Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-10-20
LABORlNG WOMEN.

ceived letter from a young lady,
asking that journal if it can suggest
any employment which will be to
her a means of livelihood. Her
health has been undermined by
teaching, and yet no other occupa-
ton offers, while the pitiless neces-
sity for bread and clothes is still be-
fore her. She signs herself zone of
the great army of weary, if not
worthless women, whom the world
seems to have no place for, but will
not disband." It is the same old
problem forever staring homeless
women in the face. Ready to work,
capable of working, questioned if
they do not work and too often per-
secuted if they do work in any line
save that marked off by public opin-
ion as within woman's sspherc,'
their lot is really pathetic. Teach
ing and sewing and housekeeping
are the legitimate occupations for
women; these three callings she may
follow, and complacent world will
allow her to sink into the oblivion
of the graveyard at last without a
dissenting voice concerning her ca
reer. But all women have not
houses to ''keep," and it is impossi-
bic that they should have, SO long
as woman greatly out number men.
Only limited number of women
are born to teach, and to those who
are not, teaching is ruinous both to
teachers and pupils. The world be-
lieves more and more in the natural
teacher, whose instincts and synpa-
thies flow in the direction of the
school house, and to whom the work
is not sure death by slow torture.
And there is not sewing enough to
supply bread for all those who have
no homes and cannot teach. What
shall they do?
The only rational reply is: anything,
everything there is to do, for which
woman has strength and capacity,
except that which is false and dis
honorable. Never mind public OPP
inion; it is but thing of the hour,
and if it decry to-day will applaud
tomorrow, if success attends any
effort. Labor for honorable success;
achieve it and the multitude that
hlsses first endeavor will drag the
car of final triumph. Let women
go into the kitchen and cook; go
with delicate hands and cultured
brain, weary with the hopeless, dis
tasteful life of the school-rooIn; let
them carry chemistry with them and
and apply it in preparing the viands
for the lady's table. Serve with pa
tent exactness and firm endurance
a fashionably attired inferior if need
be-doubtless it will be SO; but at the
same time the worker will serve
herself; health will return; bright
ness of brain will be restored,
wages will be good and board pro-
vided. Never let her mind social
position. She must be above it or
she will very speedily be below it
in the grave.
That there is to be revolution
in the kitchen is undenyable. The
s'servant" of the present is the trial of
every housekeeper's life and the
theme forever upon her lips in visit
ing or upon the promenade. There
is good reason for this. The unit
dyness and wasteful ignorance en-
ployed for household cares needs,
not less, but more attention than it
now receives. In a different sense
however. The evil will not be
remedied by fretful complaints Of the
present cook, but by declaring her
totally incompetent and supplying
her place by an educated woman.
In order to do this, cooking must be
made as respectable as teaching.
And it must in time inevitably be-
come SO. The movement will not
be made by those who employ cooks,
but by those who are employed.
When cultured and refined women