New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-09
TIE THIRD DAYS PROCEEDINGS.

ECuEME ABANDONED-HER ENPlANAiioN VT Al"
PAILURE-vARoUs OPINIONS ON THE SUBJECT
A DEPRESSION TO GRRvILLE's MEMoIRo-THE IN
THREsTs OF BRISTOL CoNsIDEHRD-MR. sPolTis-
woODE ON POLARIZED LIGHT.
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE T'ubuNh'l
Bc,SroI Aug 28.-The event of the morning on
Friday was TO be paper by Mrs Rose Mary Craw-
shay on Domestic Service for Gcntlewomen or, as
Mrs. Crawshay herself preicrs to say, on lady
helps,n title which goes far to create prejudice
against the scheme. There was al the more eager
ness to hear this because it was known that another
lady of some distinction stood ready to head tie
attack that was sure to be made on Mrs. Crawshays
views.
Mrs Crawshay gave an account of her schomc
last year in the Social Science Congress at
Glasgow. There we were invited to accept it
because Mrs. Crawshay had herself tried it, and
il had succeeded. But, alas, her paper of yes
terday had TO be devoted mainly to an explanation
Of the causes of its failure and abandonment. Not
that Mrs. Crawshay gives up her idea she is as sure
as ever that tie idea Is right What has failed Is the
experiment at Cyfartha Castle, VIM. CrawshayS
home, and this again has beea given up because the
practical working of it passed out OF MIS-
Craw shay's hands into those OF her daughter
Precisely what everybody said would happen
has happened. The plan was practicable just so
long as it was carried out in exceptional clrcuni-
stances by woman Of exceptional character, rs
Mrs. Crawshay undoubtedly is. Her daughter. Mrs.
Crawshay tells Us, preferred ordinary servants ana
the reason given is pretty sharp criticism on the
merits or feasibility of the scheme 1t is proven
bal" SAWS tho mother, " that the young stand Oh
their dignity more than the old" and it was on
question of dignity that this particular nook OF the
new Utopia has had 10 be deserted. The duration OF
lle experiment in Mrs Crawshay's own bands was
II months without changes. She taxes an evident
Measure in letting us know that dnring tv
10 months following, under her daughters charge,
with nine servants of the usual kinds, there have
been ton changes.
Some Of the details of this household life curl
GUS The "lady helps We arc assured, really did
ia ,ir work, and did not put is off Oh the under
seryants--a point on which the testimony of the
under-servants themselves might be instructive
They made I'D house-inen, clothes. and carpets,
beside what was required of them and spite of these
formidable tasks, their friends did not think they
had fallen off in looks but quite the contrary"
Their health, Mrs. Crawshay AYERS, was Tar
slperor to that of most ladies' who take
their only exercise in carriages. People have
asked what the previous social position Oi thcsc
heips and the answer is, one was the wife OF q head
clerk who was also an amateur gardener, and tie
father Of nine daughters who have been enthusiasts
tically encored III publc concerts Another was TIE
wife of q fashionable West End tradcs'nan, who
seems to have come to grief. third was the
daughter Of a dissentn. minister; fourth OF a
clergyman 70 the charge that she had made pets
OF her heips,' Mrs Crawshay pleads guilty; es-
pecaly to her error in allowing and even insisting
that they should Use the main entrance to the
casIe. instead of the humble one which Ia
London we know as the area gate. But this might be
made matter Of special arrangement, she thinks
One rather cOncctuTes that at Cyfartha Castle the
daughter objected to it possibly even tho husband;
though of him we hear nothing. In any case, too
much must not be expected OF lady helps" Tho
most extraordinary miscOnception Mrs. CT1wshay
has met with is the idea that gentlewonen can &c
induced TO become cooks aad to associate with
ordinary servants. Whether the gentlewonen could
he expected to become cooks if they were not 10
associate with ordinary servants, don't quite make
ont. Mrs. Crawshay is very indignant with men
who write TO her for cooks of this description and
make no provision whatever for This gcntewomans
comtortm The paper concluded with these general
considerations:
that they nave not to work. men Tor them" II
3d. st true the words Of the song Men must work
mos. cases genial their dispostion f. 10 they not
generally selec, profession, wine woman ANS! pave
6ut one paying profession open To ihein-that OF mar
rae and this zoe; not pay sn ,e w sn y p o
asking much tlat fair play shall hereafter he IN. sd
10 Women as viii enable them TO choose whether tncy
viii embrace this profession where my assnfeay ms.
marry of their own Tree WIZ no one oDges t,eia 10
marry they can remain single II they prefer it," Yes,
out remaining single has another and steiner name.
at present educated 30 as To be able ID
nIint n themselves therefore, remaining single
in most cases st arvaton escaped ridcue
in the instance, and am prepared for plenty OF fun
and quizzing the present occasion but the rencn-
branae OF tie heartbroken letters imploring 10 do
something the sorrowfnl need. unodncated gentle
women which he'd during the last II months
makes the fun sound very hollow
The spirit of that is excellent, and though it is
difficult to put much faith in Mrs. Crawshays idea
should be sorry 10 say word which implied any
thing but entire respect for her. Courage and sim
ccrity are qualities which we all admire. When Mrs.
C.awsnay sat down, Mrs. Gray followed with q
pungcnt criticism. She thought such paper out Of
place in scientific meeting. She thought the
scheme itself unsccntfc; it proposed to use polished
tools for rough work. woman trained
in social refinement was cut of place
IN the kitchen; it a degradation,
and there was plenty of work for which
they are better suited sch ools and hospitals;
housekeepers even, they might keep their place, but
not as in Mrs Crawshay's household. walk III at the
front door and down to the kitchen. Lord Amber
lev took Mrs Crawsh ays side. Mr.. McMordie replied
TO him in bitter speech, denOuncing the scheme as
aaxotc. Lord Aberdare joined III the debate. steer
ing a, his habit is, near the middle as he could,
but winding up with opinion that on the whole
Mrs Crawshay's plan would not do. There was not
little feeling shown. Cheers and Kisses alternated.
but Mrs Crawshay sent us away in good humor by
remark that. after oil. her scheme was only transit
tiona and that We are soon likely to have no
servants at all, gentlewomen or others.
Not much else Of general concern happened during
the day. The other papers read were mostly OF a
kind which cannot be made Ineligible by abrdg-
insnt One of the great successes Of the meeting