The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-23
WORK FOR WOMEN.
Practical Arts For Those Who Must Earn
Their Own Living.
New York.

Practical Arts For Those Who Must Earn
Their Own Living.
The time is past when the adminstra-
ton of the household was deemed the
only occupation for which Il woman was
fitted. That occupation is no longer
considered exclusively feminine, and the
wonder grows that it ever was so con-
sidered, since the average man, if adroit-
ly questioned, will betray his conviction
that when no chooses to cook the viands
of his connection equal if they do not
excel those of any chef mentioned
of course the chef is man also-while
his eye for effect in the placing Of furni-
ture and draping of curtains is far Sill
perior to that of the women of his house
hold.
On the other hand, there are thousands
OF women who have no more natural
taste for housekeeping than their broth
crs have for stone breaking, and to saw
that such woman was ''unwomanlv"
because she entered profession instead
of treading the round of the domestic
circle, which was to her temperament Il
treadmill, was as absurd as it would have
been to pronounce Il man unmanly be-
cause he chose to be IL lawyer rather than
q prizehghter. There is as great di-
versity of ability in women as i'll men,
and it is equally desirable for each to de-
velop in her special line, be it bread
making or doctoring. No honorable oc-
cupation is unsuited to woman who
has tho physical and mental Qualifica-
tons necessary for successfully pursu-
ing it.
The field of practical arts is varied
one for women of average capacity. The
various branches of designing for car
pets and other fabrics, wall papers,
thing, stained glass and metal work
give ample opportunity for the exercise
Of moderate talent, industry and good
taste. The large factories devoted to
such manufactures employ corps of de-
signers of varying skill, and the proper
ton ofwomen thus engaged grows yearly
greater. Such work includes not only
the making of acceptable designs, but the
reducing them to such a form as shall be
practical for the weaver, block cutter or
other artisan into whose hands they go.
The mechanical details of manufacture
must be carefully considered in all such
designs or they arc practically useless.
Architectural drawing and architec-
turc itself offer fair advantages to wom-
ell. In the domestic line of the last men,
toned profession they should certainly
excel, since their long apprenticeship
at housekeeping and homemaking has
taught them the value of thousand
seemingly trifling details-the best rel
atiye arrangement of the living apart
ments, the serious need of closet room
and the Importance of hack stairs. 1t is
very doubtful if woman ', !. ever plan
n room MI the sides of which will he so
broken by doors and windows that no
place remains for bureau OF bed. This
fault is common in middle class houses
and cottages designed by the average
man architect. The woman architect
will have an eye to the situation of the
coal cellar and the furnace and will see
that the recess for the reception of the
refrigerator d ses not back up against q
chimney.
Engraving, decorative glass cutting,
photographing-in short, all the artistic
branches of practical manufacture-are
now being successfully practiced by
women and arc peculiarly appropriate
occupations, not because they arc essen
TALLY feminine in themselves, but be-
cause they require dizziness and patience
rather than muscular exertiop and phys
ical strength. And woman will be IL
no less womanly and sweet tempered
companion because she earns her own
pretty garments HELEN Cutter