The National tribune., 1896-02-20

A pretty frock is shown Of cloth and silk and
fur. The main point in its design is the
bertha-lke trimming over the shoulders and
front. This must be cut after some sort of a
pattern; but most of the reliable pattern firms
have similar designs for pointed "brete!ies -
they generally call them "bretelles" for want
of n better name. These bretelles are OF heavy
silk, brocaded or braided or jetted, and are
edged round about with narrow fur. COM
bination of browns or dark-blue with black or
gray ard black OF tap-color with dark fur and
a fancy silk Of dark and light shades of brown
for the breteIes is pretty. Heliotrope, also, in
its several shades with mink or dark-brown
fur is handsome, and green with black and
mink is exceedingly artistic.
~
The sorvant.girl problem continues to bother
housekeepers and economists. In Philadelphia
the good matrons have banded themselves in
league 1000 strong. They propose TO settle
the question by agreeing to certain standards
of work and wages and by establishing train.
ing school to raise the standard of intelligence
of cooks, maids, and nurses. There are two
or three splendid points about this plan, and
two or three that will work it harm. The def
mite standard of wages, and the clear, explicit
definition of duties will do much good, and the
trimming school ought to be good feature.
The trouble with it is, that the girls may lind
il profitable to be trained at the expense of the
league. and then on consideration OF little
raise in wages to go to the house of somo out.
slider who is pledged to no standard of wages,
and who knows that well trained servant is
. i-s for
look ed in these plans for solving this distress
ing problem, is the servant girls iioersy-her
personal freedom. Few employees in any labor
have less real liberty than the average servant
girl. If she could work certain number OF
hours day Or night, then be free to work or
study or play for herself, as a bricklayer, car.
penter, mason. clerk, street-cleaner, or even
street car driver can, she might be more satis-
fed with housew0rk. If she live in the house
of her employer then she Is limited in the
evenings that she can 20 out, and that she can
have friends come to see her. Her morals. her
religion, her frocks, her flirtations all crit
cised aud invaded by her mistress. She
really has no individual life. Again, her
methods of working, no matter how sensible
they may seem to her, must always be set aside,
and her mistress's adopted. 1t Is difficult for
an intelligent woman to do her work and
| keep at peace in domestic service. Servant
girls frequently abuse whatever privileges have
been extended to them, and they frequently
! are ignorant of daintiBess or appropriateness,
! and must be taught the ways Of the household.
| but mistresses are not entirely blameless in the
| troubles. When cook nurse or maid Is
| treated as fairly and in as business-like q
manaer as the average merchant treats his
! clerks or tho contractor his workmen, the
problem will be partly solved-it will probably
not be entirely Strengthened out until humanity
is evolved to greater nobility and intelligence,
! and evolution ia but slow work.
| ELSIE POMEROY MCELRoY.