The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-12-04
SLAVE Or

with me-" said a lady in my hearing
the other day. "If you grant them any
privileges they are sure to run over
you. You cannot be on familiar terms
with one of them; they take such an
advantage of it. have tried it and I
know"
/ presume she voiced the sentiments
of a large number of those who employ
help in the house. It is a sorry fact
that there is a class of women that uni
formly tyranniEs over their help. I
do not "a that they grind them
down with excessive toll always, but
they treat them with a hauteur and q
GOODNESS that is more crushing than
any labor, however severe and exact
ing. The lady I refer 60 has one OF
the kindest hearts in the world, and il
noted for her charities; she would not
see her servants suffer for anything,
and would nurse them tenderly if they
we're i'll. But she draws q sharp line
between mistress and maid-one is q
lady, the other is only a mental. AS
consequence she is observed, and
though she pays good compensation
her help is constantly changing.
The matter of making homework
respectable depends in a large measure
upon those who hire help. If they will
treat their dOmestics as their equals,
associate with them as companions, or
Of 1ooof do MT oOovu tho oceoo;o&;o~ r
am sure that the standard of kitchen
help would speedily be elevated in
character, and we should not have to
depend entirely upon foreign help"
There is something more than mere
sentiment in this. Tt is one thing to
be a drudge, and quite another to be
looked upon as a drudge. It is rather
revolving to ones dignity, if one has
any, TO be continually spoken of az
lou hired girl" and to be treated az
if occupying a low sphere of life. And
to be never recognized as having any
rights above those of mere existence.
to be cut off from every expression OF
sympathy, never to have a word Of
commentator, to be glared at as q
mere automaton, are terrors sufficient
to daunt even the bravest and the most
careless Who can blame girls for not
wishing to sacrifice their pride, nay.
their womanhood, b observing in private
familiesl Who of you would want to
do 80 if there was anything else that
ou could dot
We read in a very old book of a mis-.
tress and her maid who are typical Of
q large class to day. 'And Sara dealt
hardly with Hagar, her handmade"
This dealing "ha' diy is to be inter-
preted as meaning that she provoked
her with hard words and lofty, scorn-
full ways. 1t is no wonder that Hagar
fed from her mistress. 1t was perfectly
natural that she should. We do not
blame her; and if Sara was as hard az
some modern mistresses / have known,
the only wonder is that she ever went
back after she had once left. HagaP
was accustomed to being treated as q
companion; she probably was of good
birth and she resented being treated az
a slave. That was human nature three
thousand years old. Human nature 10
not very different to day.
It is not degrading to labor; manyof
those who employ help work much
harder than any of their employees;
but to be made to feel that you are in
ferior, that you have no rights nor
privileges, to be kept in the corner, in
the dirt and ashes always, like a cin3
derella-that is something no girl Of
spirit will stand, not even if she have
SO a week and board" Every hired
girl cannot reasonably expect to be q
Briseis or an Ellen Dunfield, but each
has a right to expect and to ask civil
treatment, without being snubbed or
made to feel degraded.
know q lady who is rich and Gull
tivated that has had only two girls in
the last thirty years. She places them
on the same footing with herself gives
them hours of study in her own room
and drives in her own carriage. They
are made to feel that her house is home
for them, and though they have work
and care, and responsibility, their self
respect and dignity escape without
even a friction to annoy them. They
take an interest in everything in the
house and have as much pride for the
welfare of their mistress and her house
hold as the lady herself. She has shown
an interest in them, and she is simply
repaid in the same kind and in the
same measure. 1t is the old law Of
reciprocity-do me a kind deed and I