The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-09-27
AN EMERGENCY WOMAN.

SGfSAaA yIdAo ago was l6IL III
position that necessitated my making
money" said woman to a Chicago
Inter Ocean reporter. "I had no spe-
ciality, no training for self-support.
was gentlewoman with common
sense and good judgment. 1 knew
good deal about housekeeping and its
problems, as every conscientious wo-
man who has had a home of her own
does, but was not willing to take
regular employment in domestic SER
vice. At first I tried to find a place
as companion or secretary, but such
places were scarce and hadn't the
training for them.
In the meantime l helped several
of my acquaintance through times Of
domestic storm and stress, and, though
l hated it, allowed them to pay me.
A wealthy woman who knew of me
through family connection was call
ed to sick husband in Southern Cal
ifornia. She had small children and
no one save the ordinary nurses to
leave them with. It occurred to her
that I might be willing to take charge
of the house and family and she sent
for me in great rush. went and
stayed for three weeks. They paid
me royalty.
1t was while 1 had charge of that
home that I thought of making emer-
gency work my profession, and the
more thought of it, the more the
plan opened out and the more possi-
bilities it presented. I talked the
scheme over with a number of women
who could be depended upon to give
me employment and tell others about
me. They all agreed that there was
need of such services, and that they,
personally, would be glad to know Of
some one to whom they could turn in
any domestic complication.
II put my pride in my pocket and
was willing to help with anything
from tiding woman through sud-
den loss of servants to experimenting
housekeeping or running wedding.
Of course there are always caterers to
be found, but unless one employs the
best, pays big sum and goes in for
an elaborate affair, the caterer doesn't
always fill the requirement. Ordin-
ary entertainments need what I've
heard servants call the lady touch.
A woman of refinement and good
breeding knows how to do things in
fashion that is quite distinct from
the ordinary caterers methods. She
has knack with flowers. She knows
exactly how to make room all that
is comfortable for unexpected
guest.
"Illness gives rise to number of
calls for me, though I'm no trained
nurse. I'm fairly good nurse as
amateur nurses go, but my work is
more often outside of the sickroom
than in it, @ taking ehagge of tbe b JHYaiy JAAuse
matters. Very often I've taken in
valids away when there was no MEM
Der of the family who could 60, and
the person was not i'll enough to need
trained nurse. In the families
where I have obtained a hold and
where they know me well, they have
learned to depend upon me and would
rather have me at hand than strange
professional, even if they have to pay
me as much or more than they have
to pay to the professional.
"I've helped great many young
brides through the first domestic reefs
and shoals. In most cases they have
been the daughters of families where
I have been called in, and so they
have grown used to thinking Of me
as help in time of trouble.
cit isn't very impossible profess
sion, is it? will never make for
tune at it, and I know some of my
friends look upon the work as menial,
but l had not one talent, and I need
ed money"