The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-09-06


terness because could see the end
coming. There is no one VIII is in
any way bound to help us. Why
should / let false pride keep me
from doing honest labor of the hand?
And there Is more of it than you
imagine, mother dear. 1t takes more
than a low order of intellect to man
age the affairs of family as
housekeeper. doesn't it?"
Mrs. Clark did not answer, and Bar
bara went on: you know, mother, |
made q special study in college of So
cial economies. The application of
those principles to real live prob
lem had great fascination for me.
Now, the hired-girl problem in this
country is a real, live, social and eco
nomic problem. Why shall l not be
able to do as much real service to So
ciety and the home life of America by
entering service as a hired girl and
studying il from the inside, as If went
into a schoolroom like other school
ma'ams, to teach? l love adventure.
Why not try this? No one knows how
much l might be able to do for hui
manity socially as hired girl"
Mrs. Clark looked at her daughter
again with that questioning look of
doubt which she often felt when Bar
bara spoke in n certain way. IT was
not the girls habit to treat any sub
iect flippantly. She was talking with
great seriousness now, and yet there
were ideas in what she said that her
mother could not in the least under
stand.
But even from money point OF
view, mother, such position MS this is
not to be despised. If my services are
satisfactory, / can get $4.75 or even
/ five dollars week, and my board and
lodging and washing and other incl
| dentals thrown in. Suppose / had u
position as n stenographer in one of
the offices downtown. | could not pos
| sibly command over $50 a month. Out
of that take my board, lodging, wash
/ ing, clothes, etc. And could not pos
sibly save out of it over ten dollars a
/ month. Whereas, working out at
service. ] could save twice that much
in actual wages. If / go into Bond
y
clerk, ! cannot get over five dollars a
week. out of which ! must board, lodge
and dress myself. Mother. have
thought il all out. and | feel that |
must go in answer to this advertise
ment. ! don't mind the social stigma.
do mind the bitterness of living in
idleness at home. Let me do some
thing useful if it is only for a little
while. | am sure servant can he
useful"
at is a dreadful thought to me,
Barbara" said Mrs Clark with a sigh.
81 never dreamed that a child of mine
would ever be hired girl!'"
Say servant mother. Servant is
a noble word. Christ was a servant.
Don't You remember DR.. Laws sermon
on that word last Sunday
The girl spoke lightly, not knowing
herself the depth of the truth She
stated. and yet her mother started and
shrunk back almost as if the words
were sacrilege. 1t is possible, how
ever, that the Older woman caught
some glimpse of that great Light i'm
the social life of men; for, when she
spoke again, it was with yielding Ia
Barbara's wish that was new to her.
Il don't understand you, Barbara
If only the money that your father
saved for your education had been
more wisely invested. we might-but
il is too late to think of that now. IT
is the thought that you are throwing
away your preparation for life on
something beneath you that makes me
oppose this. But if you do go from this
other motive, that changes matters
somewhat"
"Of course it does, mother! Let me
go. I should not be happy to go with
out your consent. | will do this: ! wi!
go for trial. This is probably the
only way | can go, anyhow. But, il
after IA reasonable time ! find it is inn
possible for me to continue, if even my
dream of any possible service to so
ciety turns out to be ridiculous or fool
ish, | will come back and-and-be {
burden TO you again, mother, until
find out what ! am good for in this
world
at is only on some such condition
that l am at ALI willing to have you
take this step, Barbara said hel
mother, reluctantly, as Barbara ros'
and stood up by her for n moment il
silence. She suddenly stopped ant
kissed her mother, and then walked
over to the window and looked at hel
watch.
after six. might as well go RICH
over there now"
"rhey will ask you for references,
the mother spoke up, nervously, al
ready doubling the wisdom of TIT
whole affair.
J Barbara resolutely gathered up he
courage.
81 have Prof. Whites letter-tht
, Chautauqua summer, mother, l can
{ take those" Barbara referred to
summers experience when in compan!
, with several seniors from the colleg,
she had served as head waiter ant
: housekeeper at a large hotel in a stat,
} Chautauqua assembly.
so c,oNI 20 thaV frn ~