, 1872-12-15

herself.
George Macdonald has said that no vice is SO
ruinous to the human soul rs indulgence in
respectable Ee1fshness." Since woman, in most
10 freed from the burden Of household carcs,
there is left her an INDECENT leisure to be spent
in tho meanest self-gcatifcation.
Nor is it possible for her to evoid paying the
seTercst penalty for such evasion Of her duty.
The nervousness which 50 often makes 4 woman
in almost every CARO-, the direct result OF an in
dolsnt, irresponsible nloGe OF life.
Every human being is possessed Of . certain
degree Of energy, which must ind channel, -
al outlet. It follows, then, that woman must
make use Of her energies, IS, it sha fail to do
SO, Nature will take revenge by transferring the
guilty one into q nervous, fretful invalid.
That woman among usi is not sweet tempered,
is an assertion which few will attempt to dony.
Go cut upon the street, or into crowded assem-
blage, and you cannot fail to be struck BY the
look Of peevish dissatisfaction on the faces Of
women, After regarding them, it will be m
absolute relief to turn to the men, whcee frank,
pleasant demeanor would never lead you to
guess that nearly every one among them carries
constantly a heavy burden Of care and anxiety.
Man would become as fretful as woman we're
he to throw aside labor and responsibility, md
fold his hands in idlenesB. He would eat out
his own heart, just as woman does, under pre-
cisely similar circumstances.
Duks IL Id uIStQ, WG NUu1t1 uNF9 NU11lEn
idle We wiah her to devote her time to culture !;
to widen her range Of thought to add to her
store Of knowledge. Such 8 plan sounds very
well but, unfortunately, there are many
women, just as there are many men, whose men
tai endoWments are not such to admit Of o great
degree Of culture. That the work Of man is very
often brain-work, is true still, such labor is q
matter of.abso1ute need and culture in such 3
case, does not follow as necessary implication.
# a woman have not the capacity for intellect-
ual Improvement. no leisure can mako her cul-
tivated; and tho comparative Ignorance Of
women. whose time is wholly their own is suf-
fcent proof Of this statement. The time which
many woman apends in dressing, IN making
calls, in amusemonts, would, If properly
employed, transform her INTO g second Lydia
ing is mental capacity,-an endowment which in
eyitably brings thirst ct knowledge with it.
Since that is not present with the majority OF
women, it is folly to ask them to devote their
leisure to Literary pursuits.
Nothing can make Of tho average man culti-
vated person. lie will read lin newspaper daily;
will, perhaps, get through acouple Of magazines
onca month will listen patiently to a lecture,
provided it be interesting, AID not overburdened
with technical terms, or befogged~ with meth
And those who most earnestly hope for and ad-
vocate q high degree Of culture in woman, will
heYe to learn that she is not, any more than
man, capable Of attaining to it.
Such being the case, docs it not become appa-
rent that emancipation from labor cannot be q
blessing to NoInau?
And now for o few words on the servant-gicl
questions:
Why is it that, in the majority Of cases. a man
succeeds in directing the labor Of employees to
the best possible end? Simply because be him
eelf understands every detail of tho work to
which he is giving his supervision.
An ignorant master or foreman does not COM
manu the respect of his mon too ofton he de-
moralizes them, instead. Tho same is true as
regards woman and the servants III her house
domestic duties invariably commands the re-
spect Of her assistants; while just as surely
does an incompetent houEelaeeper meet Will
unwillinsness and impertincnce from thoee in
her employ.
Despite Of all the hlamo which has ,boen laid
upon domestic SERVANTS the writer LelieYes that
tl4ey are more Binned against than SHINING. An
ignorant, unskilled girl is called upon by tho
mistress to do labor, for the proper performance
of which careful trimming is required. Of courEe.
the girl blnnders; equally, OF course, she il
sharply clided for her failure; being only hui
man, sue flies into rage, and. if she do not quit
her placc, she will look upon her mistress IS 8
personal enemy. and take every occasion to dis
appoint aod annoy her.
:. Hired girls ore so stupid and ungracious,"
going. "Only try Bridget and Mary for few
weeks you will then eco how impossible it is to
be patient and forbcariug in your dealings with
them"
Granted tkat they nro not what any of US
woEid wish; it romains, ,.then, Tor q mistress to
cnlt;rate patience. Hans and Hike ar2 ~ 10
means models Of intelligence aud anliabil:ty;
yet their employers manage to get OH with tl,om
well. How can nlstrcGs expect
respectful treatment from G servant toward
whom she has not dencaned herself courteous
": The social infc:iority OF tho seryant re2--
ders it easy matter to wound her feelings;
malses her llcenly sensitiTo to every unl1ind
word and unScac!ous action on the part OF her
superiors- Yet how few arc the mistreeses who
remember that their servants arc women too,
and need kindness ind sympathy, rest and recro-
alton.
Woman's fretfEl, raaping temper, and intcnsi-
lied eclnshncss, stand in tho wa- Of the prouer
training OF her 6eryents. Indeed, it would bo n
difficult matter to find 8 woman who would
acknowledge 1t to DC her duty to devote q GER
tain share Of time and attention to the teaching
Of her hired girl. Nevertheless, it is the dnty Of
every wOnan.-partly because, by 20 doing, ehc
odds to the comfort and ,sell-being Of her own
family; partly because she can render the SER
want better fttod to earn q livelihood and to
mako home for herself some day.
The woman who does go will show herself o
far better Christian than the one who assists ct
fairs and festivals, aewing circles and missionary
or any Of those two-penny charities in
which woman go delights.
It has been aaid, again and again, that q
mother should train her daughters to household
labor, as father trains tho sons who are to sue
coed him in his calling md Of that part Of tho
subject it is scarcely necessary for the writer to
od spsd 10 ths ofregsated 10 oefeon , What That
find a. girl employed in kitchen or
laundry Pit need only be answered that
. man is not likely to call at
the hour when domestic duties engage attention;
that, if he do So he will scarcely take the liberty
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