The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-06

/ haven't been paid as much as men, II has
/ been because their work was not as good
| as mans 1t has been because they
! did not think 1t necessary to com
mence at the beginning, and yet when
they wanted to learn TO read, they
had TO start with the alphabet. The
American man, the American nation at
large, has been too prone to pat woman
on the back and compliment her for bad
work. and we are now seeing the conse-
queuees. She believes too often that her
work should be bought merely because
she is a woman, but, please goodness, she
is going to have that idea knocked out OF
her head Her heart will ache. Surely.
But it will be a good lesson for her, and
she will gradually comprehend that the
market price is not paid for work that is
done by the prentice, but by the master
hand.
WOMEN WHOSE WORK IS IN DEMAND.
looked at the geutlewoman who qui-
city, but firmly, managed this good work
and made it success, and / thought OF
the shrieking sisterhOOd who were howl
ing for their rights. Here was woman
who said nothing whatever about rights,
but just went in to straighten up some
wrongs, She determined to make it pos
sible for those women less favored than
she, who had TO earn their own Hvings,
to succeed in it. She has proved that it
is not necessary for them TO do it in any
but womanly way, because, once their
work is worth selling. there are plenty
of buyers 1t isn't Tom. Dick, or Harry
who enjoy the carpets, or the wall pa
pers, or the draperies. 1t is Mrs Tom
and Mrs Dick and Mrs Harry who
know that on the walls is wrought out
in delicate tints the story of the
birth of the lotus as it goes from
the bud TO the blossom: that
on the floor the rug has the Egyptian col
ors skillfully inwrought; that the stained
glass over the window is so marvellous in
its combination of cOlors, for it hints of
all the Jewels that ever were dreamed of
so why shouldn't women, with their
brilliant imaginations, with their keen
sense of color. draw the designs for the
beautiful things that other women enjoy
Surely that is womanly work. A thou
sand times more wOmauiy that tT0ttinE
around inducing ones friends to buy a
chance in painted PLAGUE that is badly
done and which is a pleasure to nobody.
To me, who have seen so much of the
work of women,
THE GREAT THING IN THIS SCHOOL
Is, that the work from the very beginning
is practical it is not done for pleasure,
though, that, of course, may enter into it,
as it does in all good work, but it is done
to sell. By-Che-by, must say right here
that on entering, each pupil pays $50, and
afetr that, as soon as she has progressed
far enough TO draw correctly an original
design for wall paper, carpets for silks,
or cretonnes or calicoes, for rugs. or for
book covers, and that design is approved
of by the teacher, it is put upon the mar
ket and whatever il brings is handed di-
rectly TO the worker And the market
does not mean any semi-charitablei nstitu-
ton; it means that the designs are put
directly in the hands of the manufac-
Uurers, and that they stand their chance,
as does every other one, according to their
merit. And the woman who has done it
all? Mrs. Dunlap Hopkins. 1t meant
nothing to her except that great some
thing, the teaching women the practical
side of art work Now, this lady can look
at her work and feel glad There were
dark days, and days when discourage
ment came, for Mrs. Hopkins had deter
mined that the school should be self
supporting. The only thing it ever asks
is this--if you have any books, illustrated
ones preferably, that relate to the
history of art in any country, or that
will in any way help the workers along
they will be gladly received for the
library. ] think it took a gentlewoman
to create this school. 1t took just such
woman as Mrs. Hopkins is to give to il
that refined air of womanliness that
should exist where women work, and it
seems to me that you and l ought to be
very proud to think that it is an Ameri-
can woman who has done this, and that
the flower of English womanhood is say
ing to this representative of the best type
OF woman in America: Come and give
us of your knowledge"
PRACTICAL woMAN's WORK APPRECIATED.
Enthusiastic2 OF course, am. l have
seen so much that is impractical in
woman's work, that long ago | grew
weary and came to the conclusion that
the work of woman wcs too often medi-
OGRE, and. m ore than often, it resolved
itself into talk. So that when | have
seen, as did that afternoon, work that
was good, work that was practical, and
work that was wOmanly in its goodness,
and without sex in its practically, ! am
bound to bow down before it and acknowl-
edge its full worth. | know YOU will
agree with me, and | know you will agree
with me all the more, when l tell
you that this work, in its two
years of existence, has been done quietly,
but always with that determination to
succeed that is peculiar TO a real woman,
and is the attribute of woman who has
seen the mistakes of women, who are.
after all, anxious to do what is right.
Therefore, if you are a man, raise your
hat in honor Of Mrs. Dunlap Hopkins, a
woman who realized how women needed
to be taught at once their weakness and
their strength; how they required to be
made to understand that good work
stands, whether it is done by man or q
woman, and in paying this tribute to the
gentlewoman who did it all, you will
greatly please BAB.