The St. Louis Republic., 1903-03-15

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Last spring Miss Rumbold of the
Wednesday Club headed a majority of the
clubs members who had decided among
themselves that to make domestic serv-
ice more attractive and acceptable to young
women, it must be elevated above the
menial atmosphere that now pervades It,
and to do this 1t was suggested that there
should be a training school for women, un-
der the auspices of the Wednesday Club
and TO graduates, or those passing exam
ination. there should be a certificate Of
efficiency given by the club; that the hold
ers should be visiting help" at so much
per hour, going to their work as a clerk
to his office. leaving when the work they
had been hired to do was accomplished. -.
In this way 1t was argued, the small
family could have its work done up" at
less expense, and the help have more
time and surer feeling OF independence.
The plan has not yet been put into execu-
tion. In the meantime
1t is usually difficult to get through a
meantime in all affairs of LIFE.
In the meantime, there is void in the
day-books of employment agencies. "homes
are being given up for hotels--so 'tis
stated. and the newspapers are kept busy
printing want ads-girl wanted, girl wanted,
girl wanted announcements trailing them
selves down column after column.
1T is a shame!" l cried, after counting
up nearly 200 wants of this sort one morn
ing. Here are hundreds of good. Christian
homes yearning to take girls in and pay
them good wages.
1 decided TO fill one of these wants, at
least.
1 must confess. however at the outset
that 1t was a little less my desire to join
the helping hand" fraternity than it was
to find out a thing or two. that I made a
move as follows:
1 clipped fifty nice-looking ads-the ones
hat nd aft
ing me most.
1 bought at one of the dry goods stores
big ''telescope''-a grip. with proper yell
low lcather(O bindings-price H75; ten
yards of blue and white calico, 81; material
for two checked gingham aprons 80 cents;
three white aprons. so cents each, $l.5O.
There was an outlay OF A75
l worked industriously making the blue
calico dress with sleeves that buttoned Just
below the elbows and a collar that turned
well away from the throat.
Then donned It. But Il was so inappro-
priately becoming Qt would never do for a
hired girl to look pretty; knew that much)
that proceeded to disfigure myself.
1 parted my yellow hair. but 1t would not
down, and the little wisps accustomed to
being coaxed to curl by the iron were faith
full to their training and went straying
about over my forehead. So resorted to
the use Of a little white vaseline
The result was altogether satisfactory.
I could easily have passed for lately
landed" I had never liked my yellow hair,
but was glad now that had Tit was SO
undeniably Teutonic
OUTFIT INCLUDED
BOOK OF GERMAN POETRY
Into the telescope" went this frock, the
aprons, an old faded fannelette kfmona
ctwould never do for a hired girl to have
anything fresh and new), and down, down
in the very bottom, ! must own to slip
ping little book Of German poetry, for
felt that at a moment there might arise
occasion when would need soothing.
Next 1 trained my Southern tongue to
roll RS" until I could make quite a nice
burr in girl or horse; and then practiced
a little on II seen,' 81 could a. went" IT
would have came and II amt seen him."
Thus equipped, as to clothes and vocab-
ularyPI was ready to sally forth. But this
] could not we'll do until had assembled
the family in solemn conclave to announce
my intention.
There were objections. protestations and
commands But was obdurate.
"s am not going among thieves" 1 de-
clared. land. besides, down. in your own
kitchen there Is a hired girl wno,. have
heard you say, has snap and she must