Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-03
WHAT WOMEN MAY DO.
Interesting Chat with the Late Mary
Louise Booth.


in their way to success and the best methods to |
get around them as any one in this big city. !
Her loss will be keenly felt by many who used
to so to her for a word TO cheer them through
this hfe's struggles. She was a woman in the
tenderest and truest sense Of the word. She
would never allow her name TO be identi-
fed with any so-called woman's move-
ment. What she did. she did in a quiet.
unassuming way, and she worked continually
for the elevation of her sex. She wrote much
and read and studied more on the capabilities
of women and their possible achievements
About eighteen months ago i found her IN her
little editorial den, and she chatted pleasantly
on the growing question, how shall women sup
port themselves? Miss Booth disllked very
much to be interviewed, but on this question
she freely gave her views. She chatted like an
elder sister, and seemed to take great interest
In what she said. i asked her what chance
young woman without friends and only her own
energies had to get on in the world
QUESTION HARD To ANSWER.
That is hard question TO answer" said
Miss Booth. 1T is very difficult now for any
one without friends to get along in the world,
particularly young woman. Everything de-
ponds on her own abilities. She is handi-
capped In great many ways IN competing
with men, but young woman OF ordinary
ability and who is willing to work always
lind employment. One of the great things that
Is required now for woman to succeed is
originality. To any one who has original ideas
there is great field open. To illustrate this |
might point out those who engage 20 dust bric-
a-brac or to arrange drawing rooms.
Then there was lady who engaged
TO teach Others how TO play whist. In
Paris there are women who will come and
pack your trunk for You. All schemes. such as
these, are bound to succeed. Perseverance is
required TO succeed in anything. The trouble
with the women of the present day is that they
look too much TO appearances. They want 10
start of at the top of the ladder when they
should be content to commence lower down and
work their way up. All work is honorable. Some
women go about mending clothing and repair
ing wardrobes Some of this work Is fine and
some coarse, but that should not make any diff
ference with the woman who wishes TO succeed.
Il think the opportunities offered for a woman
to make living in large cities are much better
than III the country or smaller towns. The COM
petition Is of course greater, but the oppor-
tunltes are also greater. 1t is very difficult TO
say which branch of the trade offers the high
est rewards and emoluments TO a working
woman. In all trades there are those who COM
mand high salaries, and L don't know that TO be
efflcient in one pays better than to be efficient
in another"
TYPEwRITING AND sTENooRAPHY.
"What do typewriting and stenography offer
as a LIVELIHOOD asked
''Typewriting and stenography have been re-
There are many hundreds of women employed
in the offices and warehouses of this and other
large cities. The occupation Is "A pleasant one
and think well suited for a woman's work. To
be good stenographer and typewriter takes a
good deal of study, and this naturally costs
money. 1t is not every one who can afford this
expense, but to those who can and who receive
good positions the work is good. The pay,
believe, is generally good. and the employ
ment should be steady. l think woman
n.t ,laz.r
as well if not better than a man. The work is
light and more suited TO her. This profession
will be well filled during the next few months
by women. Some kinds of sewing and fancy
work pay very well, but it has TO be out of the
ordinary to do so. All work Of this kind is
overdone and the price realized for really fine
work is very poor, One of the first things a
woman generally turns to when she has to sup
port herself is to fancy work, and to see how
little the pay is one has only to visit the fancy
stores and see at what little outlay an artistic
piece of work can be procured. and then think
Of the cost of the material and the profit TO the
storekeeper has to be deducted before We get
at what the worker is paid. Everyone knows
how poorly many of the girls who do sewing i'll
some of the factories are paid and how they
have to work to get living"
asked how the professions suited women's
talents, such as
LITERATURE, MEDICINE AND THE LAW.
Mrs Booth replied; Literature offers a
large field to any young woman who is especi-
ally adapted to the profession. Here your
original ideas are what are wanted ANY one
who could make new department and work
at it well would succeed. OF course. good
education is required for any literary work.
and then the work is hard. One will have to
labor for years before any good result is shown.
and then only few persons are really success
full after the work has been done. Women do
great deal of work in publishing
houses and in newspaper offices, and
some of them are very successful.
Women physicians have been very successful,
and think are fully qualified TO fill positions
in that profession. Whether they have an
equal chance with men or not / can't say, but
it seems to me they should have. They have
had to make fight with the colleges in order
TO be allowed to graduate, but now i'll many
colleges this difficulty is removed and there Is
no ban to obtaining diplomas and practcing.
OF course, here again women must have certain
qualifications which all have not. The course
of study is a hard one and the practice of
medicine Is one that would not suit any
one of a nervous temperament. i don't think
the time has come for women 10 plead
in court of law or to sit on judges bench
| see no reason. though, why they should not
do some of the clerical work, and they might
make a study of the law, so as TO be able to give
legal advice You know there are a great MANY
leading lawyers who are never seen in a court
of law. Why should not woman act that way?
L believe some women have Joined the minis
try. and don't see why they should not be
successful as preachers. Many, however work
in quieter way. such in private classes;
but when educated for the ministry don't see
why woman should not succeed.
NURSING
is decidedly a woman's work, and in it she
excels She is at home in nursing if she is not
at home in anything else. 1t has received a
great impetus lately. Women are being
trained in the hospitals as nurses with great
success Many women in high stations of life
socially. mean-have become nurses in some
of our great hospitals"
And the pay. Don't you think women
should be paid as high rates as men,"
Certainly. l think women should be paid
just as much as men if they are able TO fulfill
all the duties a man would if occupying the
same position. Some houses, / am sorry TO say.
employ women as clerks because il is cheaper
than to pay for men. That is a shame. and why
it is so can't see. Some houses employ women
very largely and pay them well. while others
pay them very little, indeed. and keep them
at work very hard. Work should be paid for
according to its worth, whether it is a man
or woman who is doing the work. If
woman does her work faithfully and
well she is entitled to be paid well
for it. Some people think that a woman
does not require much money a man. The
man, they think, has a family to support. Very
often the woman has great deal more depend
ing on her than the man, and in this city there
are many young girls earning enough to
support large families who are dependent
upon them.