Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-12


will warm and cook for four together, and
it is the same with light and many other
things. The furniture that four living
apart must have will comfortably furnish q
fat or pretty cottage for four. The daily
routine of housework that every selt-respect-
ing woman must go through, If divided
among four, who should take turns at it,
would give more time for work or study or
rest for each one. 1t is needless to enumer-
ate the saving in every way bv cooperation.
Everyone knows it, though as yet few have
made practical use of it.
PRACTICAL COOPERATION.
have known several examples. In one
case there are three persons of mature years,
a widow and two single women, two of
whom support themselves by their own
work, while the third enjoys a small in
come. They hire fat in pleasant part OF
the town, the top one in four-story apart
ment house, which, besides being of little
cheaper rent, is lighter and airier, and alto
gether the most desirable in the building
This fat is heated, so they have no trouble
with fires. Their work is carefully system
atized and divided, SO that each one knows
exactly what she has to do, and does it. 1t
works entirely without friction, and if any
one ever saw three happier, more cheerful
or buster middIe-aged women, even among
the mistresses of homes, with ample incomes
and families of their own, never have.
They have carried this on for several years,
and although at first merely acquaintances
they are now deeply attached to each other,
and they have as truly home as any house
mother in the world.
Where there is more money than these
ladies possessed there may, of course, be
luxuries. For example, another case that
has come under my eye is of an unmarried
woman holding a responsible editorial posi-
ton which required her daily presence. In
old times that woman-arrived at middle
life, yet with no family that was convenient
or that she chose to live with-would have
been confined to boarding house, and how
little that is a home ask the unfortunates
who have tried it alone.
This woman was wiser. Though exceed
ingly conservative she saw the dawn of the
"good time coming" and took unto herself
companion, a friend of congenial tastes,
widow without ties and without. the means
to have home of her own. She was herself
in receipt of fine income. She hired and
furnished house, her friend took charge of
it, and she paid the bills. AS the result both
lonely women had a charming home. The
one with the pleasant care of managing en-
tirely the domestic department, including
every woman likes; the other going out each
morning at perfect ease about leaving the
house, and returning in the afternoon to a
delightful home, with everything running
beautifully and nothing to worry her. It
was an ideal life, and it went on for years.
BOON FOR SHOP GIRLS.
The same thing has been done by working
girls in our cities, who of all women are
least able to have homes, yet prize them per-
haps as much as any. These girls-shop
girls-who earn no more than will dress
them and pay for very poor board with stuffy
little corners Of rooms, by combining are
able to live much better and to hire COM
Portable apartments with pleasant gather
ing place for their evenings, as well as to
save money for some little pleasures before
unattainable. Think of the difference in the
lives of young women thirsting for pleasant
times and the good things of the world-as
they do no less than their richer sisters-be-
tween having home like this and half a
bed in some dark garrett as their only home.
It is not to be compared, and is easily accom-
plished by uniting their means. They are
mostly too hard worked and too ignorant of
these possibilities to plan and carry out for
and this, let me suggest, is a
promising field for the charitable work of
women who are longing to do something
helpful, to arrange these small mutual bene-
fit associations, carefully get up
perfectly practicable working plan, and
bring it to the notice of the better class of
working girls, from stores, milIiners and
shops. and to hundreds of |
others in our large cities, who are weaken |
ing and going to the bad for want of this |
very thing. Plans Of this sort, under !
stand, have been for some time in successful |
operation in Philadelphia.
There is another immense advantage to !
women in union; they can transact business |
together. By uniting small means two can
open little shop, carry on boarding
house, or begin some small manufacture. |
Many instances might be related of this |
sort Of partnership, which works admirably.
In keeping a boarding house. for example, |
two women have rarely the same gifts. One /
may excel in supplying a table, managing
servants and care of the house, while the |
othertakes naturally to outside buying, bills,
accounts, and the business Of the establish
ment. If the first one had house where
there would be constant leak in the purse
from injudicious buying, or hurried way
Of ordering, or neglect in collecting bills;
by the second one alone the cooking and |
housework would be left to servants, and, of |
cpnrse, bs Ct iufsEioE quality. b combins |