The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-10-18
TEACH GIRLS TO WORK.
An EHhortation That should Ise Read By
Every Mother in the Land.

the Ianh.
The difficulty OF getting or keeping
good servants while every other en-
ployment Is crowded with applicants Is
wo!.-known to be the result OF ideas
that domestic service Is n mark Of social
inferiority. and this IS 50 incompatible
with American notions Of equality that
the Nation has virtually gone on a
strike against doing household chores.
!, Our domestic servants are an imported
/ class.
IL Is only among women that the abb
surd notion prevails that any sort OF
dishOnOr can att;s>h 10 an honest occu-
patton, SO that tho cause Of IL must be
sought In differences Of tho training OF
the sexes When our boys get through
with their schooling they are put into
the Office Of n professional man or In n
store or n cOunting-roOm, whore like
as not they have TO sweep out in the
morning, dust Oft tho desks, put things
In order, run errand. and In general
do IA they are bid without murmuring.
Inflated and self-important notions arc
snubbed out OF thom, and TO rise 10 po-
sitiOns OF authority they must
first learn 10 obey well. American
customs arc not, however, CAL
culated TO impress upon girls
the duty OF obedience and self-controL
At time when n French or German
lady Is in the heyday OF her social en-
Ioyment an American mother has abdi-
Gated In favor Of her daughters. While
IL Is the mistress OF the household abroad
who has the most expensive costumes
and takes the place Of prominence at
social gatherings tho American mother
provides first for her daughter and con-
tcntodly takes back seat, finding her
recompenso In hor daughters enjoy
ments and successes. Shus girls arc
encouraged in solfas5ortion; they got
the idea that the attitude Of obedience
Is humllating and resent restraint as n
hardship. Indeed, so widely diffused
Is this notion that certain wiso ladies
who have taken upon themselves the
reformation OF tho world insist that tho
obligation OF obedience should DO omit
tod from the marriage VOWS; IA If any
cooperative work, whethor the making
OF apair OF shoes or the establishment
OF household, or tho management OF
the affairs Of tho Nation, could bo car
ried on without the duty Of command
Tor some and the duty OF obedience for
others, tho ono duty rs useful and hon
orablo as tho other.
What wonder then that profes-
sional domestic service should DO dis
credited when caste distinctions arc
drawn against IL? Tho radical cure Of
this great evil in American lifo is then
clearly TO put household service on an
honorable footing. Treat our girls as
fairly rs our boys. Mako their allow
anccs n compensation for the porform-
anccs OF specified household tasks, and
strictly conditioned upon tho exact dis
charge OF duty. II tho daughters OF the
house arc themselves enrolled among
its hired servants, distinctions based
meroly on character of employment
can not survive Moreover, in so do
ing, the great law OF nature will be con-
formed TO, that all gains should be tho
result OF individual effort Violations
OF this principle invariably cause de-
torioration OF character. Any plant or
animal that adopts parasitic habits in
evitably suffers degradation OF type
Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette.