The midland journal., 1891-08-14
The Household.
WORK FOR WOMEN.
A Lecture Delivered in the Hall of
Philosophy, July l3, 1891. by
Mrs. Emma P. Ewing, of
Kansas City, Mo.
.TcoNcLuDED.1

OAtSA@O O0A1Dsl
One cf the ablest teachers OF cookery
in this country told me, not long since,
that Of the women who had taken
instructions from her with special
view of becoming teachers in that line
Of work, she could conscientiously rec
ommend but small minority as thor .
oughly competent. My experience has
been very similar. A few of my pupils
have proven themselves capable in
every respect. They were studious,
laborious, earnest women who did faith.
full work and can nov command good
paying positions. But the largest pro-
portion of them have, from lack Of
thorouohness, and not from lack of
capacity, been comparative failures. In
this field of labor the harvest is indeed
plenteous, but the reapers are few.
Half dozen churches in Kansas City
paid me for course Of lectures in each
OF them, more than the average school
teacher can earn in year and each OF
these churches made more in dollars
and cents out of the lessons than they
paid me, to say nothing of the great
spiritual gain that followed their Chris
tian labor introducing better food into
hundreds of homes. And half dozen
other churches in the same city-if my
time had not been previously engaged
would have arranged for similar
courses of lessons. l mention these
fact merely to emphasize my statement
that there is an increasing demand for
instruction 10 cookery and to sustain
me in the assertion that within a radius
of a hundred miles from any given
center, work enough can be fonnd by
an intelligent, skilful, earnest, thor
ough.going teacher Of cookery to keep
her actively employed and pay her lib
orally, for at least nine months in every
year. "But how long would such en-
ployment continue?'' is asked by a
number of women who would like the
remuneration, but who shrink from the
labor necessary to qualify them for at
tanning it. / am not able to answer
that question, but know that for every
woman who ten years ago reluctantly
took instruction IN the household arts,
at least thousand are now anxiously
desirous to do SO And I am quite
positive that hundreds of women, il
thoroughly qualified and equipped ss
teachers of cookery, could go to work
this coming fail and find steady and
remunerative employment as such, the
balance of their lives. And along the
other lines of work I have indicated, o
large number of women could find en-
ployment, if they earnestly desired it
Why don't they step forward and take
it? Why do they aspire for far of
positions, when SO many near by are
untitled?
There are at least hundrad thous-
and bake shops in this this county car
ried on by men, in which the bread is
all made by men. And the fewest
possible number Of these shops furnish
bread that is satisfactory to their GUS
toners. Very few OF them indeed
furnish bread fit to be eaten, or would
be eaten if their customers could gel
better. Why are these shops under the
management of men? And why ar.
men permitted to make nearly all the
bread, and pie, and cake ON sale in
cities, towns and villages? Are women
incompetent bread and pie and cake
makers? Or is too much work required
in such occupations to suit them?
A woman of ordinary intelligence
can in one day learn how to make bread
Of the choicest quality, and if she will
keep up the standard of her bread and
study the wants Of the public, she can
in any town or village establish in a
very short time profitable trade that
will go on increasing year after year.
Good bread is the greatest need of the
nineteenth century. 1t is wanted in
hotels, restaurants, boarding houses and
private families. 1t is needed wherever
bread is eaten; poor and inferior bread
is set before people everywhere and is
eaten under protest when eaten at all.
But for good, sweet wholesome bread,
that is we'll baked and nutritious, there
is constant demand all along the line.
Let such bread be furnished aud it will
find ready sale. But no woman should
open bakery and expect patronage
unless she has grit and is prepared to
do honest work and keep the quality OF
goods up to the topmost notch.
great MANY women Who have haan