The Portland daily press., 1882-10-26
A. A. W.
Celestial Visitors to the Kitchen.

To the Editor of the Press:
Il has beea quite noticeable that Mrs Sever
ance's able paper has suggested the various,
honest, critical and facetious articles which
have appeared from time to time in the PRESS.
1t is said to be good sign when stagnant wat
ers are stirred by healthy breeze, and so we
heartily welcome the opening of this question
among US.
One writer asks what the Chinese question
has to do with the advancement of women?
This is not radical question. but one which
ought naturally to interest women, How ma
ny country housekeepers in Maine, let me ask
the writer, are able to keep domestics with
them for a years length Of time? Is it not in
deed, nearly impossible, ten miles distant from
Portland to obtain help in the kitchen, while
the heads of families are i'll themselves, or, az
nursing the sick?
This burden has been accepted and borne,
judging from the weakness of the champion
ship such condition of things has received
through the press very meekly. But, is there
no way out of it? Let us see how the aues-
ton is answered in California.
Leaving out of the question here, the larger
and more pertinent one, whether the Chinese
have the right of protection which our Free
Institutions" boast of giving to all foreigners
and the fact that political ones are in his way,
let us see what he is doing there as helper to
woman. 1t has been the writer's fortune TO
visit ut private houses and ranches, and to live
in hotels where Cinnamon did acceptably, and
had done, fo- consecutive years, the entire
work of the establishment, and in cases of me-
eessity, the thin king-that is, the superintend-
ence of, and purchasing for the house. In sew
eral instances, one Chinaman was doing ia the
best manner, the cooking, serving, washing,
ironing ana chamber work of a household with
out direction or interference of the proprietors.
On eDQuiring about their habits of their en-
plo, ers, they were represented as very tracts-
table, industrious, neat, and ii treated fairly,
loyal 70 the interests of their empl oyers. Their
faults are less IN degree than are those of our
other transatlantic domestics, and they have no
church, in the way of their freedom TO go
where they will; consequently score or two
OF men coloniZe in the small towns, among
mountains, on the deserts, anywhere where
they can supply the few needs they have, and
live in peace
'sWhat them" asked several of the PROM
inent men of San Francisco, sis the real ami
mus of this cutlery against the Chinese?" They
smilingly answered, "They are too smart
their labor is better and cheaper than white
labor"
"But if they were more widely scattered
wouldn't the difficulty be obviated?''
''Yes-s, but then our political machine would
stand still, and that wouldn't do, you know
1t is clear that the vices which peril the do
mestic happiness of any race ought to be re-
pressed; it is right that public opinion should
BIZ directed against them, but, always with an
aim to elevate, rather than Cypress the Of
fender
A howl of contumely has followed the Chin
D.. ~, H.
of his vice; undue appreciation of the sac
redness of domestic ties, seems suddenly to
have flashed upon us-a swift indignation
against the heather and their customs. We
forgot periodically how sweetly Indifferent we
we're some twenty years ago to a monstrous in
stltution fostering in our midst, of the strength
and permanency of which immortality was no
petty factor; yet, bigger men than we have in
these DAYS legislated for it. Southern divines
pleaded for it in pulpits. and many of us at
the north thought it very NICE" even If
it we're naughty"
Be this az it may, what the women of this
day want and need, is a helping hand in the
extremity of overciyiZation, he, she or it,,
Christian or heather, who can help to keep
that unwieldly machine, the modern domestic
pot boiling. II it is the Chinaman, let us use
him and civilize him, or civilze and use him,
which ever way you choose; the writer of this
article is quite sure that one or tive of them
in her house would advance her capabilities of
getting more comfort and happiness out of life
and enlarge the possibili les of ''deing good
where it is most needed" faster than does the
limited sphere of the kitchen and back yard.
For a recommend of the Chinamsn' s
character and qualities as domestic refer
your readers to Mr.. Bishops article on
Southern California 10 Harper's Magazine for
November, 1882. A mans view of this mat
ter, and notabeswri er's may add something
to the light weight of this
Yours, &C.,
lei. COLUMBIA LEE