Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-09-29
THE PROBLEM or DOMESTIC SERVICE.

prophet. And this not because the subject
lacks dignity or practical importance. On
the contrary, the better, and statistically,
the larger half of the population of this little
globe, we are sure, would rank the law of
domestic regularity high above that OF tn.
gravity of the universe simply because the
latter takes care of itself, and they have to
take care of the former. No, the reason
why Sir Isaac chose to unfold the mysteries
Of the law of gravitation, instead OF the law
because the former was the simpler sub
jcct, the more easily handled, and the more
definitely determinable for long periods Of
time. lie could afford to stake his reputi-
ton upon the rcrmanency of an apples pro-
pensity to fall, and II stars propensity to
keep in its orbit, but as for the propensity of
any one of Ewes daughters TO do the regular
thing for an appreciate period Of time-tIat
was an assumption which he preferred to
reserve until II more convenient time. Since
the day of the great mathematician, there
has, unfortunately, arisen no intellect tapa-
BILE of graphing with this problem of the
ages. There have been illustrious saints aud
sayes enough 10 make quite calendar, but
not one of them capable of managing lis own
household according to comprehensive aud
memorable law-much less to lay down n law
for the domestic government of the race So
it is that the problem still exists. Its mar
gins are sadly ,humbel, for great
many of us go to school to it still,
but it cones no nearer So
luton that u half dozen centuries ago.
With the lapse of time it only grows more
confusing and complicated, and the evidences
| of baiiled ingenuity become me re and more
dshcartening those who approach it. Still
it is problem which can not be treated with
dignied contempt. If not solved, ii has to
be attempted by every housekceper in the
land, and anything in the way of helpful sug-
gestion from those who have grapplcd with
it, is helpful in enabling others to come out
of tho conflict in better shape.
A writer in the Chicago Weekly Magazine
comes before the public with an article
which smacks of the fire, and bears the i'm
press of laborious pertinacity. The fair cor
respondent makes valiant effort to van
quish the difficulty inside Of two columns of
small pea loaded. She comes so near stat
ing the problem, that we are cmboldened to
emphasize her :postion for the sake of our
genter readers. It may be helpful to them
in determining their basis of operations.
To set out, the fair champion-as is Gus
tomary with her scx-hits the men back
handed rap, before squaring down resolutely
to the subject on the stocks.
Perhaps" she says, ''therc is no more
than the sighting and even contcmptuous
| opinion with which many men regard it, for
| not until their earnest cooperation is secured
can the problem ever be solved. Men are
from bad domestic service. They are quick
enough TO remark upon badly cooked feed,
untidy kitchens and back yards was,ctul-
ness in fuel and provisions, unskillcd laundry
one failures ON the part Of servants yet he
| is rare man who does not in the main, set
these failures down to the supposed fact that
| his wife don't know how to manage servants,
that women can't control help, and in all
probability concluding by saying that if men
only had charge of things they would 90 diff
ferently all of which is true for the very
simple reason that men would not for single
year suffer the present state of things to con-
tnuc."
After which charitable and discriminating
| conclusion, the writer dips her pen to the
bottom of the inkstand, and sails desperately
in between Scylla and Charybds. The first
Encouragement which she meets is "the diff
| ficulty-and it is great one in this country
where everybody is bora with the belief that
one person is just as good as another, aud
that no one has right to exercise authority
over another-of subordnating servants to
the individual will. There is an Unborn anti.
patty in them, as in all of us, to being AL
thoritatively directed"
Truly and wisely said. But what is to
be done about it. Our instructress goes on
to say that what can't be helped must be
borne-which evidences the truly philoso-
phical spirit. Let housekeepers not rcpinc,
she says, for it is in ace ,rdsncc with the
spirit OF the age to rebel against submits
sion to the dicta,ion of the individual, but to
Snlplt llsy n, In nru
ganization. That is the Socratic way of
looking at it, and there's mountains of COM
fort in it.
The second difficulty which our author
meets, and deity solves in the same way is
that OF the expense of the present system of
| domestic service,-bOard, room, lights, fuel
and waste being much larger item of
servants expense than their wages. This,
the writer thinks, can not be helped under
existing circumsances-conse must
be borne.
Third difficulty, the great variety of work
to be done in the house, including work that
ought to constitute several distinct depart
ments, as cooking, cleaning, laundry work,
sewing and caring for children.
And fourth-and greatest difficulty OF all
the introduction into the family of for
eign elemcnt-w which can not possibly be
assimilatcd and which. until it is eliminated
wholly, must constantly irritatc and injurc
family life.
So much for the statement of the problem,
which is really all that the fair correspondent
accomplishes to the point IN her twocolumn
article. But in justice to her, we can not
consistently withhold the remedy which she
proposes for her own showing of a bad con-
dition Of atTaiis.
THE remedy, she says, which may seem