The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-04-19
BENTON LOUISIANA. THURSDAY,

lney 40 practical work, it is diShonor-
able. That our young women may es-
cape the censhre of doing dishonora-
bic work, l shall particularize. You
may knit tidy for the back of an arm
chair. but by no means make the money
wherewith to buy the chair. You NAV
with delicate brush beautify man
tel ornament, but die rather than earn
enough to buy marble mantel You
may learn artistic music until you can
squall Italian, but never sing ''Orton-
ville' or ''Old Hundredth." Do moth
ing practical if you would, in the eyes
OF refined society, preserve your re-
spectability. ] scout these finical no.
tions. l tell you woman, no more
than man, has right to occupy
place in this world unless she pays a
rent for it.
In the course of a lifetime you con-
sumo whole harvests and droves of cat
tie and every day you live and breathe
40 hogsheads of good, pure air. You
must by some kind of usefulness pay
for all this. Our race was the last thin.,,
created-the birds and fishes on the
fourth day, the cattle and lizards on
the fifth day and man on the sixth day.
If biologists are right, the earth was
100000 of years in the possession of
the insects, beasts and birds before our
race came upon it. In one sense we
were invaders. The cattle, the lizards
and the hawks had preemption right.
The question is not what we are to do
with lizards and summer insects, but
what the lizards and summer insects
are to do with us. If we want place
in this world, we must earn it. The
partridge makes it's own nest before it
occupies it. The lark by its morning
song earns it's breakfast before it eats
it, and the Bible gives an intimation
that the first duty of an idler is to
starve when it says: eff he will not
work, neither shall he eat" idleness
ruins the health, and very soon nature
says: This man has refused to pay his
rent. Out with him!" Society is to be
reconstructed on the subject of wom-
ans toll. A vast majority of those who
would have woman Industrious shut
her up to a few kinds of work. My
judgment in this matter is that wom-
an has right to do anything she can
do well. There should be no depart
| ment of merchandise, mechanism, ART
or science barred against her. If Miss
Hosmer has genius for sculpture, give
| her a chisel. If Rosa Bonheur has a
| fondness for delineating animals, let
| her make "The Horse Fair" If Miss
! Mitchell will study astronomy, let her
mount the starry ladder.
Years ago, one Sabbath night in the
vestibule of our church, after service,
a woman fell in commissions. The doc
much as something to eat. AS she be-
gan to revive in her delirium she said,
gaspingly: Eight cents! Eight
cents! 1 wish 1 could get it done. l
am so tired. 1 wish could get some
sleep, but l must get it done. Eight
cents! Eight cents!" We found aft
erward that she was making gar
ments for eight cents apiece and that
she could make but three of them in
day. Hear it! Three times eight
are "a. Hear it, men and women who
have comfortable homes! Some of
| the worst villains of our cities are the
employers of these women. They
beat them down to the last penny and
| try to cheat them out of that. The
woman must deposit dollar or two
before she gets the garments to work
on When the work is done it is sharp
ly inspected, the most insignificant
flaws picked out and the wages re-
fused and sometimes the dollar de-
posted not given back. The Women's
Protective union reports case where
one of the poor souls, finding place
where she could get more wages. re-
solved to change employers and went
to get her pay for work done. The
employer said: Il hear you are going
to leave me?'' EYES," she said, land
1 have come to get what you owe me-
He made no answer. She said: care
you not going to pay me?" Yes" he
said. 81 will pay you," and he kicked
her downstairs.
Oh. that Women's Protective union!
The blessings of Heaven be on it fol
the merciful and Divine work it is do
ing in the defense of toiling woman
| hood. What tragedies of suffering are
presented to them day by day!
paragraph from their report: "Car
YOU make Mr.. Jones pay me? Hs
owes me for three weeks at $3.50 &
week, and 1 can't get anything, ant
my child is very sick" The speaker
young woman lately widowed
burst into a flood of tears as sht
spoke. She was hidden to come agar
the next afternoon and repeat hel
story to the attorney at his usua
weekly hearing of frauds and imposi
tions. Means were found by which Mr.
Jones was induced to pay the $780,"
Another paragraph from their re
port: "a fortnight had passed, wher
She modestly limited desire to know
, how much her services were worth
oh. my dear he replied, you are get
ting to be one of the most valuabl,
hands in the trade. You will always
ret the very best price. Ten dollar