Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-11-22
About Women.

A troubled correspondent writes to in
auire Of us how it is that while the census
reports more women than men in this state
he finds it is easier to hire twenty men to
work for him than to hire one woman, and
that afterwards it is more trouble to satisfy
and keep the one woman than the whole
twenty men. Now while we half suspect
this correspondent to be on mischief bent,
seeking to get us into trouble not only with
the whole sect of women" but also with
Brother Tinkham as their champion, we
shall venture to answer his inquiry as, &C.
cording to our light, we best can.
In the first place we will call his atten'
ton to the obvious fact that when women
marry they are, as a rule, withdrawn from
the list of hireable help, while it is not SO
with men. This takes off a considerable
percentage. Another large figure must be
deducted on account of the great excess OF
women who find employment in manufac-
turing establishments, shops and stores,
and in the business of school teaching. And
still another cause of deficiency is found in
the fact that even when the boys of fam
lily go out to work upon farms the girls are
kept at home rather than allow them to work
out in families. Taking all these reasons
together it is not difficult to see why men
are more easily to be hired TO work on the
farm than women in the kitchen.
But there are still other reasons, and one
&c Ia hot oalu
have established the principle that house
work done for any other than their own fam
lilies is mental " occupation. Now there
is plenty of reasoning to be used to show
any other kind of work. But did anybody
ever know Of feminine notion being over.
come by reasons II anybody ever did, be
it known unto him that fortune is ready
for him in the employment of Phiueas T
Barnum in the capacity of a Greatest Liv
ing Curiosity" 1t is as utterly futile to re-
sist feminine notion as to resist law Of
the universe. In fact it is law of the uni
verse, so far as the male sex is concerned.
In the pursuit of knowledge under diff
culties, and as jealous newspaper man, We
have taken the trouble to interview severa
hired girls in reference to our correspond
ent's last query,-why is it SO much trouble
to keep one after you have got her ? We
will put down the reasons we have got, with
out note or comment, taking one old verse
to express the first one.
Two cats and one mouse,
Two dogs and one bone,
Two women in one house.
Etc, etc.
Reason acknowledgements is too hard
Reason third.-There is not enough soci
ETY..
Reason fourth,-( This was elected by
leading questions). The better class Of
young men will not ego with hired girls
Reasons fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth
which are undoubtedly much better than
any of those given,-we could not get, but
hope that some feminine correspondent OF
our own, or Brother Tinkhams, may yet
give them TO the world.
And now, finally, we wish it to be under.
stood that we do not allow there is or can
be, any reason for the difficulty in obtaining
female help on the farm that would be in
the slightest degree discreditable to the fe
male sex. AS the problem is one that mainly
concerns farmers wives, who need thi;
help, so the solution concerns them. Nc
one else can solve it practically, and if they
cannot it would have to go, with the on,
about Gains wife and many hundred others
unsolved.