The National tribune., 1894-11-22

to earn their own living, and i'll the way they
do it. One magazine, published for the benefit
and delight of womankind makes speciality
of articles about women as wage earners tell
ing delightful stories wherein the heroines ply
their trades, have their romances, and fuss over
their clothes in manner very lifclike. The
thread of story running through the other
wise dry details of the work makes the account
very attractive. In recent issue the old queS-
| tion of women entering domestic service is
treated. The heroine, Grace, was reared in
luxury. Her father failed for big amount;
| she took the teachers examinations, secured n
| school and worked for two or three years,
saving enough from her salary to pay off her
fathers debtors, besides paying her board bill
and buying her own clothes. After three years
of this our story opens with her declaration TO
her friend that she cannot continue teaching.
She has an ordinarily bright class and no special
problems are vexing her, yet she finds that she
cannot impart knowledge as successfully as her
conscience tells her she ought, so she deter
mines to give it all up. She has relieved her
fathers name from any smirch of dishonor.
There is on one to thnk of but herself. She
has decided to try another field, to wit, do
more certain that she can cook we'll than
she is Of any other of her abilities. 1t
is not necessarily degrading work, she tells
her chum, and then the two thrash out all
the old arguments for and against refined
woman entering a family as servant; the
school teacher and cook-elect coming out vic
torious. Her friend nobly decides to uphold her
in everything that she does. and to call on her
when she gets place. Grace applies for the posi-
ton Of cook to woman of wealth wi o had been
friend of her mothers in their PALMER days.
The woman has been botheriDg to find good
girl. Grace explains the situation to her. and
offers to take intelligent charge of the kitchen.
The wealthy woman rather reluctantly con-
sents to employ her. So beautifully does Grace
cook and behave that she makes an immense
success, and her employer tells her callers that
it is much more comfortable to know your cook
is upstairs reading the latest magazine in her
spare moments than out gossipng over the
back fence. The experiment continues. Vir-
tue is triumphant. Dignity, womanliness and
intelligence triumph over the narrow prejudiees
of society and the kitchen stove.
But in the last chapter our cook marries the
son of the house. The story-writer means we'll
and started out splcndidly, but it is very
harmful story to send out to suggest a course of
action for girls who may sorely need advice. For
them there would besomebitter lessons to learn.
1t might be that another, girl similarly placed
would find neither the late magazines nor the
son of the house at her disposal She might
find that she was not wanted to enter the
family life in any way, although she be I'M
doubtedly sweet and refined. Many families
are sufficient unto themselves, and a cook
entering their service with any ideas of
captivating the elder son or discussing re-
cent literature with the family would be
certain of discharge within q very short
time. A woman often wants cook only-not
companion or daughter, perhaps having
enough of both already. 1t is certain woman
must be as busncss-like about being a cook as
about being school teacher, typewriter, book
agent or clerk, and this is not intended to in
sinuate that any girl may not marry any man
she choose and who spontaneously chooses her,
but for girl who wishes to be a successful
cook and to prove that she can do so and be a
lady, the least suggestion of hope or desire to
work out to a romantic conclusion like the one
in the story would ruin it all. It would take
away all the dignity of her position, and she
would be no more than the flirting maids and
cooks who furnish so much cheap fun for the
comic stage fund, and would be of much less
value and dignity in her position than stout
darky woman.
funny thing in the story is the idea Of the
girls paying off her fathers Indebtedness from
a school-tcacher's salary in two or three years
and supporting herself at the same time
Twenty thousand dollars is a small failure
suppose her fathers failure amounted to that
Eight hundred dollars is big salary for a
young teacher. She tells that she paid $50
month for her board. This would leave
her S36.G6s month, or S439 year. in paying
off the 5000 which would really about pay
the interest