The National tribune., 1907-08-08

social viewpoint In America 4 domeS
tic servant is almost the very last thin
a girl chooses to be, no matter hoy
poor her surroundings or limited he
education. In spite of the conStan
and ever-increasing demand for serv
ants, in spite of the healthfulneSS o
the work. the almost luxurious accom-
modations that servants have in tn
homes of the wealthy class, in spite o
the really handsome wages Eow almos
universally paid for domestic service.
girl will go into a shop. or imperfect,
fit herself for some business occupation
rather than take up the Sc-conSidcret
menial work of domestic service. The
money paid for such service is almost
clear profit, for nearly every dollar
could be saved if the servant We're sc
inclined. Ordinarily, no wage Garner
has better chance to save money thar
the domestic servant, yet comparatively
few in this country ever do save {
penny Occasionally. however, one
hears of a sensible, long-hcaded, thrifty
servant whose example should point d
moral and adorn 4 tale for the rest oi
his class. Robert Stubbs, the English
butler of the Honorable Levi p. Morton
furnishes case in point. He was q
good butler, of course, and the Mortons
felt they could not keep house without
Stubbs. he went with them to Paris
when Mr.. Morton was made Minister to
France, was an important member of
the Vice Presidents menage in Wash
fngton, as well as of the Gubernatorial
mansion at Albany. when Mr.. Morton
was made Governor of New York State.
The butler was thrifty and saved his
money. made a few wise Investments, as
sisted by his employers advice, and
now it appears he is about to retire
with fortune of 100000. which he
proposes TO take with him to his native
England. where he viii end his days in
digniiied ease and comfort, a person of
eminent consideration among those of
his class. MIR. Charles NJ. ScAwab, the
steel magnate, has very decided ideas
on this subject of domestic service, and.
referring particularly to women, says
there is no field which offers better OPP
portunities for success. Home is the
only place for woman, Mr.. Schwab
thinks; no matter what her ability. she
has greater work to do there than else
where, and every woman obliged TO earn
her own living should seek occupation
in some home. The position OF domes-
tic servant, instead of being a disgrace.
as commonly viewed, is the proudest
a woman can occupy and the work
the nobleSt. Mr.. Schwab denies that
girls in service are not treated with the
same respect accorded girls in shops,
etc, and insists that this IS entirely
matter of the girls personality A
IL
no matter in what station of life she is
placed. AS to independence, there is no
class of wage-earners who enjoy the in
dependence of the domestic servant.
Mr.. .Schwab has the good oid-fashioned
idea that it is far more important to
teach girl, whether the child of rich
or poor parents, to cook, take care of
q house, wash, and sew. than that she
should learn languages, literature,
etc. If women only realized it, he says,
he ind af Il
is not she who is ambitious for worldly
power, brilliant in intellect, and scorn-
full of the domestic virtues and accom-
plishmentS, but the woman of sweetness
of temper who can, If necessary, cook
three good square meals for her hus-
band and make his home a haven of
rest. 1t would be great thing if this
stigma on domestic service could be
wiped out, and the occupation take it's
proper place among the dignified, desir-
able, self-respecting professions of the
day, attracting to it the intelligent and
capable. In the homes of the wealthy
are duties for which women are nat
urally fitted, which afford great oppor-
funities for the display of intelligence
and ability, and which carry with them
formed. Take girl of refined parent
age who finds herself obliged TO earn
her living. Usually, she seeks position
In some shop, becomes a stenographer
something OF tnat sort, nNlng, III
she has no home, In Stuffy little third
story back of cheap boarding place
Think how much better. how much cas-
Ter, and pieasanter every way would
be a position as parlor maid, for in
>stance, in the home of some rich person
where her work would be the care OF
beautiful things. the arrangement of
flowers, etc, where she would probably
have considerable leisure, the best food
to eat, a comfortable, if not pretty, room
all to herself. and excellent wages Or
If she thot only of the money, and fitted
herself TO be a frst-clasS cook, think
of the demand for such service and of |
the tremendous wages a first-class cook |
receives, especially in our large cities. |
The great wealth of the present day has |
created demand for skilled labor in |
domestic service, and any girl who
knows she must earn her living when
she becomes old enough would do well
to train herself in some particular
branch OF domestic work, comforting
herself with the idea that when she is
prepared, if she has made an expert
of herself. be il only in bed making,
sweeping and busting, she can choose
her place. and receive wages, which, If
she cares to save her money, will some
day make her an independent woman. |
Thru the purchases of ]. Pierpont
Morgan and others of his tastes and
the where-with-all with which to graf |
tfy them, Europe is waking up to the |
fact that we are getting entirely too |
many of her art treasures consequentlv |
the Italian government has lately passed |
laws restricting the sale of such objects. |
and a bill is now before the Spanish
Cortes making il serious misdemeanor
for Spaniard to part with anything
of this kind without first consulting the
Minister of Fine Arts. In spite of this.
however, Sir Purden Clark, who has
been in London lately making negotia-
tions for several additions to the Met
ropolitan Museum of New York, saws
that more and more art treasures go to
America every year. and that this coun-
try is destined to become the richest
treasure-house of art in the world
While the foreign countries regard this
drift with dismay, the foreign art deal
ers put up the prices, knowing well that
rich collectors like Morgan will simply
pay any price. Mr.. Clark thinks ii a
pity that. instead of spending such vast
sums in this way, men like Morgan do
not devote portion of il TO the devel-
opment of modern American talent. Mr.
Clark regrets that the tariff is so heavy
on works of art, and considers IL most
unfortunate that Mr.. Morcan's collec-
tion at kensington Museum should be
allowed to remain there on account of
the tariff. IL everything anteda;inp the
18th century could be brought in free
homo iplrSf ries Ia