Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02

ISOLATION of New York, "she was not the
woman she is today-the bright, intelligent,
sometimes intellectual woman who is often
so well able to help herself that she needs
little or no assistance. She was the scrub
woman, If you please. prone on her knees
the livelong day, the woman who cleaned
the window panes so the sun could come In
the washerwoman. Today you, the news
paper woman, are called working woman,
are you not?
The reporter admitted It,
Then" resumed Miss Doheny, "you
would have scorned the name When we
took the working woman in hand we did so
more to help the impoverished gentlewoman
of both north and south than anything else.
She was practically helpless-not only help
less. but proud as Lucifer, particularly the
gentlewoman of the south.
1T was necessary that she do something
for her living, but she would do nothing
that in any way lowered her dignity. The
only course left open to her in that early
day. then. was to teach. no matter how
badly she taught. The result was that the
supply exceeded the demand, and there were
almost more teachers than there were pu-
pills. She thought it beneath her to go out
as shop woman or stenographer or to earn
her bread in the divers and sundry ways
that the working woman has now of earn
ing hers. She must do it in genteel man
ner or starye.
Now. as you know, this feeling is done
away with. There Is at the present day no
limit to the possibilities of the working
woman, and there is nothing honorable in
the way of work that she Is ashamed to put
her hand to do.
Il am proud to say that We have helped
largely toward the elimination of this state
of things.
From the first we have done our best to
aid her, and, above all. we have refrained
from woundng her sense of pride by dub
bling her this woman To she is and
has always been this woman the indi-
vidual working woman, entitled to our re-
spect and receiving 1t.
And yet, working quietly. without blare
of trumpets. we have somehow Jagged be-
hind in the race. Among the multitudinous
charities which blazon themselves abroad
in the land we are practically unnoticed.
When we are noticed we are wondered at.
Those who see 1t are amazed at the up-to-
date nature of our work in this institution
the great artists who now and then come to
examine the work of our pupils, the doctors
the lights of the literary world
There is a reason for all this, and after
due consideration / have begun to believe
that it is on account of our name. It makes
against u.s.
1T is strange. but true, that the word
Christianity appears with the wide-awake
people of the world who are up and doing
to stand for retrogression. for narrow
mindedness. for every possible thing that
Is opposed to the progress of the world. par
ticularly so far as women are concerned
Personally ] believe that St. Paurs charge
to woman that she keep still in meeting
has retarded her progress for centuries; but,
In spite of the fact that 1t is not always the
deeply Christian woman who does the most
talking now. the ban should not reach so
far as the present day, and does not.
Though the Christian woman is doing her
work perhaps more quietly. permitting her
left hand to know somewhat less Of what
her right hand Is doing than her more
worldly and brilliant sister, she is neverthe-
less keeping up fairly well with the progress
OF the time. And yet as cay. when these
great men visit US they are amazed that we
should employ the best teachers for our
classes that we should pay them the prices
we do, that they should teach so well.
And while we are here in the heart Of
the city. New York rarely hears OF us. You,