The Labor enquirer., 1884-10-04
a.,,...1y o.

Gallansry ~.
For The Enquirer.
An intelligent young girl, who has had
no advantages. except the opportunity Of
working hard in other peoples kitchens,
said to me recently:
"It makes me indignant to listen toH
ladies talk about their troubles with
servants, and to read their mutual con-
dolences in the @home departments z of
the various newspapers. When they
learn to treat us as if we were human
beings, and had feelings as well as they,
and some rights they were bound to
respect, they will lose one important
topic of conversation Let me tell you
what was expected Of me the last place
| 1 worked. went there to do second
work, but for three. weeks there was no
other girl. was to cook three meals,
and a lunch every day. Had to take
care of all the rooms on the four floors,
besides the kitchen. and answer the
door-bell and every other bell in the
house. There we're three. great sJrong
men in the house who rang the bell for
each identical thing they wanted. l
verify believe that each one, was careful
to wait until had gained the kitchen
before / was rung rp three flights of
stairs again, to bring hot water or to see
| if the postman had come, or to be asked
| if the hall clock was right, or some such
nonsense. i never got mouthful to eat
! till II o'clock, and not any too good or
too much of it then. And then would
be so FAINT and tired with running up
| and down and hurrying about and fast
ing, that could not prepare myself an
inviting looking meal, and so sat down
to chaotic kitchen table. with my plate
on one corner, and ate alone. / never
really enjoyed meal while / was there.
did not dare look at book or touch
the piano except to dust it. 1 had but
ouc dltCfuoou AZ lWO WeohS fuu tuCIO
were mo followers allowed You know
do not care to run about and that /
never flirt, but whenI was forbidden to
have john call on me, that was more
than l could stand, so l, left. i know
that if should chance to meet Mrs. s.
in society," dressed as l usually do when
| go out, she would be respectful and
pleasant and should not be in the least
abashed or afraid to- meet her on an
equal footing; but the. moment agree
to do certain amount of work for a
certain remuneration, am creature
wholly beneath notice or consideration.
This is why so many girls prefer the hard
life of the factories to house work. But
as for myself 1 can find one now and
then who appreciates me, and much pre-
fer healthful housework to confined
existence in factory" ,=
Now, this young lady is refined, hand
some, and intellectual, only she is not
educated sufficiently in any one direction
to live by it. She has a sweet strong
voice and loves to read and is in, every
way as much lady as those she works
for. And what of the boasted gallantry
of American womanhood, when the
great hulking fellows expect girl like
| this to run up and down stairs dozen
times day to wait on their whims !?
They will be very assiduous in picking
up lady's handkerchief, or handing her
fan, when she would rather do it her.
self likely, but they don't hesitate to
kick their muddy boots out for Kittie or
Mary to clean, or mind seeing toil-worn
old women Juggling great baskets of
clothes, or frail young girls packing
bundles of shop-work up several flights
of stairs, right beside the elevator they
use. We are asked if we would not
rather have the gallantry accorded our
sex, than to struggle for an equal and
independent footing by the side of men ?
Gallantry be blessed There is no more
absurd word in the English language,
1t is the cloak of the fawnlng sycophant,
the weapon of the designing libertine,
/ and the ornament of the useless dude.
But when it does not make man con-
slider every woman living entitled to his
respect and kindness, when 1t does not
make him long to see every woman in
an Independent and comfortable position
where she does not need mere gallantry,
it is "no good" The courtesy that would
protect women from politics because they
are so angelic" but does not object to
seeing her~scrub, wash, sew, fetch and
carry like slave for a pittanee, is sham
/ of the worst kind
But we do not expect women are going
to be much better off while men them
selves toll and drudge for others to reap
the benefit. We must work for the in
dustrial freedom of ALL and rise or fall
together. " LIZZIE NJ. SwANK.
Buffers Sayings.
stand for the right and the oppressed
here and everywhere. will never de-