Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-07-31

night. or had some extra company for
dinner. suddenly I would find myself
seryantless. with all the work TO 10 in
the kitchen. could not stand the
strain" When the servant girl goes
out of the American home. then the
front door OF that American home is
barred and locked.
A Vital Institution.
But" says some one to me, SIS the
responsibility OF the American girl who
| will not become domestic servant SO
great? Cannot men and women who
live In boarding houses and hotels be
just as good as those husbands ard
wives who have their own hcmesf"
No. my brother. do not think so.
believe the Christian home Is the most
vital institution for Sood i'm all Amer
| lea. i believe il is the foundation
stone not only OF the altar of Christ.
but also of the temple OF neighborly
love and also OF our national legisla-
tive hall. III man is not anchored In
a locality by n home. that implies he
| has, rs rule, no individual church-
connection. He is not living under the
shadow of the church spire where his
father lived and where his children
were born.
The home is the foundation stone of
| the temple OF patriotism. Ii has been
well said by great writer, ''The surest
way TO destroy anarchy IS TO bring
about a social condition where every
man can own home" When man
sits upon his own doorstep he truly
feels he Is an American citizen. He
Will then. IL necessary, be more willing
| TO die for that country OF which his
home is part. And one OF the great
est curses blasting our large cities to-
day is not that their people are bad.
but that they are becoming people
without homes. They are living for
the most part in boarding houses and
in rented rooms, from which they can
move out at couple Of weeks notice.
oh, women OF America whom God is
calling to the service of a domestic, 1
plead end beg OF you to take up your
noble work. plead and beg of you
In the name OF Christ that you help
save the homes, the Christian homes.
No throne OF usefulness, I care not
how high 1t may be, can ever overtop
that which makes 1t possible for the
little children TO gather around their
own Preside
The royal domestic is a queen. The
kitchen and the nursery are the places
where God expects woman naturally
20 serve, / have no use for those mas
culine cynics who would debar women
from the different yocations of life.
Some men, no matter what the genius
OF woman may be, would slam the
door of all useful means of earning an
honest livelihood in their sisters faces.
They say "a woman should not be q
lawyer, doctor, minister. a MGR
chant, an artist, q writer or anything
else but wife and a mother" But
this is what do affirm: All things be-
ing equal, a woman ought to seek
those vocations which are naturally
hers and let the men fill those positions
which naturally belong to them. 1t is
not natural for woman to be soldier,
fireman. a policeman. 1t is not nat,
ural for her to dig In the gutter or
work as day laborer in the fields, as
she is compelled to do in foreign lands.
1t Is not natural for her to slave in n
factory or TO fill many OF the clerical
positions she is filling today. While,
on the other hand. Ii is natural for her
TO be nurse. a dressmaker, a cook, a
chambermaid, waitress, n school
teacher and lady's companion, and
hundreds OF other positions we might
easily mention.
Now, when n woman deserts the no.
sitions for which God has specially
equipped her. what is the inevitable re-
suit? Her work Is not only left IN
done, but she becomes competitor
against her father and brothers for
theirs. What is again the inevitable
result? BY the law OF supply and de-
mand she not only underbids her
brother for his position, but by. that
bidding the whole system OF wages goes
down. She is the sufferer. He is the
sufferer, The mischief is far reaching.
1t Is the result OF her turning aside
from her natural employment I'm which
there Is pressing need OF her service
and in which she could find constant
occupation at remunerative wages.
She leaves place untitled and forces
her way into a walk OF life already
overcrowded and In which her compe-
$1,000 - AOhC " OlltCI NOIktTS.
Oh" some one says TO me, ''that Is
the old argument OF jealous man.
You do not like TO feel that your sister
Is Just as smart as you are and per-
hops little smarter and can take
away your job and do 1t better for
less money" No, my friend. can
conscientiously say ] have not one
Jealous hair I'm my head. The more
other people succeed the more I glory
In their success, and to me there is
no more beautiful sight than TO see n
young girl whose father and brothers
are dead so forth and seek position
which her talent gives her n right 10
NIL and bring money home and throw II
In the lap OF her widowed mother.
But this Is the social condition against
which I do protest: protest against
our daughters and sisters pushing their
ratners and brothers out OF work, so
That the girls have 10 support the male
members OF the family, while the fa-
theirs and brothers are idle because
their places have been taken by wom-
en- have known scores and hundreds
OF men over fifty years OF age who
were physically able to do work, but
could not get work merely because
their daughters, who ut that time
should have been at school, were I'LL
ing the positions which their fathers
and brothers ought TO have filed.
The Christian Domestic.
Now, women OF America whom God
has called to be consecrated domest!cs.
l plead with you to enter the kitchen
and the nursery and the home because
that is one OF your natural spheres
that is place where God wants you TO
work. The Christian domestic should
be honored both on earth and In heav-
en- because she is not only able to do
her own work, but also to impress her
consecrated life indelibly upon Others.
Did she not do IT with the emperor OF
all the Russias? When the old nurse
of Emperor Alexander died did he not.
as well as all his brothers. who were
grand dukes, follow that sacred body
70 the family tnpah9 H,to, -