, 1873-10-19
The WoRklNG.GIRL QUESTION.
Additional Views ThcrcupOn.

Arc Unwilling to no Homework.
70 tie Editor " The chtcdgo TRIBUNE:
Sin: Tho discussion between tho aowng-gIrls
and their oppononts Ina boon Of Interest to
largo class of readers, to wllon the apparoutly-
trivial question ut ish,1o ~ QUO Of Importance.
Gould tho mattor bo satisfactorily arranged. 1t
would obviato Thousand diioultios Tint bosot
housckeopors atld heads OF fa,nics generally.
Space will not permit reorganization. Of tho
so1od question, How to got our house"ork
done, evou II 1t wcro necessary, which 1t is not.
Every Quo knows from bittor exporlenco what
a succession of defeats has been anlfered
at tho hands Of foreign and homo manufacture
incompotoncy, yolept servants. Tho man who
swoars has 4 unique md originnl vocabulary OF
oaths Bacrod to occasions WHOM an an overdono
roast or ecorot,od soup has spoiled Lis dinnor,
or his sirt-front is limp, or tho furnace il 1ro~
loss on froezing day, or who invltoa friend
homo to dinner while hs vito Ia IN tho country,
aud finds, upon hia arrival homo, Hospitality in-
tout, that Cook has not rotur1od from hor day
out, aud llo ia Obliged to raid OH tho uoarost
GROCERY for tho frugal concomitantB Of supper
composed Of craokern mud cheese while tho
man who does not nwcar puts on a oountonanco
of long-drawn-out acorbity, looks abused, refors
to good old days. lis moshor, aud kindred
pleasing subjects, till lis wifo, who is not equal
to tho multltuttinons carcB Of our fusBy rogimo
feels like a demoralized eagc-br,lsl.
As Tor women, tho bewinsgi1 way 9Mto I5gt 5,gnt
WAS tic failiuga Of thoir servants. Their In-
competency aud general unftness for clio poai-
tion III Tho staple of conversation botwcen houBc-
keepers, Us tlleir labor is tho atnplo OF our com.
fort or discomfort IN proportion aa II ~ ekiiled
Il s'a4s e sf'"'hhs heusesserSaats ] tas paople ia
5or ng @ to c p5y ad lint efsa ta
except in rare instances. It il all equally patent
fact that other fields Of labor, loss healtlful
aud poorer paid, arc overcrowdcd:
Various reasons have boon assigned for this
lnmentab1o state OF thingB, but mono have as
yot givon tho true solution Of tho problem.
Il Is not TINT girls nre not strong enough, nor
that they are unwilling to do housoworls,:- for
eyory ono Of tho ard-workcd army Of WORKING
from aoWn tho ayras
Of female employees that pour out Of the work.
rooms Of stores, millinery -Bhope, and nanufac--
turing Embellishments OF all kinds, look forward
borno md performed for tho con,iug man, will
bo an opon door from slavery to freedom. They
each ,,nagino homes In littlo cottages, wlero
they shall do MI this menial work, or share Of
1t, whilo John earns his 712 Or s25 per week, as
homoly hclongi,igs OF the choap, diugy cottage,
john included, till it seenls q very temple
where they ,nny offer sacrifice to tho household
Names.
And got theao worry girls, who arc willing to
labor with their hands, sacrifice every prospect
of comfort and luxury, contend with poverty
and its Thousand illst under certain circum-
stances will not accept situation iii any capac-
ity, az louse-sorv4nt, in the most elegantly
appointed phlace in the city. This dislike, not
to Homework, but house-serrice, ia not an ill.,
liydual whiln, but exists among all women who
are Obliged to earn their living, from the poor
ter for different work, to tho reducod gonlie-
woman Who fags her life , out . ln boarding ;;,
iamity.
siassed with them politically and it ia safe to
say thar, when their hendB and hearts are 30 sot
upon given point, they will sacrifice thor easo,
and even work for it,-noither Of which women
like to do naturally y,-tlere is reason In and
for it.
TO tho unthinhing mind 1t ia incomprehenai.
bio, and to tue masculine understanding it is
ono of the ways TINT are dark Of a sex that are
conundrums 70 men.
Suppose " patcrfamias" aud others Of Ills
clasH stop fow moments from contemplation OF
their elegant homes, in which tho work can be
90 easily and comfortably done, md con-
ss, @ hs whom irss sy psSsGa509 p~osa paes ., tess ezs
his own; that. III many instances, thoy wore not
born in their present popitiun, but have bean
hagian enterprise in which their fathors were IN
teroBted some panic OF 81 or '79 or other reason
than want OF breeding or culture on their part.
Then let him look at tho associatea which any
would huye auaong mon, il abe won't into his
basement aH servant. What kind OF mon are
employed AZ gardeners, eoachmon, mon-of-all.
work?
What man occupied ae clerk, OF in correspond
Ing capacity, would think it tho thing to ask
such girl to any place Of amusement OF wl1at
girl 80 employed could accept with with oclocl;
ainners2 What son OF Dives docs not consider
all ptety girls employed in bis mothers houte
as legitimate objects upon which to prey; or who
will not take advantage Of tho constant asaoc.a-
ton which domestic service ronders necossnry to
undermine virtue, oven 80 humb'y enshrincd a.
IN tho bosom Of servant? Whom we Bee-aa
Ee all nust-that tho day, has gone by when men
"help" OF their mothers, 9so can see the real
reason Of the dcop-seated prejudice against
lousa-Roryicc.
It is not tho fault Of women, hut men, who
IRE the aggressive or active party. Thoy aeok.
Women can do nothing but whit !; and 40 long
III thus ia the existing state Of things, they will
wait in the places whero men look for wives.
60 long as they are valued for complexiops,
1igutcB, danly fcet, and white hands, women
will strain every ncrve to possess those qualifi-
cations. No amount of argument, logic. OF
wlaedlng will move them, 30 long al every aci
Of mons lives contradicts their worde.
The gentler sex possesses littlo will, but q vast
amount OF won't; and they feel rather thar
reason, as GLASS. They will not, or cannot
argue tho point with mon but fall buck upon
reserve Of stubborn resistance, and resolve K
starve IL what they consider hopeful position
rather than bc comfortable in q hopeless one.
1t IL true that marriage Ia the general ain O.
women and, as custom dobars her from making
advances. the only othor alternative Is to attrac
the other party. To accomplish this, they mus
look pretty, and place themselves ii II position
to be seen. II all this fails, she can only writ
On her tombstone, She hath done to1at she could
Whether this ie right state Of things III no
to he considered hero It axista. and muat b
dealt with Al ~ e1isting fact. 1t is not to b
talked away, like wart In olden times. and ig
noring 1t will do no good. It is only by fair so
Ing through tho whole question. and putting tn
responsibility where it belongs, that anything
approaching harmony can bo evolved from th
present chaoa. When mon will DO wise onoug
to marry women for other thinga than merel
physical doYalonment, Women Mill aim to NJ