, 1873-09-21
HOMES FOR HOMELESS GIRLS.
The Sewing VS.. Housework
Question.
Letters on Both Sides.
Letter from st tI'ntcrfnmilins.ss

days since. cnlcavorcd to show rovr sowing
girl who Lad informed tho publlc through yor COL
unns, that her earnings were but $3.50 per week,
wlilc hor c1ponHca for boa,d, room-rcut and washing
wrra 81. and who urged these facts q why
Home for okng girls should be established, TINT she
might very much improve hor circumstances by CIV
Ing up sewing md doing housework; That, by 20 de-
Ing, she could be In receipt OF net incouc Of from
So to s. per wsek.
My article, written with tho most benevolent intcr-
tfor, has called out several Indignant roplos rs much
30 aa II my intention bud been deliberately to insult
tho noble army OF cicrs copyistp and sowing girls"
who, nm glad to know, hayo sucl earucst friend
hnd advocate In " Edgnrtlus."
Through nil thcae articles there tho assumption,
either directly Expressed implied, that domestic
vice ia in itself u menial aud degrading tlrudgcry,
which no rtght-mndcl young woman should for d
moment entorlan The idea Of engaging In, eyon
though her income from othcz labor Is insufficient for
her support.
To my mind, this idea IL 80 fundamentally WRONG
and ERRONEOUS that focl disposed TO nsk space in TIE
TRIBUNE for consideration Of it. aud some others
connected with the question Of employment for
wonon, md the establishment Of Homes for their
First then, ia domestic scryica mcnial md dcurd-
Ing? will uot insult tho intelligence Of your rlatlerg
by my lengthy argument to provs shat II is not. No
seryico Or labor III iae!t honest, aul necessary 10
grading to, or beneath tho dignity Of, any porson
depondent upon his or her labor for support.
tonsebody to do Tho necessary work Of the family
% ths cooking Ind serving Of meals o cere Of tho
tho general naule Of hoHsenUyk.
Every right minded womnn at tho head Of house.
hoa f s1pee,s TO do m her own house whatever amount
Of degradation in 40 doing 1us, when ehe needa
h1p II the performance q hsss necessary Duties md
for - iissfal rs'asnsratioa, H in '' ,spt:s wSish
tue degradation Of tho service required s at once ai-
parent,-mainly, It would aeem Gecauso tho e1npoyo
not accd on footing Of cutirc sociA equality with
ons e iho indignant correspondence ants: awul
he lPaterfamtas} take her 10 h's table give her
with Ills wife and daughters beforring for tic prcs
en the question Of tho reasonabloness Of this do
Is Just what / atn now tolnp, Ind T tSis II has
a!wnys bseu tho rule in my family Whenever
wore such that they could be placed Oh such footing
tn tho family with aufety uud comfort and do not
speSt, for know thu uny a1oilnt Of j'lst such ,os
tSs ate ouen to-day for capable, rsspee,abo women
ard are willing 10 Ito honest work for honest nav,
Such fantieR represent largo clasa n the connu-
nlty,1pcoplo , M Of moderate noana With income su-
ssry domestic help but mot abG TO keep Up nrge cs-
tabse,lt that would furnish servants quarturs dis
tnGt una separate from the family.
Ther domestic hop ust, thoreforA bs tat least 1t
should bcl Of such character te family, esIoci-
ally tho children, will MT suffer By ts Gloss anu ,t-
mate association with tho Aelp thatis unavodahlo,
And ,Arre nrs thousands Of women to-day literally
shaving themselves to death IN doing Ill tic work u
their families, becapsc such help Us Aey cu safely
bring into their liotscs cannot 10 found. In auch
famiss any honest md resl,eetable woman would
Dc family md 10 treated with iinasss md eenal-
In families Of another class,-peoplo in good cir
ctmsances, cauabio Of supporting !beralun 9ener-
and the family aro neither necessary nor desirable:
and II examined III It's true light the claim 10 sucial
equality Las no foundation in rcason common
rhs relation between 'hs EMPLOYER and employe la
a.p.y ons q : 1stss ~, TIE % Hne haa Labor 70 SELL tue
value Thu tersns arc usually stipulated amount
, IT, T9Hsy in 5 ess e. apa Ill., os
ot sa1 ssots os ss
@ is asSR ss ssF 4sf
servlcen neoded and engaged 10 wait upon tho
fatniy ut lcir ieala, or that hho should bo invited
into tue sr0r aud to company o
ss's'f : ions e ssssa tssi
placed footing Of social equality with his ta1niIy
e would very nkely bo told that Its soeta qlaitt.e.
modify which they wanted to buy, aud, when tint was
paid for, he had no further claim.
epoyer il aas moral oDsons to haye .as1 vIyy
terest IN the welfare Of those III hia employ but this
dues mt alter the faet TINT the relation between them
Ia aimply ono Ut busihess.
Edgarlus asks Does h. not know thure aro n: hu-
noby trying to support tcnsoyes by dlerking, SOW
Ing etc VINO could not possibly endure tho hard ser
yieo required Of houseaeryau.A Certainly know IT,
aud they have my sympathy In their struggle
for seli-auppor But know Hill further that there
.ro other hundreds Of grs engaged in Aecking these
saile gtnteel emrloyMeuts win pEysicaly stroug
snd capable of doing any work which 4 falls 10 ths
nff Italia