The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-05-26
SHE is ALONE IN BOSTON.


The various fields of work into which
women have already entered can hardly
be enumerated. The professions they
have not entered are fewer than those
they have, and who knows how soon
they will have included all? Probably
very few of our readers are aware that
women have professionally undertaken
the care of the dead, and q number of
women have recently been graduated
with honOrs from Colleges of Embalm-
ing.
Boston boasts of but one woman en-
balmer, Mrs. Hattie A. SpOoner, who
was graduated last March from the Unit
ed States College of Embalming, New
York.
1t may seem a peculiar and even an
unpleasant task for woman to under
take, this caring for the dead bodies,
and yet there are few who would not
prefer the tender services of a woman to
care for the deceased of her own sex.
When asked how she happened to en-
ter upon this line of work, Mrs. Spooner
said:
II have been interested in it the last
fourteen years, or, in other words, ever
since l have been married, for my hus-
band is an undertaken"
You helped him in his work / sup
pose"
Eyes, more or less, and always wished
l understood the work. Finally, l de-
cided to make it a study and so went to
the New York college,"
Mrs. Spooner is a bright, active, ener-
getic little weman, and looks as though
she might be able to meet calmly almost
any emergency. although from interest
| in her yVnrlY and tim of
pose rather than from any cruely of
h art. In fact, her immediate object in
| studying was to better educate her two
| little daughters who are living at home
with their father.
I'm almost every walk of life except
politics" said Mrs. Spooner, women
have adapted themselves to circum-
stances and conclusively shown that
they can hold their own and that they
are worthy of the positions they have
striven to occupy. While the undertake
er may have faithfully done his work, he
cannot do it as tendelly rs can a
woman
This suggests the incident that may
have prompted Mrs. Heaton Dart to pur-
sue this work, for she, it will be remem-
bered, was the pioneer of women i'll the
profession. She was present at the en-
| balming of a niece, and seeing how
roughly the little body was handled by
the undertakers, resolved that in this, las
in other professions, women were need
ed and SO took up the study.
Mrs. Dart, although from Scranton,
Pa, carries on her work in New York,
and has been very successful. She has
completely mastered this 'lost art'' so
far as is possible, and carries on an ex-
| t6nsive business.
"Of what does the course of p.epara
ton consist" asked the caller of Mrs.
| SpOoner.
1T consists of thorough course in
practical anatomy and Theoretical and
| practical training, not only in the care
of the dead bodies, but also in hygiene
and the laws necessary to sanitary pro-
lection"
Can you really say that you enjoy the
work?'
"Why certainly" sad Mrs Spooneri in
an amazed tone. Not in a cruel or
hearlless way, but in the interests Of the
science. The pleasure lies in the doing,
in the best possible manner, all that re-
mains to be done, for the body of the de-
ceased. AS one pumps the blood from
the heart the dark purple color disap-
| pears from tho flesh, which soon becomes
as white as marble, and is preserved in
this co dition, and even more bleached
by the preservative substances which are
| then injected into the arteries"
So while it may seem an unpleas ant
| profession it is very important one in
| which a woman can work most success
fully if she finds herself adapted to it
and inclined to folloW 1.-THE Woman's
| Corner in the Boston journal.