The San Francisco call., 1895-05-23

fere with the progress OF the race than any
thing else. | believe with Mrs. Bowles,
that the nearer men and women come to
the divine source of our being the nearer
We will come to the great truths of life, and
these will reconcile all antagonisms be-
tween the sexes. Ii | could have but one
thing in this world, and have it uniform
law. | would have the application of the
Golden Rule. as given to us by the Lord
Christ. By being tolerant to that which
seems intolerance we will grow wise"
Then Miss Shaw disclosed horrible
secret. She gave it out that she was going
to take ont patent herself. 81 am going
to ride bicycle this summer" she said,
and the congress went into convulsions of
laughter.
Mrs. Colonel Meyers Of Oakland. repre-
senting the Ebell Society of that city, was
introduced by Mrs. Cooper. Her society
contained $50 members, she said, which
wished to be represented at the congress to
say that it was fully in sympathy and ac-
cord with the work of the congress and
sent its greeting to the two distinguished
guests present.
The second paper of the morning,
"Skilled Labor or Domestic Service" by
Mrs. Helen Campbell, professor of honse-
hold economics in the University of Wis
consin, was read by Mrs. Charlotte Perkins
Stetson. 1t dealt directly with the servant
girl question in its many and all-absorbing
phases and was full of interest from the
beginning. 1t is one of the subjects upon
which Mrs. Campbell is thoroughly posted
and upon which she has written number
of books.
After discussing the various phases of
the question, the paper pointed out that
only the least educated at the portion of
their lives when education was most neces-
sary accepted service, and that they re-
mained in it only long enough to get mar
ried and learn enough to keep house for
themselves. The researches of Miss Lucy
Salmon into this question were given in
detail, and statistics of 5000 servant-girls in
New York showed that, with board, room
and laundry and an average wage of IS %
per week, the servant-girl could save $3.50
year, and really made more money than
large number of schoolteachers through
out the country.
Mrs. Johnson, in the discussion of the
paper, spoke of the work of Mrs. Eliza
Sproat Turner of Philadelphia in the mat
ter OF securing better servants and better
treatment for them. One of the latter's
plans was to make an arrangement
whereby the servant-girls would not be
compelled to remain in the homes of their
emp loyers evenings, their places being
supp lied by girls from reserve force kept
cons family on hand.
Mrs. Eliza Tupper Wilkes, however,
seemed to strike the keynote of the situ-
alton in few remarks she made, judging
fIom the applause with which her words
were received.
There is no greater question bearing
upon woman than this" she said. "Our
homes are built upon it: and / say, chal-
longing denial, that the position Of a slave
in the South was scarcely less degrading
than is the position of the average servant
to-day in American homes. Ask your
selves to-day this question: Would you
like to see your daughter take service in
any home" You 60 to other women's
aaogh1sTs ahogt y;nss and say Why do you worry Worry
sewing or learning the typewriter, when
homes are waiting? But when you want
your daughter to take place in the world
1T is never In any ones kitchen you give
her the opportunity.
II know there is another side to this
servant question. You have the raw ma
terial TO deal with. There are injustices to
the mlstresses as well as to the servants.
But we cannot wait for the educated do
mestlc. She is coming, the diploma is
coming and all that, but Just now the best
thing needed in your home and mind is to
surround the one whose hands save ours,
VINO puts herself between us and the worst
Klnd OF drudgery, with such things as will
neip ner self-respect. Give the woman
who is doing your work a good room in
your mouse, pleasant pictures upon the
walls, and see how quickly she will rise to
1t. You say she keeps her room like
plgpen now; well, don't blame her If it
Is Ike most rooms servants are given now.
GiVe her place to receive her callers.
She has as much right to it as any member
OF the family.
These little things are the beginning
toward the right thing and the recognition
OF valuable service.
:, ~ think the true secret at the bottom of
an with servants at the present time is
tn this one OF self-respect 1t relates to that.
we are making too great bugbear Of
arranged IN the future, it can never be that
there will not be certain amount of work
to be done. That work must be done by the
mistress or her servant. The trouble at
present is that there is not strong enough
mutual relation in regard to the work.
mat principle OF self-respect on the part of