New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-01
WOMAN'S WIDENING FIELD.
NEW WAYS OF EARNING HER LIVING.
THE OLD PUZZLE. WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH oUn
GInLs7D GETTING EASIER.


GIrLs9p GETTING EASIER
In how many families every year in this city does
the difficult question arise" what shall THIS daughter
Of ours do? Shall VIC keep her at home with no
other prospect before her but a possible marriage.
which may not come at ALL and may be unfortunate
anyway; or shall We teach her some Independents
method OF gaining her livelihood. which should not
Of Itself, in the present state of popular opinion.
prevent her from marrying any rght-thinking man
and II So what avocation is the best OF those
open to herr, This question IS being rendered
more easy of solution every year. not much by any
change in the abilities disposition Of the girls OF this
generation from those Of the last, as by the ever
widening field of wage-earnlng which presents 1t.
self 70 womanknd.
i Some Of these paths are curious ones, too, as
Tribune reporter discovered the other day. ~whos
the Co. in your firm" he asked Of real estat,
agent, old acquaintance on whose sign he noticed
the recent addition.
"Why,' was the laughing reply, " don't think Two
told anybody yet, but there's reason why
shouldn't. Tho CO. IS other than my wife It's her
own idea, and scoed at It at first, but she really
has brought good business and has shown
more aptitude than l for parts Of my old bust
ness. an Coming to think that clever woman IS
especially fitted let desirable tenants
for furnished fats houses II Is the woman, you
know nine times out of ten, who rents the house any,
way and the best person TO bring out the advantages
Of house, or to size up desirable tenant, Is
clever woman Then again, II she has an extended
acquaintance, she find out long in advance what
families intend to move and when, and by Keeping
her ears and eyes open, turn even the drcary
round of social calling great pecuniary advantage
GIRLS AS DRUGGISTS CLERKS.
Another portal that IS being opened 10 girls is tho
door OF the drug store. (" II had application for
an apprenticeship from smart neat young woman,
whose parents I knew said Elghth-ave. drug
gst, the reporter in answer to leading question
on the subject, should be glad 10 take her behind
my counter and teach her the business. am
sure she would do better than plenty OF tho
young fellows we have to take, and she would
find the preparation Of Doctors prescriptions exactly
suited to her abilities. Such work requires dizziness
and carefulness, and has little OF the dlsagrceabs
about It any other business, and IS fairly emunera-
tive Her good taste would have plenty OF scope In
the arrangement of the pretty things sell In addition
TO drugs, and plenty Of female customers, am
sure, would often prefer a woman to wait upon them
For girls who aspire higher than this, medicine pre-
sents a more and more attractive field twenty-five
years a woman doctor was stared at as some rare
and abnormal growth of civilization, not one male
physician in 500 would consult with her, no medical
society admitted her to membership, but since DR..
Elizabeth Blackwell opened her Office In New-fork In
1851, the path has grown steadily more smooth and
straight till now there than 100 practising
female physicians in NewYork and its adjacent cities
some OF the best medical schools open to her, her
worth IS recognized and the profession offers perhaps,
the best opportunity of any to an educated woman for
usefulness and money making For others who cannot
compass the expense incident attaining degree In
medicine there beautiful profession not yet hed
though many already in It, Of the trained nurse
Two or three years OF study and training and hard
work will establish for sensible. healthy girl in this
line regular clentage that will insure her a respect
able living with less anxiety, hard work and prva-
ton than falls to the lot OF thousands Of actresses
!
so many girls stand continually and beg before the
locked doors of this profession Not that the doors
| locked ia any but a metsphorcal sense. Almost any
girl chance 10 try her hand az the stage IN
one capacity or another. but many and SO great
t. that much OF their honest but misguided effort
would be ludicrous If it were not so pathetic II =
the same way with literature. Numbers Of women
waste time, money and the brains they have writing
stories and poems Of perhaps medium merit, put
absolutely worthless from marketable point OF view,
think themselves unjustly treated because pub
fishers will not pay for them, when Ike perseverance;
and energy In prOsaic but less crowded Calling
would insure them satisfactory returns
For the less ambitious class OF women VINO must %
sefsustaning, sewing has long been the old stand
by, but the savsh toll and ptifui pay In connection
attractive. OF these branches millinery IS one, and
novel method OF following the pursuit Is now com
to go out work by the day at the houses OF their
customers. A girl OF good TASTE and ss'n can IN
this way easily command 70 day ana get moro
work than she can do, af'er once establishing round
of customers who approve her work and Ideas Need,
this is the of tho success Of the Innovation To
buyf material
II up under their oV eyes accord NJ 10 the notion
OF the mner after any design that has caught the
sSch "a a bonnet or hat may be made for IS THAI
will be a fac-simile of the genuine imported $40 French
article.
HAIR.pREssIYG FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE.
The woman barber Is not unknown in New-York.
and has conspcuously failed. she deserved 10 do.
but the woman hardesser of other womens hair Is moo
so much talked Of and yet does a successful business
There are several women in this town who make good
living by washing, shampooIng Cleaning, oulns.
combing and caring for the heads aud hair Of their
fellow women. Women who know the discomfort OF
having TO wash their hair unaSssted, apprecia
the services OF skful hairdresSer Of this Kind ard
those who can afford It and yet cannot keep ladies'
maid do not grudge paying well for It, Especially
is her practIsed hand In demand In rearrangins the
sometimes incxtricably tangled locks OF women who
are recovering from long illness. when the whole scap
IS sore from tossing to aud fro the pillow
and the nerves are too unstrung TO bear
with the awkwardness OF welLmeanng but un-
sklful attendants friends. Then is that the pro-
fsssional halr-dresser Is welcomed and her gentle
stroking and de fingers more soothing than irr'-
Then thers s another large class of young women
whose parents prefer 20 keep them a. home raner man
have them accept any regular STARRED posluon out-
side and yet unwilling that they should earn
enough money to cothe themselves. These are tns
people who take In sewing Of various kinds AT sucn
cut-rates as TO make the life OF the regular sewing
girl one long fight for bare life Bat In turn they
have given rise another trade for women- that OK
eaeher of the different kinds Of work the biz shops
give out For instance teachers of the art OF necrie
how 10 make this ornamental male attire IN such STYLES
as the factories that give the work require After
ing OF 10 commands a fair price
All these Instances of course. are only indications
OF how woman's wit and adaptabilty Is proving OF
practical benefit to her. Few OF these pursuits emu.
nerated admit OF mnch crowdinS Not many could
make living In any OF them. Yet they arq
pointers showing that so long as the field Do open q
all, woman Is Invenng and will continue to nvSnl