New-York tribune., 1905-01-24
IS NURSERY GOVERNESS.
Miss Bensley's Experience in Wealthy
Home-Some little Savages."


The passion for investigating, which induced
Mrs. and Miss Van Worst TO make 1heir descent
into factory life Miss Lillian Petteneill to live
the life of a servant girl for a year and record
her experiences and Miss Frances Kellar to go
the rounds of the intelligence offices in three
cities both as employer and emplcye. has led Miss
Martha Bensley 10 investigate the uph .nei.g OF
the American child
Miss Bensey who mad ~.lNeC cher IL
Chicago schools was commissioned h Every
bolv,s Maeozine.. 80. seek service $ lursare
soverness, obtaining positions N IA p-'''FF way
through employment agenc!ee aad rct ermine
heI uuties WIN VIM, 10 h'' ~ ~ -, ,,,
As Anna tI7'N' IN n Il, -
takinr the yopog Wonoen,s = isr... 4es,ciatfon
as her basis Of operations He 'ae ne found
the women in Sh1rse Ct r (<'3, .F'e'{ t. KING nd
stenographers. bockkeeip. FORKS aaa ,taer husi-
ness women boarding H ., Aoas'
Even the girls ~. sos flln. r. e.ne tha
elevetor for III il r.o.'' 'Si' % - 10 lied on
meath rgse then ~ $ uc sey
Her Nrst interview, was -.1.A . re.t- youns
mother whose sole .ar-uoo i ii, .e'.o' . vaoa,
What do you usually year "a,a -. s-e IN a
tsoTgbt pa1s .aeo sa nt4 to he ett ,oae oany one
to relieve her of the care or har three children,
Unable to employ nursery goser''ess and a cook,
she frankly S 6h ,' m | R PFsfeF5SG e6Sren To
Get Iie ''-''is io'''N' -'''' ~
hn mrs vas .o%eI Ioo,nr for nurs. ~ governers Mrs
flower was iooh-nh io1 d ~ "a % ne ne
two doeg-in other worLs. 10. :. Flenc. soverness
Loroberr,ai6 and nurse in ,n-acd sh, exclaimed
,1o on. arl for bar Any person whom
she employed was TO eat with the servants
T7iaI,,- NC Fa,eIe,, engaged to undertake the
t -, t,,s =; - sr 90 . nErs
Martin. where she was to share the of the
youngest and eat with the family.
Those three little girls aged eight, nine and ten,
were hardly acquainted with their parents. The
only time the family were all together
| dinner when what little conversation there
| was entirely between the parents. Except at the
| emergencies
For the entire of their three daughters these
people willing to give only IS week, with
board and half a room. Their chauffeur was PAID
| slOO a month. He had only tho OF machine;
their eoyerness to whom was tntrusted the entire
charge of the three little girls body. mind and
The one was a trained mechanic; the other po-
sition REQUIRED more Qualification than l. a college
| woman and teacher OF considerable experience.
could boast" writes Miss Bensley.
Aithough there was money In abundance and
Mrs Marin was most generous in providing equip
ment for the education of her daughters. the lat
ter had been grossly neglected. Laura, the eight
year-old hardly knew the alphabet, and had not
made even q beginning the multiplication table.
| Margaret. her elder by year, was even worse
when 7 asked Margaret anything that she did
| not know (and it was difficult to avoid i) her
usual reply was: y don't know and l don't want
70 know, and won't try. so there. now! or, per-
| thats what YOU'RE here for,
F1thei yFas several degrees better than Margaret.
SSnisSnoenti thew thouSSt that they learned their
feEsons Tor my 6eneht only, and their mother en-
ooura9ed as she had created this mental attitude.