The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1890-10-17
Respect for Hired Women.

But what shall woman work at? Well,
what's the matter with domestic service?
Who will say that labor is not honor
able? Who will say that household
work is dishonorable? Nobody. Who
will say that to hire out to do household
work or take care of children is dishonor-
able? Thousands. Why? Most an
swers are as follows: Servants are not
treated with proper respect and the want
of respect shown in various humiliating
manners. That is about the substance of
the complaints boiled down. And it is
about true. The primary fault is with
employers.
. Let me illustrate: Here are sister
and a brother; fairly educated 1 mean.
plainly springing from the conventional
'spoor but honest parents" Loved at
home and respected by their neighbors.
Both >mnst work. The young man goes
into an office. He is bright, honest and
Intelligent. He is called Mr., Sir, etc.
ct. His employer gives him the cash to
keep and trusts him with the safe combi-
nation. He is respected, and if he wants
iG has the entree into many homes of pee
pie who haye much more money than he
has, people who are considered above his
station.
Now, what happens to the sister? She
takes position as nurse. She is as refin-
ed as her brother; being woman, prob
ably she is much more refined than he is.
If her name is Mary, everybody calls her
Mary. Nobody thinks of calling her
Miss Mary, nobody either in or out of the
house. She is entrusted with the care of
the children. Is that as great and AS iin-
| portant trust as the dollars given into
the keeping of her brother? One would
think SO. Yet ssMary' cannot be intro
dueed TO good families as can ssMr Tho
mas" '-,aary'' being good girl is pat
ronized. '.Mr Thomas being good
man is respected, and it is esteemed a
pleasure to know him. MARY is toll
i Grated; ssMr Thomas" is received as an
equal. You meet Mr. Thomas in the
street and off goes your hat in salutation
l-or it would go off if that were the Gus.
tom. You meet MARY" and Gsn't il
true?) you pass her with freezing bow
l-or if you do raise your hat you feel an
noyed or foolish, or experience some
other indefinable but unpleasant and EN-
barrassing sensation. Isn't it true
tsMr Thomas is entrusted with pile o.
dirt and "Mary' is entrusted with ths
priceless treasures of your Godsent child
rem.
/ Now leave you to say whether thu
social system that tolerates-or shall
say demands ?-this state of things is no
rotten. Doyou say this Mr. or miss
is a small matter2 / tell you that you
wouldn't dare to address any other work
ing lady as you address domestic. Tina
proves that it isn't small matter. Ant
/ tell you that if you will extend to YOU
domestics the same respect you show II
any others who don't deserve it any more
than some Of them do, yon Wouln fint
that thousands of women would be ready
to undertake the various tasks that are
n ,cessary to the comfort Of your homes
who would bring blessing instead 81
annoyance to you and yours womeI
who are now deferred from talking sucl
positions because Of the lack OF he conI
tesy which is extended to any wage
Garner excepting those Of your own house
hold Witness.
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