Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-12

the city Of Boston II, 712 servants coming under
the four heads-domestics cooks walters and
hOusew orkers. The growth of the city is forci-
bly, shown by the fact that, in the year 1880.
under the single head Of domestics. the
statistics showed the number 17.156, within
a few hundred of being as large as the
number that represented the force coming
under the four heads in 1873. and larger by
over 2. 0OO than the number representing the do
mest.cs in that year. Of the 17.l66 domcstics
tives Of the United States. Ireland was repre-
sented by 7.172 persons British America by 2 35SS
Germany by 1914. England by 9l2 and Scandina-
via 10y 25S In this list the females outnumbered
the males by about Is to |. With regard to the
ages of those employed. it is shown that 3S9
were under Is years of age. 16. 46S between the
ages of l6 and 60 and 304 who had passed three
score years. Much
HIGHER WAGES
are paid In this country for the same amount Of
work than in England, where domestcs receive
but 81 25 per week for the performance of
labor that brings So to good worker in the
United States. English nursery maids receive
less than 800 per year. housekeepers about the
same amount and cooks from SIS to $3.50. As
in the case of dOmcstics. those engaged in the
last-named services in AMERICA are much better
rcmuneratcd. The difference of wages is. to
some slight extent. counterbalanced by the diff
ference in the cost of living in the two countries
but this difference is not great enough to pre-
sent an excuse for the disparity in wages
in addition to the large numler of servants
regularly employed, there is class of day
workers, who, having families dependent upon
them for care and support. have little homes of
their own. and during the daylight hours go
out and perform any labor they have been for
tunate enough to. obtain. house cleaning and
laundry work forming their chief means of live
lh0od These women are paid by the day. and
command better wages than those permanently
employed. but as they are not always certain OF
obtaining work. the amounts of money received
by both classes in the course of month are
about the same. Many of these day-wOrking
women have small children. whom it is impossi-
bic to leave unattended and for the. reception
Of such there are. in all large cities. childrens
missions. where mothers may leave their little
ones, feeling sure that every care and attention
will be theirs. Almost every dark shadow in
this life is somewhere relieved by a CLEAN of
sunshine. There is one place, at least, that an
unemployed servant girl can repair to with
every assurance of a hearty welcome and sub
stanta assistance in tie struggle for situa-
ton. 'Boffins Bower" too well known to need
description, is. perhaps. the pioneer institution
OF its kind in the United States. The bower
has done a grand work in the alienation of hui
man suffering. Miss Jennie Collins, its founder.
is typical working woman. an honor to the
good, pure American stock that gave her birth.
The Yankee blood coursng in her veins asserted
itself, and made her the champion of the poor
working girl. To the claim of being poor
working woman. no one has better ght
Starting in the Lowell mills at the age OF IA
years. she went through all the various eXper-
fences OF working wOman's lot. until by her
brain she won position for herself Attention
was first drawn to her by her anasterly manner
of treating the question of the Grievances of
the Working Classes in 1868. In 1869 she ap-
peared as an advocate of the eight hour law,
and in various ways she manifested how deem
an interest she took in the subject. until she
crowned her labors by the founding of Boffin' s
Bower in the year 1870 Girls who 20 to Jen-
ME in sickness, debt, dscouragement or in any
phase of human. misery, are certain to find a pa
tcnt, sympathetic hearing and the best advice
and aid that Can come from warm heart and an
ability to judge by bitter experience the feelings
of others in sore distress