The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-03-05
WOMAN GOSSIP.
The Working Girls PreJudlced Agains
the Word .Woman"-PrOnt In Cot
ton and TuberOses,
WOMAN Or LADY.


ton and Tuber0ses,
WOMAN OR LADY.
From very sensible article by Mis-.
Emily :. Bouion in the Toledo Blade
concerning the prevalent objection on
the part of working-girls to the WORD
woman we extract the following
paragraphs:
No one ever thinks of saying sales.
gentleman, but the woman who stand.
behind the counter demands that she
shall be named Il sales-lady, or her feel.
ings are injured beyond repair. heard
OF one girl who left a good place, al.
though she was really needy. because
she heard her employer use the offensive
suilix when speaking of her with refer
ence to her work. That girl needed a
little starving for the chance that I'm
empty stomach might invite good sense.
i OF course know that all women who
occupy these positions are not so fool
ish. that there are those their mum.
Der is increasing every day--whO recOg-
nizc the fact that they are business wO.
men, working women, and not society
ladies. and that thcy-mus, claim moth.
| liz hllI DUSliltS> III COLI
neciion with their employment. beyond
the courtesy that men and women
should use towards each other under all
| circumstances.
| Business is business, and the moment
Il woman enters its arena. she must di-
vest herself of all thoughts of caste,
grades or
SOCIAL DISTINCTION.
of any kind. SO far rs that is concerned.
| Her position is measured bv what she is
worth in dollars and cents to her en-
plOycr, just as that of Il man is. and the
sooner she recognizes that fact the bet.
ter for her happiness and success. The
question of whether she is or is not a
'.lady" does not enter into the matter.
That is reserved for the social and home
circles 10 decide.
think the majority of business and
working women will agree with me
when they 90 over the ground carefully.
even though they have hitherto been
sticklerS for the term of ..lady" instead
of woman. Take the dictionary def
milton of the former word. 1t means:
|. A woman who looks after family;
Il mistress: the female head of a house
| hold.
=. A woman of social distinction or
| position. etc.
,. A woman of gentle and refined
manners
4. A wife or Il spouse.
Not Il single one of those meanings
can enter, except in limited way. into
the business part of your lives. Gentle
and refined manners will have their
influence anywhere. but they will not
save one of you from failure if you lack
the necessary qualifications for your po-
sition. have seen women successful
i'm their undertakings who were any
| thing save gentle and refined" but
they We're industrious, prompt, willing,
to Obligc, and what they had to do was
done well.
1t would be far more dignified and
Self-rcspecting for working women to
throw away these alterations. and call
thing D. their proper names as men
do. There is
.-- M DISGRACE IN WORKING.
That only comes i'm when YOU are
ashamed OF it, No one lives but would
be glad 10 he placed i'm such easy cir
cumstanccS that labor would not be
compulsory. but it is the small minority
who are 50 fortunate. and any attempt
10 wear the fine feathers that belong to
them is worse than useless. II dcceives
no one.
DO not misunderstood me. You who
insist upon being called salcS.lady and
fore-lady. II is not the desire to be con-
sdcrcd Il ''lady'' to which am object
ing, but The false pride that pushes the
apprlIation where il does not belong
No doubt this pride grows ont of preiu-
dice. of which there are still many
remnants. that taught that the woman
who went on, from the home circle and
worked in the world ~ men do. unScxcd
| herself. Nor has labor vel hr,,n freed
from rrproa"h. and il will not he. 50
long as those who 10 il acl IL ii a.lamrd
| OF the fact. ~ II people W. h":.l ol
our Independence from the caste preju-
dices of the old world. and vet nowhere
is there greater effort to draw lines of
social dcmarcation. They get terribly
crossed. il is true. because in so many
eases there is neither rhyme nor reason
| i'm their starting. We have no servants
such us they have in Europe. who feel an
honest pride of place. and of the conf
dence rested in them. Here they be-
come lady-hclps. ready to fly into TO-
600 pieces if il should he limited that
they were moi upon social equality
| with their mistreSscS. They have not q
particle of the Self-rcspect which
DIGNIFIEs THEIR POSITION.
no matter how lOwly it may be. nor do
they understand that self-assertion, with
absolutely nothing behind il. is of no
avail.
do not expect to have any influence
with ignorance and vanity. but do not
want 10 beg my sister women of intclli-
gence and good sense. both in and out
of the labor field. To use their influence
to put down these absurd Alterations.
TO be true woman under all circum-
stances is far noblcr thing than to be
Il lady i'm lis common. if abused. ac-
ceptation. The one implies all that is
good and admirable: the other an eX-
trancous gloss, which NAV or may not
cover n weak and dishonest character.
] feel with Ella Wheeler Wilcox when
she says:
Give us the grand word woman" once again,
| And LET'S have done with lady.
| Full of fine fOrce-strOng, beautiful. and firm,
| Fit for the nOblest use of tongue or pen
And ones word for lackeys.
One suggests
| The mother, wife. and sister: one the dame
| Whose costly robe. mayhap, gave her that
| that name.
One word upon It's own strength leans and
| rests;
| The other minces. tiptoe.
/ Who would be
The perfect woman" must grow brave of
| heart
| And broad of soul, To play her troubled part
| The perfect lady" skilled in what to do,
| And what 10 say, grace In each tone and act
| C'ris taught in schools. hut needs serve native
| tacD,
Yet narrow In her mind rs in her shoe.
Give the first place. then. to the nobler phrase,
| And leave the lesser word for lesser praise.
| ONE wOMAN'S Success.
There are so many women i'm the
world that have their own living ia
earn, and many avenues of labor for
them are so overcrOwdcl that the open
ing of new line of work is matter
worthy of note and commentator,
The instance given MS below i'm the
Industrial SomM should help and en-
courage many others now struggling
for existence:
"A lady of Spartanburg. $. c.. has
the most hattcring report to make of her
attempt at cotton culture on small
piece of ground. and raising tuberose
| bulbs She had 10000 tuberose sets I'M
der cultivation. which occupy only one
fourth of an acre of ground. She has
them all engaged to u northern florist
at SlS per 1000. which is small price.