The daily critic., 1890-09-24
A nEEnRM BACKWARD

One of 'ho standing difficulties the
women Of the times have % contend
with is The general in,ficiencv of the
class of anu,rs known as domestic
siv,n's From every direction comes
up the as vet uuans EersbIe cry What
slaIl we Jo ta nc sawed from this bur
dtnI
That it Is burden uoiuiellicent and
obscrvant person will deny, but there
are good grounds for believing that the
undeuiable decline Of the domestic in.
stinct among women has tended largely
TO make Of modern servant girlism the
rasping evil that tits
The formation at womcn.s clubs for
social purposes he associations for the
promotion of co operative housekeep-
irg, and those organized TO protect
women against bad servants the prev
alence Of family living in apartment
housts, boarding houses and hotels.
etc, are an signs OF a growing disin-
clination on the part Of women to each
take hold Of the domestic problem for
herself and work 90 oui in her indIvld.
ual way and to her own personal salts
faction.
That combination for any purpose is
beneficial. and that in union there is
strength, are propositions that have
long since been proven to be true, but
Il Is q lameniablc fact that, while the
agencies for the improvement Of the
system Of domestic setvitudo have null
tiplied, the service itself has been In.
crcasing in general worthlessness, until
women are well nigh In despair as TO
the remedy for the ailliction.
Il is not a little singular that IN look
ing for the cause and cure Of the evil,
most women extend their search outside
the circle or area Of the existence Of the
trouble. and neglect the remedy within
reach Of their own hands There Is a
German legend of a man who sought
happiness iu Persia, IN India, In Japan
at the ends of the earth, and finally
found that it dwcll IN his fathers house
while he had been seeking It thousands
Of miles away The moral Of this story
might be profubly studied 10y many
nineteenth century wives and mothers
inly struggling for relief from the
uoul les arising from the ilIlralning.
ignorance and sclf,huess Of servants.
The entire abandonment Of the do.
mCslic machinery to one or more per.
sons who have no interest whatever In
the heads Of the household except In
The one matter Of pay for services ren.
dor,d, is bad policy on the part Of the
mistress and prcclules the likelihood OF
her ever being blest with that perfect
/ service she has dreamed OF but never
realized. She places too great a gulf
between herself and the woman who
prepares her meals aud keeps hcr home
iu order. She shows her own utter dis
tate and dislike Of ala so called house
hold diudgery, Intelligent poor women,
observing this estimation put upon
household labor by the feminine heads
Of families. refuse TO voluntarily as.
sumo what they are made 50 decidedly
10 feel is a mental position and the field
Is given up 10 the ignorant the incom-
petent and the unfaithful.
The work which shows the most ac-
complished for employer and employe
is that done when there is between the
two a mutual sympathy and interest
and this rule Is as applicable 10 the
household as 20 the work shop. Wise
women know this rule and practice II,
hut 10 these days Of progressive woman
hood, with missions, philanthropies,
society and other numberless outside
interests, the majority have gotten too
far away from the domestic circle to
see the Canker at the core. What is
needed is a development with modern
improvements, perhaps. Of the valuable
character known to every body as the
domestic woman"