The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-30
THAT THEY CAN'T COOK
ONE OBSTACLE IN THE POOR or
THE TENEMENTS.
Mothers. DreadlnE Domestic Service for
Their Daughters. Bring Them Up In
Ignorance OF HOusewOrk What the
Little Mothers Aid Society Is Doing.

IUetf DdUkUteTs, bTlUk Ineln I'D IN
Ignorance OF HousewOrk What the
Little Mothers Aid Society Is Doing.
There lie no class Of girls who know so
little about cooking and housekeeping
"a the girls OF our tenement houses" said
Mrs. Clarence Burns. the president and
moving spirit of the Little Mothers Aid
Association.
Il don't refer TO the girls of the New York
tenement houses particularly, but 10 the same
class in all our large cities. The tenement
house girl is not only ignorant OF all a woman
should know to enable her TO perform prop
erly the duties of wife and mother, but she
takes the greatest pride in that Ignorance.
Their mothers, II possible, are even more
boastful Of having brought their daughters
up, as they express 1t, not knowing how to
do a lick of work.
zone instance hat comes to my mind
inst now lie that Of a tenement house woman
who was a most g excellent cook. She had been
in the service Of the same family for several
years when she married the coachman.
From the birth OF her daughters she de-
clared her intention Of bringing them up
in ignorant idleness.
I'm going to raise my daughters to be
ladies' she would proclaim. I've had to
work out, and | know what /, is. don't
intend my daughters shall ever do il. They
shall never lift their hands to do cooking
and Homework. When they grow up
they will have more to thank me for than
lever had to thank my mother. My daugh-
ters shall be ladies'
eShe kept her word. Now her daughters
are both grown women. They are sales
women, or 10 use their own expression.
'~salesladies.' Their mother speaks with
the greatest satisfaction Of the amount
they earn each week. the balls and ex-
oursions they attend, never failing 10 boast
that abe raised them like ladies and they
couldn't make even a cup Of coffee il their
lives depended on il.
THAT woman Is typical Of the women Of
the tenement houses. Their idea OF a lady
IL a woman who has no responsibilities, and
does only exactly what she wishes. Hav-
ing been drudges all their lives they could
never fancy any woman preierring 10 know
about or do homework. They all know
the stigma tina is put on the servant class
and II they have lived out themselves they
know from actual experience what a humili-
ating grind the life Of the average domestic
servant is,
The root OF the evil, as ! see It. is the
stigma that Ia pN on domestic service
!. u -" great that the word servant in it,
colf has become an insult. Why? Because
TO he a servant means being at the beck and
cali OF another. 10 have no rights Of one a
own. In every other work. trade or pro-
feesion the worker has rights. Their hours
are limited and their duties are within
prescribed bounds. The hours OF the aver
- a.z..L sLAAunk Nhn AnVtRa
twenty-four and she does whatever she is
ordered 20 do.
sshe not only occupies the poorest room
In the house, but often she has 20 eat the
ecraps that are left from her employers
meals. How many persons treat their
servants With az much respect as they do