The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-19
HOUSEKEEPING.

gathered together, either by casual encounter
or for social or business purposes, the servant
girl question is sure to come up in one form or
another. The subject is discussed on the
street corners, during afternoon calls, and
even at prayer-meetings, in the intervals Of
the regular proceedings. The rule of Ell
quette, which holds that the discussion of this
domestic problem is not good form on such
occasions, is dead letter. Like Banquo's
ghost, the haunting wrath of the hired girl
will not down. From being the center Of in
terest at sewing circles, she has advanced to
the dignity Of having her shortcomings re-
viewed by literary societies and women's
clubs. She has been considered socially,
esthetically and scientifically by them, but
so far, to no purpose. The sisterhood of ma
irons and housekeepers bewail the fact that
they are at the mercy Of the
ignorant, inexperienced and stupid foreigners
who sweep through their kitchens in devas-
tating procession, each one more exasperating
and terrible than her predecessor. They la
ment that American girls cannot be persuaded
to become household servants and comment
with sarcastic severity on what they are
pleased to term the foolishness of young
women who prefer to live in garrets. and
drudge in shops and factories for mere pit
lance, when comfortable kitchens are fairly
yawning to secure them. But with all the
weight of feminine intellect brought to bear
upon the problem and all the theories evolved,
a solution does not seem to have been reached.
The good women weary themselves and their
neighbors with complaints and vain specula-
tions without grasping the fact that they
themselves are largely responsible for the con-
dtion of affairs, and that the remedy is literally
in their own hands. The great trouble
is that household service is held to be
socially degrading. This is particularly true
where the service is performed for other peo-
pie; but that the feeling is recognized even by
the housewife compelled to do her own kitchen
work, is proved by the apologies she usually
feels called upon to make, and her assurances
that it is only temporary misfortune. With
the mistress holding these sentiments, it can
not be expected that the servants will rise
above them. It should not be a matter of
wonder that a self-respecting, ambitious girl
-and all American working girls hope to "bet-
ter their condition choose the hard
est drudgery and starvation wages without
loss of caste rather than position which may
involve more personal comfort, but leave upon
her stigma from which she may
never be freed. A man may begin
his career by serving in the most
mental capacity, and when he rises in the
world his early occupation is a source of pride
to himself, and brings admiring comment
from his friends The girl who has once been
a cook or housemaid never entirely escapes
from the social shadow thus cast upon her.
She may, by her own exertions, improve her
position in life, or she may meet the excep-
tional man of higher station who is willing to
marry servant; but the fact that she once
worked out" is always remembered by her
circle of acquaintance, to her disadvantage,
however admirably she may be fitted to adorn
any position. This is not true Of any other
line of employment. Many avenues Of honest
labor are now open to women, and none of
them, save housework, the most womanly Of
all, carries with it any Of that
social sense of ostracism which bars
the way Of the servant girl.
This false sentiment cannot be eradicated by
the girls themselves, but by the mistresses,
who must by practical demonstration teach
the dignity and Importance of Homework and
insist, by precept and example, upon placing
it on at least an equal footing with other forms
of labor requiring manual skill and keen intel
ligence. To accomplish this, and at the same
time cause the overthrow of the dreaded Irish
Biddy, the housekeeper must do her own work,
and not only so, but must teach her daughters
the mysteries of the kitchen. It is not enough
to say that many do this and have changed
the situation. It is true that many families
of the servantkeeping class have been, by
stress of hard times, forced to dispense with
shelp" but, as rule, the wives and
daughters thus compelled to cook and
clean, do so under protest and sense of
personal wrong The occasional woman who
while amply able to employ servants, acts as
her own cook from choice, is apt to be looked
upon by her neighbors as eccentric and of
rather low tastes. This sort of woman is not
numerous enough to create change of popu-
lar sentiment in regard to the matter but