The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-05-12
WHICH ARE THE sNoBBIsH WON.

EN-
do think woman who work for a
living are degraded by their work?" said
Mrs. Kate Granuett Wells, repeating in
an astonished tone the question of a
caller. "Of course, 7 believe nothing of
the kind"
'Well, knew that" said her caller,
laughing, "but what do you believer"
For, as everyone knows, what Mrs. Wells
says about women is worthy of close
attention.
"Why, we all have to work for living
Every woman does in one way or an
other. OF course, there are some idle,
good-for-nothing men. But there is
hardly a woman who does nothing for
her living"
Well, but refer to professional wom-
en-
professional women" said Mrs.
Wells, almost disdainfully, "nOw do not
get me angry. What do you mean by
professional women? Ifyou mean girls
who work in town as bUokkeepers,
office girls, or girls who stand behind
the counter, or women in the law, min
istry, OF journalism, | think you had
better say women who are paid A
girl who is bookkeeper is just as liable
to be invited into the best society as any
one, provided she is refined and ladylike.
If she is coarse ma unwomanly, she can
not expect to be invited; but it is not be-
cause she is bookkeeper; in fact that
has nothing whatever to do about it, 1t
is simply because she is unrefined and
unladylike. As for women in Law, med
icine and the ministry, there are many
who are no more worthy of their profess
sional titles and privileges than hun
dreds of other educated women. And
they are always particular not to have
their names mentioned without the ac-
comnanying Rev. or M. D., which is
all very well in professional way"
'As trade mark, suppos E"
Eyes exactly" said Mrs. Wells. "But
simply because the title has been grant
ed to them by some institution is no tea-
son that they are any better than any
other people. ''In fact, Mrs. Julia Ward
Howe, who is welcome in every pulpit
knows more, and is better fitted to
preach than ten of the average ministers
Again Mrs. Richards of the Institute of
Technology has not yet been granted the
professor She undoubtedly will in time,
but even now she knows more than
dozen others who have been known as
'Professo. s. for years"
Well, do you think that the women of
means who live at home are inclined to
look down upon working womenP'
asked the caller.
81 tell you they are all working wom-
en-" said Mrs Wells. emphatcally you
can hardly find rich woman, as you
would probably say, in this city, who
does not work harder than the average
of those who may be called laboring
people, but they work every minute of
the day. 1t is almost impossible to find
a woman to take up any new charitable
work. They all have their hands full of
it. The working-women often say in
bitter way, that the so-called rich wom-
en- sit at home with folded hands. while
they toll and do the drudgery. The
truth is, it is the wolk king women who
draw the distinctions. Go down into
the North end and you will find the
classes as distinctly marked among the
women themselves as the steps of
flight of stairs. The woman who takes
in sewing is little more respectable
than the one who takes in washing, and
accordingly looks down from her pedes
tai. But she also looks up to the woman
of the next grade above her."
ut appears to be hard to decide
whether the snobbishness really exists
at the North or West end"
'Ah, you see the pointr' exclaimed
Mrs. Wells. 81 did not exactly want to
say it, but you see for yourself. The
women who are paid in money for their
services put themselves down by look
ing up to those who labor at home, full
as much as they are already looked down
upou by Others"
The women of this country, it APP
pears, then, are as distinctly divided
into castles and classes as are the women
of India, if one can follow Mrs. Wells,
statements to their climax.
I'VE want to break down these lines
of caste and classes which exist among
our Nomen," said Mrs. Wells. The wom-
en- who are paid are mainly to blame.
They should appreciate the fact that the
woman who does charity work, or the
woman who is teaching her children how
to become true men and women is earn
ing her living Just as much as the wom-
an who is paid in money for every bit of
work done.'
How are these difficulties to be rem
edieG? 1t seems a very deep and COM
plicated problem" said the caller.
at is, indeed" said Mrs. Wells, ear
nestly, land can only be rectified by the
united and sympathic endeavors of all
concerned. The work must begin at
both ends of the line, and all must re-
member that a woman eau be just as re-
fined and ladylike in one occupation as
in another, and that while she is woman
ly she is just as good as anybody else.
And 1T should also be remembered that
an uncultured, unrefned, coarse woman
is as undesirable in one place as another.
All work must be done by some one and
therefore it is not the kind of work
which should mark the lines"
Lane's Family Medicine Moyes the Bovva,s