Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-01-24
MEN lN PETTlcoATs.


Not Distant Future.
There Is great thought, a brilliant
Industrial suggestion. in the case OF
Frank King, otherwise Kitty Russell, T
who has been forced. according to the [
young persons own story, TO adopt a
woman's garb aud go out to work as
housemaid and waitress in order to !
make living MIR. Frank King says
that he had money enough to live on.
without work, up to q year ago. Then
circumstances compelled him to 20 To
work. He could find no work to do a.
man, but he observed that there wa
always an unsupplied demand for fe-
male domestic help. II the work
would not come to Frank King. Frank
King would go to the work; and, as
his face was smooth and his stat
IRE moderate. and as short hair
is fashionable, he had no difficulty in
Disgusting himself in woman's clothes
| and getting situation. The scrutiny
Of likely-looking servant girls, as every
| body knows, is not keen. The advent
Of any kind Of girl at all is, in GER
tain unlucky households. especially
suburban households. matter for ex-
ceeding rejoicing. Kitty Russell says.
however, that she was compelled to fly
from one place to another to avoid de-
lection; and at last, having located
with . family in Chelsea. where she
was regarded as a perfect jewel, she
was indiscreet enough, having fond
ness for the military, to 60 out and see
the parade of the First regiment, and
was pounced upon and arrested by a
sharp-eyed policeman, who detected
her disguise, so that here, for time at
least, Kitty Russelrs promising indus
trial career was brought to close.
| There is suggestion in this affair.
It ought to be plain enough what it is.
There are thousands OF men. we are
told, who can not find work to do.
There are many more thousands of
women who will not do Homework.
Now, of these thousands of men there
are majority. beyond a doubt. who
might make themselves quite handy at
homework. or ar least a good deal
hAndier than nothing at all. Let these
poor wretches without employment be
'.driyen to petticoats,' as MIR. Frank
King was. To petticoats-that is. if it
is regarded as necessary to keep up a
fiction of femininity; but in order to
spare the stalwart maids-of- all-work
such episodes as kittie Russell was sub
iected to when she went out to see the
soldiers, and to keep within the law,
the petticoats might be only mere
perfunctory. rudimentary one-a sort
of Albanian fustanella, neatly disposed
over Michaers neat but ample panta-
looms. Perhaps function and legiti
mate opportunity for the divided Skin
may be found at last in this suggested
industrial movement The sex of thu
, | new servants might be still further dis
guised little. without being denied
+ by adding feminine termination to th'
well-known masculine name.
One can imagine an interesting do
nestle scene under this new regime
"Michaellai' the mistress calls
, "Michaela!"
/ Enter Michaella, the second girl. in
, neat suit consisting of a calico jacket
short starched nainsook pettieoat. ant
: coarse checked trousers over cowhid
? boots. Her boots make something of
) clatter as she comes in over the hard
Y wood floor of the hall, and her mistress
e eyebrows knit little.
"Michaella." she says, Il must cat
ton you again to walk little NOR
e softly. What! Your mustache still i
# curl papers at this hour2 And pleas
do not come 700 near. for | am afraid
d shall discover that you have been smok
= ing again, and | do not want to ad
:. minister too many reprimands at once.
: "Yism with GRIM. Fwhat is
We want, NUM-
Go down and tell Patricia that
d want to see her"
" Exit Michaella, tiptoeing painful
= along the floor, srd exhibiting a val
r ishing perspective of broad boot heel
IS Enter presently Patricia in a costum
somewhat resembling Michaella's. wi!
r the difference that the petticoat is
Bingham in large pattern, and tt
4 trail of the kitchen is over it all. P
if Grioia football is even more emphat
o than Michaella's. and its measure
y ..calump, calump," crescendo, give
- abundant notice of her coming.
Perhaps. Patricia" says the mi
tress, as the cook scrapes n rough chi
and makes an exceedingly awkwal
st courtesy. chose frayed pantaloons ma
u be good enough for rough work arour
oe the kitchen and shed III the mornin:
is but | wouldn't wear them all da
of Have you begun the preparations Il
r, dinner, Patricia"
IT, ''Yis, mum. Ihave put the bread
he bile, mum, and the bafeshteak to bal
he Fury and explosion on the part
so mistress. Such contretemps, it is fl
d. to assume, would be but infrequent Il
So der the new industrial regime. Eve
tz now they rise occasionally in the be:
he regulated domestic interiors. The id
or is presented merely for what it is wort
lv Boston Transcript.
tn According to New York corr