The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1875-09-08
work for Women.


Nursing has long been talked of as sphere Of
wOmeu's work. The profession has not been at all
developed in the way might have been. 1t has in
finite rsmihcations and new fields sti 10 be conquered
Mddle-aged ladies might go out As monthly nurses,
for which six months Of proper training would ft
them. Many ladies would prefer an attendant who
could be intellectual companion well as a
Dispensing medicine seems to have been tried with
success, and there is no reason why women should
not make good chemists. The Government Teie-
graph Offices and the Post Office cerkships supply a
good deal Of work. but it is most suitable to the class
Of young girls who would otherwise go behind the
counter. In America women found very useful
in banks, they invaluable detectors Of forged
notes. their sense Of touch and sight seeming to be
keener than that of the young men clerks. They
have also been employed as Treasury clerks ever
since the The profession of house-decorating
likely 70 develop itself, and is apparently
very well suited to ladies of taste and education.
Here, however, apprenticeship Of several years is
required, knowledge of architecture and drawing
to scale is absolutely indispensable. Good health,
business faculties and energy would be necessary
ensure success. With this occupation might be com
bned art, needlework, and glass painting. China
painting, too, comes under this head, tiles and
plaques much used in house decoration.
or literature the general refuge for the distressed
need scarcely here speak except to say that it might
be made remunerative profession by women
without the talent CT George Elliot did they but
learn to write their language correctly,
they but willing to work up subject in the way that
antiquary historian is compelled to do. Nor is
it necessary to speak Of painting, woodengraving,
photography, printing, music teaching, the other
employments which are being resorted to with fair
measure Of success but a few modes Of Employment
whose suitability has still be tested by experiment
are suggested in I" The Year Book of Woman's
Work which has been lately compiled by Miss Hub
bard Amongst other things, lady cOuriers pro-
posed. This seems sensible enough, as in an ordi-
nary Contuenta! tour the fine gentleman courier does
nothing for the ladies whose pockets he bleeds pro-
fusely, in reward for bis small attentions, which
lady could do quite as well and agreeaby if
she were well read and intelligent She would prob
ably travel in the carriage with the people she
attending, and would be a pleasant and useful
companion. Such companions would be invaluable
to the rich young Americans who rush through
Europe and cram all the information they can in a
hurried tour. 1t is also suggested that artificial fly
making and the preparation of microscopic objects lie
pleasant and renumerative which can be done at
home, and work which can be done at home is al
ways eagerly sought after.
There are many occupations which seem to us
strangely neglected, and gardening is one To al per
son with a small garden in sheltered situation, it
would be possible by and good management to
supply flowers to the London market at times when
they scarce and costly. This could be done with
very fair remuneration if the business did not %
through too many hands. The rearing of fowls can
also be made very fair speculation by any who
will rise at FIVE o'clock throughout the summer morn
iugs and trea. the poultry judieousy So also nice
little income might be made by the sale of eggs by
anyone living in a suitable soil in the South of Eng
land But in employment will ladies succeed un-
til they to be merely amateurs. What they can
and cannot do is very small matter compared with
the question whether there is anything which they
willing learn to do we'll So long as they look
upon work as only sad necessity and consider those
emplOyments degrading which they desc.ibe by the
term mental, so long shall we have starving gentle
women. Miss Hubbard says, " trust it may soon
be considered honorable for woman to earn her
bread to eat it unearned." She considers that
when false ideas of gentility shall have been buried
and put out of sight, will gain much by the
business habits they necessarily learn if they
wish to make position for themselves which shall
have favor of charity about it. Several employ
ments which promised we'll, do not seem satisfactory
when tried. Piano tuning requires great strength of
wrist, and must be learnt in very hot rooms whilst |
the pianos are in course Of construction Dentistry
also requires strength of wrist and nerve than
generally possess So too, we need hardly say
would surgery. The telegraph Offices are rather dis
appointing the pay poor and the work is fatigung
But there is thing which has hitherto only been
tried very small scale by women and that is com
There does seem the SLIGHTEST reason why
they might not succeed here. We have seen a well
known novelist attending to her husbands business
with amazing eeverness and discretion when he was
laid up with illness. We have heard of young lady
having been taken into partnership by her father,
who was a master. We have known in America Of
the widow of banker carrying the business and
in statistics Of London we find women
described as shipowners, manufacturing chemists,
of factories, and engaged in all of trades
which are supposed exclusively to belong to men. In
France, considered competent to undertake
almost any commercial business. But whatever pro-
fesson take up whatever trade they practice,
whatever things they teach let them feel assured that
only good work will find ready market at market
prices, and that bad work will be drug refused by
all but those who inclined to give charity pay