St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-14
ABOUT GOVERNESSES,
Ali Applicants Must Have the
Very Best Of Educa-
Z tons.
Z
Nursery Governesses Must
Learn to Pocket Their
Pride.
The Differences Between the
9 Treatment in This Coun-
try and England.
One Hundred Dollars a Month
Is About the Largest
Salary.

equipped women capable of giving ad-
vaneed tuition are forced to accept
small positions at small emolument,
thankful enough to get anything which
VIII support them in the one particular
held they feel competent to work in.
Not only have the supply ranks swollen
vastly, but the abilities which they
trlng into the market are of infinitely
higher grade than formerly. And here
we touch the very handspring of what
those Who purpose entering upon a
governeSs' career should realize-just
how much they are expected to know.
Foreign goyernesses, says the New
ork World, we leave out of the ques-
Ton They are usually engaged simply
Tor their language, which they show TO
nave studied 10 some purpose. being as
rule graduates from the best female
colleges of their countries. Music is
frequently added, particularly in the
case OF Germans. and such teachers may
simply be regarded as double special
lists. taking. As arule. 10 visiting in pref
erence to resident teaching.
She Must Have a Specially.
The Engiish-Speakiug teacher-and,
despite our democracy, if she be a born
English woman she has 20 per cent in
her favor-in order to take a successful
position in the contest. is obliged to be
IN some one branch at least a specialist
If her specially be English. then she
will usually be found graduate of
Wellesley. NaSSar or some one or other
OF the best women's schools i'll the ccun-
try. With this she is expected to have
lived abroad and acquired at least one
language tiuentiy in Its own country.
She must further have made a satisfac-
tory study of the piano in some cOnserv-
atOry or under some teacher of note,
aud she is expected TO have a sufficient
knowledge of drawing to enable her to
help her pupils. at least in outdoor
Sketching.
A teacher who can fill these require
nlentS and lives with the family will
receive salary or about 500 month,
which is about the largest amount paid.
There are. OF course, then, numerous
grades OF teachers. and successful ones.
too, who have not had the outer adj
yantages of the first standard, but who
would be quite as capable to instruct
pupils up to certain age as are the
first, only employers won't realize it.
Although the children may only range
from eight TO ten. the parents who can
pay for 1t want some one who can teach
them when they're seventeen. So that
ticularly in New York. well-bred.
well-educated women and most
capable instructors are rarely selected
to teach these young people far as they
would undertake to do. They lack the
sheat Of diplomas necessary to enter
the houses of the great 1t would not
be the thing TO allow Helen, who is just
learning her notes on the piano to have
any other than gOld-medalled pro-
feSSoresS, or to have Harry be taught to
add by less than al honor student in
mathematics. These employers want
the best OF everything" matter
if four-ffths of it goes to waste?-and
so the teacher who cannot say she Dos
SesSeS 1t has small chance even among
the liiIleSt of little people in the army
of exclusives.
The Nursery Gcverness' Salary.
The nursery governess, whose salary
ranges from SO to $50 a month, is now
adays-it may be said without exception
"a refined and cultivated woman.
Many teachers who ten years ago held
positions of the first order have, owing
TO the advance i'll equipment, preferred
taking the best the nursery field Of
fered TO fighting against the heavy odds
that they might hold ground IN what
may be termed the young ladies' "
rank. The duties of this position as
known today are simply those of VI
earious motherhood, with lot OF duties
thrown in which belong to the domain
of servanthood. Sometimes when
desirable teacher holds out strenu-
ously against performing the latter
duties concessions are made, but they
are rarely further than to the extent
that instead of scrubbing the Young
sters in the bath tub, combing their
hair and cleaning their nails herself,
she islands sentry over whoever else
does 1t. And the question is whether it
would not be more agreeable III the
long run for the poor gentiewoman to
take the pill at gulp and do the work
boldly. rather than stand over re-
luctant domestic, who by every wiring
of the sponge and dab of the hair-brush
gives her to understand that it is her
the goyerneSs'S) duty TO do the work.
ann that she's not whit too good for it,
either.
A sound elementary English knowl-
edge and a pure French or German, or
both, are the educational requirements.
To be deft needlewoman is indispenS-
able. as she is not expected, except at
regulated intervals, to need any time
for herself. 1t belongs to the family,
and what isn't taken up in intending"
well turned-out ''tog" speeds from
under her fingers in hours which in
common humanity might be given to
rest. Her social position is clearly de-
fined. She is an upper servant" sep
erated from the staff, privileged TO walk
and eat with her charges, and that's
about all.
+ The Finishing Governess.
( The social standing of the fin ishing
goyernesS is of course superior. She is
supposed to be installed a member of
the family: that is, in as far as the
round of meals, the domestic use of
library, drawing room or any snuggery
of the house is concerned. which she is
expected TO frequent as she pleaSeS.
But the family footing ends here. She
is in it, but not Of it, and testimony of
this is borne upon her in thousand
little ways and in half dozen or more
big systematiZed ways. which, If she is
a woman of more SenSitiveneSs than
hard-headed business pluck, will soon
wear out her spirit. She is not expected
ito come down unless invited spe-
scially (Which seldom happens) when.
there are guests to luncheon Or dinner
Her seat is taken as matter of course.
without explanation or apology. She
will possibly be invited to join the party
later IN the drawing-fo0m, but most
ladies will naturally prefer quietly to
refuse and confine themselves to their
own quarters for the evening. These
quarters are simply bedroom. In
England If families are not prepared to
receive their governess as one of them,
she has her own suite of apartments,
where she can remain Independently.
Different In This Country.
Du% ic nd he
fact that the goyerness is simply regard
ed at refined machine worthy to eat
with and talk with, but of no considera-
ton to the family outside their eonven-
ienee, is emphasized at every turn.
There is but One possible way for a re-
fined ana sensitive woman to protect
herselffrom going to pieces on this rock
Of bad taste. She must pull herself to
gether, put sentiment out of the ques-