The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-12-03

Women should know how to earn
money by their own exertiOns, and also
know how to take care of it when
earned. 1 am heartily glad that every
year the avenues of business are opening
to them, and it is not now disreputable
for a woman to be among the money
changers.
know one girl, Miss Grace Alexan-
der, who has managed the business of a
bank in country village, Winchester,
n. H., for many years. NOminally,
there was a man at the head, but the
real work is nearly all done by the
woman, the man of course receiving the
salary, and giving her the pay of an or
binary clerk. l wrote to this girl, ask
ing her for few items in regard to her
work. She replied:
81 doubt if l can give you many items
of interest, but will say that [ COM
menced my labors in this bank four
years ago, and have been here, with the
exception of short vacations, ever since.
[ act as book-keeper, teller and clerk,
and in the absence of the cashier, trans
act all the business of the bank. My
salary is small, not one-fourth of the
cashiers, and much less than they
would pay a man for the work. 1t is
only S400 per year, and board myself.
[ think l can honestly say that the
work is done as well as man could do
it. work six hours per day, and, on
the whole, find it pleasant employment.
/ do not know of any other women who
hold situations in banks, but see no
reason why they cannot fill such places
| just as well as men, if they properly
prepare themselves for the work"
Two women have been to my door at
early dawn, during all the mornings of
the past summer, to sell vegetables.
They were always cheerful, and seemed
to bring sunshine with them from their
morning labors. l questioned them
| little about their finances. They were
were silent at once, and put on a digni-
| fed air, as much as to say, "What's
that to you?" "I am preparing a
paper," explained, "about the uses of
money, and / want to speak about
women in agriculture. Can tell them
that there is money in the business ?"
eyes, you may ~ exclaimed one Of
! them. 81 have made eight hundred
dollars this summer, by selling early
vegetables. No woman in town has
done better"
"And have made three hundred on
my cream alone" said the other, "sell-
ing it at thirty cents per quart" This
cream she sold at large summer hotel,
opposite my house.
If more women with a small capital
would purchase little land near the
large towns and villages, and raise early
vegetables for market, they would be
improved in health by the outdoor ex-
ercise, and would be the richer in purse
and in happiness.
Madame Talleyrand, whose husband
was once Prime Minister in France,
when the fortunes of her family went
down, purchased few acres of land near
one of the American cities, and raised
vegetables for market.
A gentleman who had been a frequent
/ guest at her table in the days of her
! prosperity, met her one morning driving
her own horse, and when she greeted
him, her laugh rang out as merrily as
when flattered by princes.
! Happiness is not confined to position.
A dollar honestly earned is appreciated
and enjoyed far more than money doled
out by family, friends, or wealthy rela-
tives.
have also talked with a woman
physician, Mrs. Mary Basset, in regard
to her business. She has been ten years
in the profession. She has met with
prejudice, and lived it down by faithful
work; met with bitter persecution, and
ignored it altogether. She has now an
extensive practice, and her income is
abOutS3, 900 per annum. She does about
seven or eight hundred dollars worth of
work gratuitOusly every year in a hos
pital and orphan house, but is none the
poorer for this. These are Gods pa
tients, and she works for Him in caring
for them.
We all know that women are succeed
ing beautifully in the pulpit, and the
common people hear them gladly, and
woe be unto him who would cast them
out of the clerical ranks If God has
called them, what is man, that he should
resist God?
Women are needed, too, as lawyers.
One whole day 1 devoted lately to a
courtroom. 1t was the greatest farce
that l ever saw played seriously. "I
am glad that l went" said a graduate
from Vassar College, who was with me,
''for never knew before that the scales
of justice were humbugs" Surely,
woman's influence is needed here.
Girls in their teens should learn the
worth of money and the judicious use of
it. If poor, they should earn it hon
estly, and then expend it in gaining an
education, or save it for the emergencies
vi TIE luIuTe. flue clOJneS are not eS-
sential. A woman can, if she chooses,
dress very neatly and tastefully on a
small amount of money. Better to have
a little more in the head, and a nice
bank account to her credit, than to have
so many ribbons and fiounces.
Another and higher use of money
expend it for God and humanity. We
worship Father, kind and loving, who
accepts the smallest deeds done for 9TH
ers as if done for himself. "Inasmuch
as ye have done it to the least of these,
ye have done it to me,n are his precious
words, and we do well to heed them.
This is the very highest use that we may
make of money. There are so many
children who are suffering for even the
bare necessities of life So many aged
and infirm ones who have nowhere to
lay their heads We can bring no
more acceptable offering to Him who
hath given us life, than our money con-
seerated to Him by using it for His des-
titute ones.
But we should not only relieve suffer-
: ing, but exert ourselves to remove the
evils of sOeiety-the evils that cause the
poverty and suffering. We should Law
the axe at the root of the tree of evil,
, and though the splinters may fly in the
face of prejudice and custom, yet we
!, should work with a hearty will; fol
every blow will tell the clearing away
of ignorance and oppression.
know of one woman, good and pure