St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-01-22
Domestic Decentralization.
THE PRESENT CONDITION OF HOUSEHOLD
HELP.
A REFORM NEEDED.
New Orleans States.l

New Orleans states]
Under the baleful influence OF domes-
tic decentralization, the alilnentary path
is being rapidly strewn with thorns. In
word house keeping under present
auspices WAS perhaps never more diff
cult, and the utter unreliability OF do
nestle help appears to be cause of
complaint, not only in this city, hut in
every other locality in which the subject
is mentioned.
From all the information that can be
obtained, competent female servants, in
the majority Of households, are the
exception rather than the rule, and
those who are blessed with these essen
tails to household comfort, place II
much higher estimate upon their servi-
ces than perhaps ever before.
The experience of the average house
keeper in this city would confirm Il
general impression which exists that
tramphood and hOodlumism is reaping
its legitimate fruits, and that the de-
moraization which has enabled multi
tudes OF idle men to live without work
has at length reached women in the
same class in life.
That hundreds of idle men have fed
for years from the tai les of the industri-
ous, and that the alnoners who supplied
their wants have been the domestic
help. is fact too well known to those
who have paid for these supplies, to be
disputed.
1t is notorious that families of negroes
gain their chief subsistence through
this medium and have done 80 for years,
but equally true that nearly as many
white men live either upon the food
which is distracted from private houses,
or upon the money which they borrow
Oin~fenlale servants. ~ -.
The writer can cite an instance of one
lntirm old negroes, now seventy years
old, who has maintained a dissOlute
dangliterand her three children through,
perhaps, fifteen years with the food
stolen at various houses where she
found employment. Her daughter, a
strong woman and both an admirable
cook and good waiter and ironer, could
obtain fair wages and constant work in
nearly any respectable family but for
the fact that she will never conduct
herself with that propriety which one
expects even in servants.
This decentralization is by no means
restricted to the blacks and there are
numterlesS instances of female servants
who are forced to leave their employ
ment and marry in order to preserve
their reputation. Two Examples Of this
character occurred within the knowledge
of the writer in the past two or three
aud the number in which no
such honorable adjustment is IL result,
must be Infinitely greater tllitil any one
has an idea of: Evidence of democrat
izafion il manifest in the countless clan
lestine meetings one encounters nearly
every evening after nIghtfall, and the
scores of women vino tl,rung the lower
and more disreputable houses Of ill-re-
pntr. and more particularly, in the utter
disregard to the interests Of families
which is exhibited in the average do
nestle servant.
The average young woman il at ali
attractive in appearance, is sure to have |
"A bean with h0nl she spends her, even
ingS, and if the ptpSrnce OF admirers In
ones kitchen, and the consumption un-
til midnight of wood which COS is seven
dollars a cord be not agreeable, Bridget |
is ei! her in IL tan1rum or in the street
with her young man until ten or eleven |
at night. '-
In the present condition Of domestic |
economy no better opportunity for per- |
manent employment for steady, reliable |
aud strictly honest house girls WAS |
ever offered, and hundreds could pro-
cure comfortable homes, good wages |
paid, and .onsiderate treat |
ment, did they only agree to perform,
readily and pleasantly, the duties which |
are SO necessary to the comfort OF a |
household.