Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-02-27
Annie Kelloss's Crime.

took the embroidery, and then came
her trial, and the evidence we have
briefly stated.
Judge Duffy was the magistrate be.
fore whom the case was heard. Ad.
dressing the firm, he said, in words
of hot rebuke and fiery indignation
"Why, you ought to be ashamed OF
yourselves. You almost offer pre-
MUM to girls 10 steal. Here, this
poor girl had to pay her ferriage and
car fare, and do your work, perhaps
on hungry stomach and when pay
day comes you give her not cent to
bring to her poor mother. How can
you expect girls to be honest? The
law compels me to hold this poor girl
and l will fix the ball at the lowest
figure, namely, 500, and when she
comes to trial in the Special Sessions
l shall try and have her punishment
made as light as possible"
The words will command the ap-
proval of every just man.
There are Annie Kelloggs all over
the country. What Judge Duffy said
will be read by them with both pleas
ure and gratitude. But it will be
seen that all the same the unfortunate
girl had to be bound over, and the
intimation is clear that when the case
comes to trial in Special Sessions, all
she can hope for is that her punish
ment will be made "as light as posi-
ble." 1t is plain that the Judge can
do nothing else. The law against
stealing can not be violated with i'm
punity. Society could not stand if It
could be. Punishment is clearly
called for.
1t is easy enough for the girl who
is born to the purple to live-easy
enough, at any rate, as long as she
lives in her fathers house. If she
marries man well to do in business,
she gets along then without other
trouble than inevitably comes to o
human being. But what of the girl
who is brought up in the midst of
want, who has no more than ordinary
ability, and who, for one reason or
another, does not marry? She might
not be any better off if she did marry.
But withdraw from her even the
chance of support that marriage
gives; what ls such q girl to do p
She has not the grace, this average
girl of whom we speak, to be clerk
in store. If she has ever had q
chance to learn music, it is merely as
an accomplishment, and can not be
relied upon to furnish her the means
of existence. She knows neither
bookkeeping nor telegraphy. She is
not educated enough to be teacher,
or, if she is, the ranks of the peda-
gogical profession are full. After q
time, her friends, those that sustained
and nurtured her youth, depart, and
she is left absolutely alone, or else
with an old mother, dependent on her
for support. There is one way in
which she can make money for q
time. Is it strange so many resort to
it.
The pitiance of So week is very
small to meet all the necessaries of
life. Let one who wants to know
how small it is, try little figuring
on it for basis. The wonder is that
more do not enter some kind of do
nlestic service. Any servant is better
paid than the average wages the sew
ing girl gets. In the city wages
range from, say, 50 a week to $3.50 or
81. This is in addition to room that
is, at the very least, capable Of being
lived in, and which in not q few in
stances is very comfortable. 1t is also
in addition to plenty Of wholesome
food. Every family that is capable
Of employing q servant, is capable of
furnishing the servant food and room.
The wages, in cash, are not large !;
but neither are the wants to be satis-
fed outside of shelter and food
They are large enough to procure
suitable dresses, and to enable the
servant to do something for the
young brother or the aged mother
who exc out their scanty wages with
what comes from others.
The argument against the work is
its menial character. This acts as q
bar to many who might otherwise en-
ter domestic service. But this isea
is pure foolishness. The work is
quite within woman's sphere in the
first place. In the next, it commands
quite as much respect as those avoca-
tions which girls who have to do
something generally resort to. In
the third place, it pays better, and in
the fourth place those that enter it
are not exposed to nearly as many
temptations as those who stand in
shops or work ON sewing machines.
In the New England summer hotels
the maidens enter themselves as wait
ers, and Harvard students were last
summer one of the attractions at sew
eral of the White Mountain houses.
In old England, lately, benevolent
lady established q sort Of intelligence
agency, in which were enrolled only
the names Of ladies whom reverse Of
fortune had forced to do something
for themselves. Her venture has
proved in the highest degree satisfac-
tory, satisfactory to the employed and
10 the employers. Houses have had
higher class Of servants, or "help,
as it was the good old-fashioned hab-
it to say, and those who are in SER
vice receive good pay and the respect
which proper sense of personal dig
nifty always brings.
1t would be for the advantage of
all concerned if the absurd and un-
reasonable American prejudice
against Giving out" was done away
with. Women can not enter all the
occupations men fill. 1t is the rank
est kind Of folly that one they can fill
Is 80 nearly closed to them.-Cincin-
mats Times.