News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-12-09
THE SUNDAY PULPIT.
WORKING wOMAN's BITTER CRY
Echoed In Fifth Avenue Church by the
Rev. HIr. Eaton.
NThe Working Wnman,s Cru Of II

THE Working Woman's Cry of De
spair."
1t was the title of a sermon delivere
Sunday evening in the Church of tn
DIVINE Paternity, on Fifth Avenue, Ne1
York; the preacher, the Rev. Charles H
| Eaton.
There are in this CITY," he said
'one hundred and twenty-five Thousand
women who are breadwinners, VIII
have no male protectors, no means O
support other than their own efforts
There are thirty two thousand five hun
dred out of employment; thirty thous
and destitute, and every year twent
thousand are dropping away to evi
habits because they are destitute.
Consider these serious facts.
''They are obliged to accept whateve
wages are offered. There are trained
sewing women making waists at tw,
and half cents each. One woman
reported who was able to make twenty
five cents a day. working nineteel
hours. You go out some day and buy
cloak satin lined and quilted. Well
it is perhaps made by a woman VIII,
makes fifty or sixty cents working six
teen hours day:
Similar statistics come from Buffalo
Women make trousers for from twelv,
and a half to twenty'fiv cents, ant
shirts for from six and a quarter cent
to twelve and half cents. They carr
from 81. 80 to S. a week. OveralIs are
made for sixty-two cents dozen; fan.
mel shirts for 81 dozen
"a change in fashion, such as in
feathers, may throw four thousand
women out of work tf two thousand
women one hundred and thirty-fou av,
erage 81; three hundred and fifty-six av
erage So.
"One winter day a young woman
came to me for advice A wealthy man
was said to be responsible for her con-
dition. She wished to lead an honest
life, and she could earn from $12 to S14
month. Her board cost her from S.
to $3.50 week. l hardly knew what
to advise her. l hardly know what her
end will be. tnew no one who would
take her with the spot on her character.
She went out again to struggle, to fight
the battle of life
. we have no sympathy for such
women, think statement such as this
made by a working woman would help
US to understand the temptations.
would incline us to listen to their crv of
despair:
Il have worked eleven yesrs. / have
learned five trades, both with the needle
and the machine. | work fourteen
hours day, for my children have to be
fed. ! know all the trades well. Five
years ago | made $3.50 day. Then
wages went down to ninety and eighty
five cents. For year the best / could
do has been eighty and seventy-tiv
cents day.
81 am sixty two years old. I can't
learn new ways. l am strong, l can
work fourteen hours a day, and l never
asked help. | used to say when trouble
came that it was the Lords way now 1
don't believe it.
1T does not seem possible IN this
nineteenth century, with all its civiliza
ton, with all the churches in the land,
that there could be any such women in
the midst of us.
"In our churches we have beautiful
pictures, good music, all the advanta-
ges that wealth can give; and we let the
Master go on His solitary way to the
cross, for He goes to the cross every
time a woman like this cries out in her
grief.
Something must be wrong in our
methods Of living, in our economies, or
such things could not exist.
You, daughters, in your purity, do
not forget that outside the home circle,
beyond the Church-for somehow they
don't often come to the Church they
seem outside the influence of the Church
women are working, shaving, until
misery shuts down on them, and
they feel they are forgotten by God.
"Women are crying out in despair for
help. The Song of the Shirt might be
sung every day in New York. Twenty
thousand women are going down every
year blasted for the sins of men, because
we do not know how to reach them
with the power of the Gospel.
"How can we reach thPm2
"First, let us educate every woman to
understand the dignity of labor. How
many are able now to do the first thing
about the household How many faith
ers and mothers are there who say, we
have labored hard all our lives that our
children shall not know what labor is2'
This is essentially wrong. Let the
daughter Of every rich man in the land
be taught to labor, so that if thrown
on the world she will be able to sup
port herself without selling herself.
Then educate women so that they
may accept more opportunities of earn
ing livelihood. by should SO many
be earning bare subsistence, particu-
larl ly by the needle, when trained nurses
command almost any price, and are
worth it9
''In the city it is almost impossible to
get trained housekeeper. There is
nothing menial in the common work of
the house. Women trained in such
work come from other countries, are
generally we'll paid, live well, have op-
portunities of seeing their friends, and
are able TO lay up something. Other
women, from false pride or training,
are unwilling to accept housework as a
calling. But they ply the needle un-
der q severe Overseer and for pit
tance.
"There is another thing which l find
it hard to impress. We ought so to
govern ourselves as not to delight in
getting big bargains To get bargains
some women will go from store to store
in search of them, compelling merchants
to reduce the expenses at the bargain
counters. Often blood and Ii e are lost
in consequence by the women who serve
at these counters. These employers are
in measure responsible, but there is
one thing which every one may do
don't buy anything without paying a
fair price for it, Whenever anything
you want is worth certain price, buy
1t, but don't try to take the blood
and lie of women by getting il cheap
er.
''These bargain counters are in many
cases bargains with the devil, and they
are, in part, the cause of twenty thou
sand women every year selling their
honor, because they can't get living
wages at bargain counter prices.
more charity should be shown to
working women. They should have
our encouragement and sympathy. In
this the winter season, as their condi-
tion grows harder, let your hearts grow
softer.
There are many women such as her
who came to me for advice. Before
you treat them withsCOrn remember the
words of , hrist Let him that it
without sin among you cast the firss
stone Therefore Let him that is
without responsibility among you hold