Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-03-26
MAN AS A MAID.SERVANT.


/
Inquiry at several employment OF.
ces discloses that frequent applications
are received from men for places where
they can earn living by doing such
work as is usually done by female do
mcstics that have gone out to such
service, and that they are, as a rule,
giving very good satisfaction. On this
side Of the continent the line between
work done by males and females is not
very closely drawnin the subterranean
regions of hotels, restaurants, and even
OF boarding-boases; but tho employ.
ment Of men to considerable extent
in private houses to do the work that
has hitherto been done s!lnost entirely
by "female help" a.hounts to a sort Of
new departure. II Is not probable
that many Of the males who are doing
the work of ktchen.girls on this side
would acknowledge THAI they are in
debted to tho Chinese for the idea (;
they would rather allow that thcy
were driven to seek tervice by the
prospect of starvation, consequent
upon the extremely 'haid times. In
most cases whore they apply for an op-
portunity to do such work they are
reduced beyond an inclination to bar.
gain as TO the nature of the duties that
will fall TO them, and are willing to ac-
cept anything that will afford them a
living. Going into the kitchen insuch
q frame of mind, the men value their
opportunity to earn living; they are
much less Independent than the usual
run Of "female help" and are less au.
dacious in demanding what were once
regarded as privileges, but which that
class of help has come to regard as their
rights, There is a substratum Of fact
for the ludicrous cxaggeration Of sati.
rical weeklies upon the tyranny of the
basement and kitchen. The growing
scarcity in the number Of women who
are willing to accept service in house
hold where they will not be treated as
"ono Of the family" but as hired help,
has made it extremely difficult, even
for those who arc abundantly able to
pay, to secure and retain satisfactory
domestics in their servive; and il the
disposition Of men TO come into the
work shall have the effect Of weaken
ing the tyranny of the kitchen good
work will have been done.
There is scarcely any work falling to
the domestics Of the household which
men are not doing. Able.bodied men
are TO be found in many kitchens wash
ing dishes, securing silver, lifting pots
and kettles, and doing what has hither-
to been done in this country almost ex-
clusively by female domestics. Down
IN the wash.room men are bending over
the wash board, welding the clothes
FOUNDER and laboring at the crank OF
the wringer. They are even learning
the difficult art Of putting gloss on a
shirt-iront or imparting the requisite
rigidity to q shirt collar; but instances
of ambition are not frequent. Men are
shy about protesting knowledge Of
cookery. The most ignorant Bridget
in the land does not hesitate to solemnly
affirm that she can preside at the
range with all the ability OF French
master, Of cuicine, though she be una
uIe W uislingu;sh o srid iron Go.a -
side.saddle but It Is seldom that a
male applicant, even in the most re-
duced circumstances, has the audacity
TO set up such o claim in the face Of
Inevitable failure at the first trial. In
the matter Of demanding privileges, 1t
will take some time for the male re-
cruits to catch up with the female reg
nlars; no one Of the former has yet
been known to stipulate for six nights
"off'' in the week and the privilege OF
entertaining "young man" in the
kitchen on the seventh.
The chief object to the realizing Of
tho good results that might be reached
through this new departure is the fact
that men generally regard such service
as unmanly. The criterion by which
manly things is easily found out, but
not easily comprehended. Thus Vt is
manly for man to live on the proceeds
Of his wife's labor as washwomap, but
it is unmanly for him to make bis own
living by bending over the washtub
The why of this de6es explanation
~ Y. Sun.
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