Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-07-11
BUSINESS FOR WOMEN.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE WHOM
NECESSITY COMPELS TO LABOR.


Possible Openings for Ready Hands
and willing Hearts-Great Talents
Are Not Essential, as Many Examples
Show.
1t is not only no longer a disgrace for
women to work, but also manifest need,
writes Bertha Greene Lockwood, since SO
many of them have to earn not only their
sugar money, but their bread and butter
money as well. Much has been done in
finding openings for them, but the move
ment tends too much in one direction.
Every woman does not possess artistic or
literary talent that produces remunerat-
i've results, nor has every one taste for
deep study, and to some active spirits
confinement and sedentary habits are
almost unbearable. For these there are
number of employments waiting, if they
are wise enough to invent them, or will
fill them when the need of them is sug-
gested.
Our luxury of buying catsup from the
grocery store sprang from little thing.
An old German farmers tomato vines
yielded beyond all demand for the fresh
fruit. The frugal wife declared that not
one should waste, so she made catsup
until the jars were too numerous to keep,
and began giving them away to friends.
The next year orders came pouring in,
not only from frie DIS, but from many Of
whom the old people had never heard.
The outcome of twas the largest factory
for making bottled sauces in the world.
When we consider the unsatisfactory
laundering with which most people have
10 struggle, and the delicate handling
that expensive flalnels require, it seems
indeed that good income would reward
the woman woo would make a specially
of caring for that part of the washing
alone. Provided with borax and fine
white soap for baby's dainty skirts and
fluffy jackets and blankets, and with @
bottle of ammonia for heavier blankets
and shawls, and above all an understand
ing of the right temperature for the
water, and the quick, deft handling, pat
ting, and shaking, she would be a well
coined assistant to the overworlled and
overworied housekeeper. The embroid-
cred linens also require more care and
delicacy of treatment than the average
laundress usually gives them, and tho
specialist might include them in her list.
Another occupation suggests itself by
the fact that silver cleaning and polish
ing require more professional knowledge
than most housekeepers possess. There
is valuable recipe for sort of recoat-
ing that jewellers use when the silver
needs polishing, which might be easily
procured. Powder is all that is required
for ordinary cleaning. Sponge, soft cot
ton, and flannel complete the outfit. The
care of the beautiful, expensive lamps
now so favored might belong to this
service, also the picture frames, chande-
Tiers, and mirrors.
Provided with bellows, sponge, old
pieces of silk and soft cotton, bottle Of
furniture polish, and knowledge of the
different stains, varnishes, and enamels,
one might offer her services for the clean
ing and repairing of furniture. Indeed,
quite field offers itself in pianos alone,
for it is well nigh impossible for the
housekeeper to keep them free from dust,
and the professional tuner pays little at
tention to their cleanliness. With this
work one might include wall paper clean
ing and patching. Sharp scissors, roll
of cleaners dough, and the permission
to match papers in some well furnished
paper store, are all the requirements.
Housekeepers would soon consider sue
cessful workers in these specialties a
necessity, especially where there is ex-
pensive furnishing, Or little fingers to
soil, break, and tear.
These housekeeping industries may
also be made timely. In house cleaning
season the repairing and cleaning of
curtains, drapes, and rugs, the recover
ing of cushions and stools, and the de-
vising, turning, changing, and inventing
for new and artistic effects with the old
furniture, are matters to be carefully
considered. Indeed, one might make
house cleaning itself the speciality, and
engage a number of assistants to WELD
scrub brush and broom. Engagements
could be made three months in advance.
Following this is the fruit season, which
lasts late into the fall. Because of the
large orders during the whole season,
the specialist could procure fruit, sugar,
cans, and all requirements from the COM
mission houses at wholesale rates, thus
making her services doubly desirable. In
the winter season cooking pumpkin and
hominy, rendering leaf lard, making
mincemeat, fruit cake, and plum pud.
dings and all such things that suggest
themselves will keep the ball rolling.
1t is surprising that some enterprising
woman does not see clearly that Santa
Claus needs an agent. With samples,
circulars, prices, and above all sugges-
tons of a hundred unthought of treas
ures for her stock in trade, she could soon
make herself a place with both dealers
and customers, and her sphere would
Ultimately extend to weddings and birth.
DAYS.