The record-union., 1897-10-10


by the gentler sex, is proof strong and
convincing of the contention so long
maintained by the Record Union"
that the very worst thing We can do
for woman is to take her into the active
fields of business and labor and remove
her from the beneficent influences OF
domestic life. 1t is needless to go over
the ground we have SO often traversed
readers of the Record Union" are ia
miliar with it ALL
Shall women, therefore, not work and
earn living? we are asked. Assuredly
yes, we reply: but the aim should be
maintained to conform such earning
capacity to the lines of domesticity
and to prevent the desheltering that
is the precursor of Generalization. Un-
doubtedly society is greatly blame
worthy for the condition we have, be-
cause it has reduced domestic service
to such a mental level, and thus driven
so many women out of it by lowering
its social grade greatly.
Happily, there are some indications
that reform is working in this direc-
tion In both England and the United
States there is now made strong effort
to elevate the art of housewifery to
the level of a science. Schools are al
ready open for scientific training to
domestic service and for supplying the
I74a a women
honorably equipped and accredited as
competent to take charge of the do
nestle economy of a household, and
manage it as its heads may desire, but
always with conformance to the best
standards of cookery, cleanliness, san
itary science, and economic care OF the
household effects.
These schools are lifting the servant
girl to the level of a manager They
are commanding for her calling the re-
spect to which it is entitled They
are lifting from the shoulders of the
housewife a grievous burden, one that
very often she is unsuited to bear, and
by reason of it the lack Of the knoWl-
edge and training the servant has I'm
der the new system, and which thus
far has worked well and is rapidly
gaining public favor, there is no more
making of issues between servant and
mistress. The latter deals with the
institute" that sends her the man
ager, either for kitchen, dormitory,
nursery or the chamber. Mrs. A. sim
ply applies to have her work in the
several branches of domestic life done,
and there are dispatched to do 1t those
who are highly skilled, who are re-
sponsible to the institution, to which
| in turn the mistress looks, and to 1t
alone-these having done their work,
no further proceed into the domestic
circle. Novel as is the scheme, it prom
ises to work reform mush needed. 1t
has long been in operation in the mat
| ter of supplying nurses-why not IN
the supplying the other needs of the
household for service?
The finer arts are more and more
men. and, happily, there is growing
conviction among men that their hopes
of domesticity are becoming largely de-
pendent upon their conduct towards
the female sex in this matter of woman
| in business walks They are opening
| their eyes to the fact that they are to
do better by their sisters and wives by
withdrawing them from such demor-
alizing walks and by standing between
| them and the rougher side of life
| No one wants the independence of
woman to be cribbed. No one wishes
her to think less, know less or be less
f-helpful. But what wisdom does
| demand is that with the higher edu-
| cation of woman she shall be with
| drawn from the operation of inf1u-
ences that demoralize, degrade and
wreck her womanhood. There is some
thing in the following suggestion by
the "Oregonian, but not so much as ii
claims for it:
The only remedy is a higher standard
| of masculine behavior and opinion. Ey-
cry man should be educated as care
fully to believe that women should lead
sheltered lives as far as possible, as
presumptively the homemaking, home
keeping, child d-bearing and child train
! ing class, as he is educated to believe
in theory and practice that he should
put money in his purse. Instead of the
paternalism of an old bachelors tax
| and pensions to old maids, every man
| who has a wife or daughter, or lack
ing these, dependent mother or sisters
| should through his labor or property
| seek to secure shelter and comfort tC
his women first Let the boys, if sane
| and healthy, wrestle in the world fo1
| themselves, but the property should &C
to the decent wife and unmarried
| daughters on the death of the male
| protector. so that they will be sure OF
| a decent home and shelter. Let the
| working boys come back to the home
for affections sake but the women
| should be made sure of a decently
sheltered life first, before any burly boy
is given anything beyond a common
school education and his mother
| blessing and prayers for his success
/ when he leaves home.
That is very pretty sentiment, anc
| to a certain extent would be com
mendable in practice But such a pol
icy will be only an aid, not a remedy
we do not insist that woman shall be-
| come a mere dependent. On the con
trary. we hold that if she is properly
trained and employed and sheltered
| >. q f.,ll nc,,t,.ih,1tnr and shn1ild hs