St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-04-12
UNIQUE WORK FOR WOMEN.

UNIQUE WORK FOR WOMEN.
There are few persons to whom the
necessity of "bread- winning" is more
appalling than to tenderly reared, cul-
waited women who suddenly confront
DC emergency. They are accustomed
ID refined surroundings, and have lux
ariOus tastes. They have little appre-
eiatiOn of the value of dollar, and are
Utterly unskilled in the makeshifts that
2irls in poorer families grow into un-
eDnsciOusly. They can sing a little,
bay the piano or violin little, en-
brOider little, but none of these small
Accomplishments are of value in earn
bag a living. They know a little of a
great many things, but do not know
anything very well. In short, they
bave been trained to nothing. Even
when sufficiently we'll educated to
each, it is difficult to find positions.
Too often the task of getting French
eerbs or piano technique or literature
ihtO young minds proves SO distasteful
$hat the attempt ends in dismal failure.
They shrink from the publicity of
STANDING behind counter; they have
no head for figures" even if their
penmanship warrants an accountants
4positiOn they find two telegraph oper-
1atOrs, two type-writers and cOpyists,
TO every one needed they have never
learned a trade as dress maker or mil
liner, and can only get a pittance by
plain sewing.
Florence Nightingale says, "Half
lbe trouble in women's lives comes
rom their excepting themselves from
the rules of training considered neces-
airy for men,"
Ladies' who conduct institutions
Dr. assisting women to find work give
Is their experience that in asking an
applicant, "What one thing can you
DO well9" they seldom get decided,
satisfactory reply. A woman who can
% one thing well finds self-support
ppssible. If she can do it superlative-
~ well, she can lay by something for
81 rainy day. In lieu of special train
Dg, the first question a woman should
ask is, "What one thing can do real
ID well 2" and then bend her energies
TO find that very thing to do. The
hing she does well is probably some
shing she enjoys doing, and therefore
vel fitted for successful life work.
Che more unique that works, the less
cpmpetitiOn, and the greater probable
ity that it will pay well. In the fol-
Owing instances women have answer
ed the question wisely and well, adopt
Ipg special work cOngenial to their
tastes.
A woman swindled of her property
By rascally lawyer, was left penni-
less. If she had been twenty instead
OF forty, she would have entered a
e l. -
LIDO late to begin new lines of work. In
prosperous days she had always at
tended personally to the preserving,
Fruit canning, and jelly making with
great pleasure. She was sure she
could do this excellently. She made
Some of these choice edibles for the
WOman's Exchange, but sales were
IslOw and profits small. One day she
Overheard rich patroness of that in
stitutiOn say, al wish knew of some
body who would go into my kitchen
Hand make jellies and sweet pickles and
brandy peaches; my cooks never have
good luck" With a sharp wrench of
her diffidence as well as her pride, the
vOman, who knew she had genius
for preserving, prOffered her services.
The lady agreed to try her the next
well that she recommended her to her
Friends. AS the season went on she
made an agreement to notify the ladies
zsyhen the proper time came for using
sfaspbeTries, black berries, cherries, cur
rants, pineapples, peaches, pears, crab
apples, ounces, and plums. These she
canned, or preserved, or made into jel-
#ly and marmalade, as each lady fam
a
knew when the best quality was ready.
The ladies, recognizing her superior
Judgment, depended upon her to do the
buying, and the dealers allowed her a
percentage. She found many grapes
cunning to waste on their estates, and
4 prOpOsed to utilize tim for wine, which
she made most successfully. She de-
zEelOped another branch of business in
making sacramental wine for churches.
4 Ter circle of families was kept sup
Piled with large variety of canned
Vegetables and delicious reli5hes, such
as spiced currants and pluI1s, picked
Il peaches and pears, ketchup and chow
81 chow, baTberry sauce and boiled cider
apple sauce such as the Shakers make.
81 Except on very warm day her work
q was not hard, for the cooks assisted in
8 preparing the fruits, washed the dish
a es, etc. She neglects no detail of the
Il business, making a careful study of the
81 prettiest jelly mOulds, even designing
some beautiful tiny forms for garnish-
s ing dishes. OF course her leisure time
g is in the winter, but even then she
makes jelly from oranges and lemons,
cider or wine, and often calfs-fOOt for
the sick. She makes a living, and
4inds the work agreeable.
For practical helpfulness in families
q absorbed in fashionable gayeties moth
lng can exceed the bright idea of a
II clergyman's widow, who does repair
ing-the only work for which she felt
herself thoroughly fitted. She has reg
ular days in every week for going to
certain families. She takes the week
ly washing, looks every piece over
thoroughly, sews on buttons, repairs
trimmings, replaces worn bindings,
mends the fannels, and darns with
s unusual skill the silk underwear and
hosiery. She also mends delicate
laces, cleans gloves and satin slippers
and hunts for rips and weak buttons
puts fresh ruches and whalebones in
basques, and attends to the boot but
u tons. She carries a little satchel
which contains sewing implements
cotton and linen thread, silk and darn
ing woods, of all cOlOrs, bits of linen,
silk, and muslin, tapes and gallOOn
and a variety of buttons for under
wear. This is one secret of her sue
cess. SIZE never bOthers the ladies tt
find a little of this, that, and the other
and many prefer her hel p to the trouble
of keeping a seamstress in the house
In all of these examples the workers