Connecticut western news., 1898-01-20
to do something better than anybody

"I will not undertake anything so un- romantic and commonplace as that" An excellent author writes that after he had, in book, argued for efficiency in womanly work in order to success and positive apprenticeship by way of prep aration a prominent chemist advertised that he would teach class of women to become druggists and apothecaries if they would go through an apprentice ship as men do, and printer advertised that he would take class of women to learn the printers trade if they would go through an apprenticeship as men do, and how many, according to the &C., count of the author, do you suppose applied to become skilled in the drug gist business and printing business? Not one!
 A Common Delusion.
 "But," you ask, "what would my father and mother say if they saw was doing such unfashionable work:" Throw the whole responsibility upon us, the pastors, who are constantly hearing of young women in all these cities who, unqualified by their previous luxurious surroundings for the awful struggle of life into which they have been suddenly hurled, seemed to have nothing left them but a choice between starvation and damnation. There they go along the street at o'clock in the wintry mornings through the slush and storm to the place where they shall earn only half enough for subsistence, the daugh- ters of once prosperous merchants, law. yers, clergymen, artists, bankers and l capitalists, who brought up their ehil- dren under the internal delusion that it was not high toned for women to learn profitable calling. Young women, take this affair in your own hand, and let there be an insurrection in all pros- porous families on the part of the daugh- ters of this day, demanding knowledge in occupations and styles of business by which they may be their own defense and their own support if all fatherly and husbandly and brotherly hands for ever fail them. l have seen two sad sights, the one woman in all the glory of her young life, stricken by disease and in a week lifeless in q home of which she had been the pride. As her hands were folded over the still heart and her eyes closed fer the last slumber and she was taken out amid the lamen- tations of kindred and friends 1 thought that was sadness immeasurable. But I have seen something compared with which that scene was bright and song ful. It w;,s young woman who had been all her days amid wealthy sur roundings by the visit of death and bankruptcy tn the household turned out on cold world without one lesson about how to get food or shelter and into the awful whirlpool of city life. where strong ships have gone down, and for 20 years not one word has been heard from her. Vessels went ont on the Atlantic ocean looking for 8 ship wrecked craft that was left alone and forsaken on the sea few weeks before, with the idea of bringing it into port. But who shall ever bring again into the harbor of peace and hope and heaven that lost womanly immortal, drixen in what tempest, aflame in what conflagra- tion, sinking into what abyss? O God, belpl 0 Christ, rescuel My sisters, give not your time to learning fancy work which the world may dispense with in hard times, but connect your skill with the indispensables of life.
 The world will always want some thing to wear and something to eat. and shelter and fuel for the body. and knowledge for tho mind, and religion for the soul. And all these things will continue to be the necessaries, and if you fasten your energies upon occupa- tions and professions thus related the world will be unable to do without you. Remember that in proportion as you are skillful in anything your rivalries be- come less. For unskilled toll there are women by the millions But you may rise to where there are only thousands, and still higher till there are only hundred, and still higher till there are only ten, and still higber, in some par ticular department, till there is only unit. and that yourself. For awhile you may keep wages and place through the kindly sympathy of an employer, but you will eventually get no more compensation than you can make your self worth.
 Let me say to all women who have already entered upon the battles of life that the time is coming when women shall not only get as much salary and wages as men get, but for certain styles of employment women will have higher salary and more wages, for the reason that for some styles of work they have more adaptation. But this justice will come to woman not through any senti- ment of gallantry, not because woman is physically weaker than man, and therefore ought to have more consider ation shown her, but because through her finer natural taste, and more grace of manner, and quicker perception, and more delicate touch, and more educated adroitness, she will in certain callings be to her employer worth 10 per cent more or 20 per cent more than the oth- er sex. She will not get it by asking for 1t, but by earning it, and 1t shall be hers by lawful conquest.
 Now, men of America, be fair and give the women chance. Are you afraid that they will do some of your work, and hence harm your prosperitiesT Remember that there are scores of thousands of men doing women's work. Do not be afraid. God knows the end from the beginning, and he knows how many people this world can feed and shelter, and when it gets too full he will end the world and if need be start an other. God will halt the inventive fac ulty which, by producing a machine that will do the work of 10 or 20 or 100 men and women, will leave that number of people without work. hope that there will not be invented another sewing machine, or reaping machine, or corn thrasher, or any other new ma chine for the next 500 years. We want no more wooden hands, and iron hands, and steel hands, and electric hands sub- stituted for men and women, who would otherwise do the work and get the pay and earn the livelihood
 Trust In God.
 Int (ypA i'll an ol1