Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-28
Girls in the City.

In tne ulninS fooms OF many OF our
third-class hotels and in the kitchens OF
some of our private houses can he
found girls who have left their coun-
try homes to better their condition in
the city. Ii a girl is fully competent
for kitchen or general house work she
can OF course ind work at the usual
three or four dollars pr week. But as
a usual thing a country girl can not do
the work in a city family. The ways
are entirely different from those she has
heen accustomed to, and those who
hire girls expect competency, and un-
less they get it, the girl is discharged
and a new one engaged. The kitchen
girl is hired and placed in the kitchen.
The mistress, probably, never darkens
the kitchen door. There the girl is,
and she must work through herself,
getting what little instruction she re-
ceives, may be from the retiring girl
who is not over particular Or very mi
suite in explaining things. Now it will
probss!y seem easy to the competent
girl in the coaH:---. to get through
under such circumstances She knows
she is smart, clearly, Il gooo s>nk and
go On. Well, the cooking will be differ
ent in the city, but passing that by, let
us lefer to one common matter to show
how new - field kitchen work in the
city is to the country gir,. Her trouble
will begin with the stove. What trouble
can there be with a stove? If there
was no other trouble than that which
would come from TIE difference between
a coal and wood fire, it would be
trouble enough. But there is the
boiler. What would the girl from the
country do with that? She might be
told to keep q fire al night to keep
it from freezing, or she might not be
allowed 10 do t at. But if she was told to
keep fire. aud did keep one, she might
not keep it 50 as to prevent the boiler
from freezing. Many housekeepers
who sensibly look after such things
often find that even experienced girls
will leave the fire box full Of ashes, and
keep the fire wholly on top, above the
water front, where it does not keep the
water sufficiently warm to prevent
freezing in very cold weather. And tho
boiler once frozen, and the fire started
next morning, boiler, stove and proba-
bly, the girl will be blown to atoms.
We refer to this one thing to show that
the conditions in the city are totally I'M
like those OF the country.
But suppose the girl succeeds by tact
or luck in giving satisfaction. What a
change it will be for her. The servant
girl in the city is nearer a prisoner than
any one can be outside Of prison walls.
The kitchen is her home, if she is doing
kitchen work. All of the balance OF the
house is barred against her. She is as
much alone the greater part of the time
as if she were in solitary confinement.
She is not allowed to have much COM
pany, if any. In many places she is
not allowed to 60 out at all, and those
who do permit her to go out, give her
but two or three hours a week. Does
that picture please u country girls
who have good homes, or plenty Of
chances to work in the country, where
they will be treated as one of the fami-
ly? And as for working in our second
and third-class hotels, the girls en-
trance into such employment is almost
equivalent to loss Of character. She
may not deserve the d~isrespect which is
usually shown her, but she gets it all tho
same. The city presents no more favor
able opportunities to the girl than it
does to the boy. It is a selfish place,
and a dangerous place. There are often
more misery and more tears in . single
block than can be found on all the
farms Of a Congressional District.
Girls, do not got tired of home. 1t is
the sweetest, safest spot on earth for
you, and if there is a desire or a neces-
sity for you to go cut to work, answer
the demand for girls that come from
our country homes Wes!e11z RUral.