Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-24

where they only stop because they are paid
to have lodging place. In the meantime
large boarding houses grow apace and
women are more generally accepting as
final the decree that home life must be
abandoned. A word often opens train of
thought: a domestic little woman spoke
such a one when she said of household
duty. ''Oh. do not call it drudgery, Put
this in iuxtaposition with this utterance of
Miss Salmon Of Vassar college, who has
been delivering = series of lectures on
the domestic-service problem. She
says: Not more household drudges
but less household drudgery is what QUIZ
households need The little womS -
full of love as of care protested against
calling the work that made those around
her comfortable ''drudgery;' to her love
dignifed the task, and doubtless those who
in any capacity shared the labor necessary
for that home making shared her spirit
Now, so long as women regard household
work as drudgery, and that they do SO re-
gard it goes without saying, of course they
must regard the girls who do that work as
drudges just so long will there be lacking
the slightest community of feeling between
mistresses and maids, no spirit of co-opera-
ton shown, and just SO long Will there be
inconvenience, annoyance and worry for
matrons, and the domestic servant class re-
main practically mistresses of the situa-
ton.
In the old countries, particularly in
England, household work is not regarded
as drudgery, the woman of the family,
whatever the rank, takes pride in learning
to do everything pertaining to good and
economical housekeeping, and are always
doing their share of the household work in
any or every department, though; there be
from one to half dozen maid servants
kept. Nor do the matrons and their
daughters regard it as infradig, or drudg-
cry thus to busy themselves for part of
every day in the week.
Thus by cooperation and daily contact
the maid catches the spirit of the mistress
is encouraged to better effort-wnile the
mistress by her actual experience is in
degree independent.
OF course many of the difficulties arise
as well as the socialistic tendencies of the
times. There would be long step made in
the direction of bringing order out of chaos
if there were associated action among en-
ployers. The employed have found the
benefit of this before their employers, and
the latter often suffer because of the one
sidedness of the plan. Keeping house is
1,e
shop, and the. nearer it is conducted on bust
ness principles the more harmony and ell
Gent service. In business salaries are adj
justed and the duties fixed and peremptory,
and there is little condoning of ignorance or
slackness in business that is successful
Ii housekeepers would arrange scale of
prices and maintain it; if they would, while
manifesting interest in the welfare of those
in their employ, exact steadfastly and
kindly the full measure of the service
contracted for, in word, allow no shirl:-
Ing, teaching that full pay was for full
service, there would be less room for COM
plant.
To be successful in this, there must of
necessity be concert of action and adher-
ence to rule among housewives. or the
servant will remain-as is now the case
mistress of the situation.
As time goes on, the burden of house
keeping is growing lighter even with the
increased demands of higher culture in
social life, when one compares the baking,
brewing, preserving, spinning, weaving,
knitting and sewing that went on in the
colonial household. Women of the Nine
teenth century must admit that their lines
have fallen in easier places, despite the
fact that supremacy in the kitchen is often
denied them. 1t is easy to believe that as
invention thrives and machinery super
cedes hand work, and as men and women
grow to adopt specialties, the house will be
benefited, that as baking and brewing are
industries separate now from the home, so
will in time become the laundry and house
cleaning, which will be given to experts
who can attend to it at stated seasons.
In the intervening time there seems to be
no better way than to maintain 4 tranquil |
ity of mind, to attain adequate knowledge |
of the work expected, and a just apprecia-
ton OF conscientious effort. To these, as in |
other things, it is necessary to add patience, |
q virtue that seems to fit into all places.