Throw
open 10 her every avocation for
which she is fitted, and let the fit
ness be determined BY actual expe-
rience. We do not see why wo-
men should not do Hght work on
the ia: n, keep books. become tel
Iers in the banks, agents for insur-
ancc companies, engage in various
kinds OF business and enter tho
professions. At'present, her edu-
cation Units her for many q these
but training comes from expert
ence. No one can learn to swim
nnul he goes into the water. When
We enter upon this exper ment,
then women will learn from pracr
lice to do many things for which
both she aud the community now
think her unified.
This enlargement Of woman's
work is iraught with industrial and
social changes. There were in
Massachusetts, NJ in 1860, 62G,2Ol
women-outnumbering the men
50;o70. Suppose that only a quar-
.cr 0. these, instead Of eating tho
bread Of id!eness and dependence,
n selling themselves TO base uses,
engage in some useful work. As
ar rs they do this, they add to the
Of the common
wealth. So much for the general
good.
The benefit to themselves is very
.rident :. = Let .women kbc trained
ID 10 the empIoymcnts which re-
.nirc skill, and you at once raise
.rr wages. Oper new avenues OF
work, and'she will not. DC obliged
. stitch her own death shroud.
t ou, she becomes more ir depen-
IeAt. and rises in intelligence
Wren young. the girl Will not be
Imply iondled as dol, or treated
= toy, ut educated in habits OF
eli reIia ica. Her character Will
c strengthened, and her faculties
nlafged.
E.I wo are fold that If YOU edu-
ate tie dasghler tor. u. distinct
ocatiOn or profession, y0u unit
~ for domestic duties. This Is
oL true, us experience tostifes.-
Il fact, we maln,ain that the train
~ which comes from. these varied
ocalions, Is much better prepar-
ton for the duties of a wife Or
iylLcr than the girl gets at our
boarding schools, or
D a lite of ease at home-alterna-
ng between. idlcness and parties.
We have vastly more hope OF the
lture generation, when our moth
rs early IN life are trained to somo
Industrial cnployr ent or profess
ion, than now, when in 80 many
asses that pc iod is wasted.
As far as v omen b-co nc self
they will be cmar cipa-
I'd IRON the bondage Of depend
nee, and be more free in respect
, marriage. This relation will
OF be entered upon to secure t
as is so often done now,
nj moro from the ,promptings OF
tfection. The home will not be
ss nallowed and sacred, but will
st on a secure basis.-ChrlsttaH
egjster.
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