Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-11-07

Ia, NOVEMBER 7, 1890.
PLANNING FOR NORA.
A PLEA FOR CONSIDERATION FOR
THE OvERWORKED GIRL.
Would She Not Do Her Work Better If
Her Lot Compared with That of Her
Emp1oyers-It Is Economy.
There is many house where all summer
long gayety goes on, company arrives, ex-
cursions are planned and carried out,
merrymakings are held, and every one is
tired out with pleasure, and it crosses no
ones mind that there is some one else who
is tired out, and that not with pleasure,
but with work; not with excitement and
variety, but with the perpetual nervous
strain of routine and monotony This per-
son has had none of the comfort or delight
of fresh companionshipt that arriving guests
none of the gay ightheartedness which
comes with company for whom work and
cares are put aside for the time being; she
has joined none of the excursions of course;
she has had none of the merriment of the
merrymakings; her only share of the fes-
tivity has been in the preparation of its
viands and the clearing up of it's debris.
The others may have cake; she has
crumbs The bubble of the foam has all
fallen before the draught of pleasure
reaches her lips; in fact it never reaches
her lips at all. She is not thought of in
relation to it. All that she has to do with
it is to receive her pay for work that
makes it possible-she, the dea ex machina
With all this no one dreams that this in
strument of the household pleasure, this
kitchen girl, is being treated unkindly or
harshly, or is being overburdened with
labor. She is well housed well fed, gently
addressed, regularly paid, somewhat con-
sidered; what more could be expected?
We-nous autres-must have our garden
parties, our sailing parties, our picnics;
she must make ready for them-thatis her
part of it all. For what else do we pay
her? She is not hired to go pleasuring
with us; she does not wish to do so. Our
pleasure would very likely be dull bust
ness for her, and indeed if she went we
should have to stay at home.
HOW 1T SEEMS TO NORA.
Perhaps Nora never complains Of any Of
this to herself or to another, but takes it
for granted, and submits to it as the galley
slave to his ball and chain, as something
inevitable belonging to the condition of
things and wasting to the vital economy
to kick against. But, all the same, it can
but wear upon her. It sufficiently tasks
her capacity to work for the daily family
needs the year round; this extra wear and
tear, the desire to please, the fear of fall
ing short, the labor of finer or more cook
ing of more dish washing, laundrying, all
together, bring new strain that calls up
all her reserve of physical strength, and
unless she is of very contented and unre-
sisting nature all her nervous strength as
well; and it is safe to say that if she is of
the unresisting sort she has not the vigor
or energy to be valuable in her place.
If we gave this patient Nora commits
Grating or an encouraging word now and
then-if we said, not in SO many words
perhaps, that she had all the fuss and we
had all the fun, intimating at any rate
an appreciation of that fact, would the
family therefore go to pieces, as Mr.. Bag
net used to fear if f1attering truth were
owned? Would it really destroy discipline?
Would Nora at once become so topping
that nothing could be done with her? Or
would she feel her heart warm with the
sense of appreciation, the touch of SYM
pathy, sleep sweeter, wake stronger, work
bettera Ii seems as if every one in the
house should find this an experiment worth
trying.
Undoubtedly this kind word is frequently
spoken in many households, and the maid
Is eheered and the work taken up by her
more lightly in consequence. But does
the duty enc there? Should all the pleas
uring be with the superiors?
HOW IT MIGHT AFFECT HER
Should not the maid have opportunities
provided beyond that of her Sunday morn
ing mass, and of her weekly evening in all
the long sunshiny days-the days of rail
way excursions into woods and hills, of
steamboat voyages down the rivers and
along the shores9 Should it not be seen
to that on different days Of the summer
she has whole days outing, gets up with
out a weight of duties pressing on her and
to be remembered, hours to be kept, tasks
to be done; lays down her load for a whole
twenty-four hours at a time, rests at home
without lifting finger, or goes off and
takes her pleasure in her own way, allowed
to think of nothing in the way of work
from rising until bedtime? It will have
it's inconvenience for u.s.
Ii we are of narrow means we must
economic somewhere, and hire another
person to run in and do the work for the
day, OR else we must do it ourselves. But
even in the latter contingency we shall be
exerting ourselves no more than we usual
ly do when on our outdoor excursions we
make a toll of pleasure. Indeed, we can
make a pleasure of toll here. Those of the
family who are at all able bodied can divide
the house keeping duties so that they shall
weigh nnduly upon none-can make a sort
of picnic of the whole days work, kitch-
en- 'bee," and if they find it not altogether
to their mind they will at bedtime see
Nora return with a warmth of welcome
that cheers her as well as themselves.
And having tried this suggestion once
they will wonder at her patience and at
their own previous want OF thought, and
will resolve that Morals outings and holt
days shall be as much matter of consid-
Grafton in the future as their own. And
on her side the Nora thus entreated will
be sure to leave the larder so richly stocked
Will we'll prepared pIoFlSlouS GIdG 1ne
'sliying" will be a little daintier than if she
aad staid at home.-Harper's Bazaar.
How to Retain Trade.
The merchants who think they gain
trade by trusting customers of doubtful
standing may find moral in this little
story: A certain jobber has for years sold
supplies to peddlers. His methods are pc
culiar, but as they are based on knowl-
edge of human nature and especially of the
specimens with which he has to deal, they
generally work to his satisfaction Many
of his best customers are sold on a spot
cash basis only. One of these was buying
some goods from him the other day and
found, when the bill was presented, that