Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-06

| mere IS Ielt keeniy INC idSh Va
brain and gray matter. not Of blind
willingness and bovine obedience In
the kitchen. That. as before said, IL
the reason why when Abigail sweeps
the floor dust taketh wings and fieth
to the picture frames and the ceiling;
why the meat is overdone or under
done: why the dishes are nicked and
the substance wasted. And there Is as
much sense in finding fault and blam-
ing as in Tuning because one cannot
pick figs from thistles. The thisties OF
life choke out the figs for the most
part. While there really are fgs. they
never grow on thistles.
| The one answer to the question as to
what shall be done in the case OF in
adequate intelligence in the kitchen
lseems to presuppose itself. Brains
there must be in the house or 1t will
fall. II there are none in the kitchen
there must be some In the parlor, and
the motive power must extend to the
kitchen and supply the need there.
When the room Is swept there must
tho queen reign, her throne must be
movable into the quarters where the
bread is made and the dishes washed.
She must pervade the house with
her superior intelligence and above ali
she must be able to perform herself,
perfectly. in the manner which she ad-
| yocates, the tasks which she sets the
servant She may not actually do
| them, but she must know how with
head and hands She must be trained
like any teacher in the lessons which
she gives before she can teach to adj
vantage.
But the mistress may have no moro
! fitness for her position than the maid
for hers. She may not only lack abii-
ity but the power 10 acquire ability.
| What then? The chances are that
| while<4wo and two exist they can never
be combined, that while the household
remains there will never be peace and
order and work we'll done. And there
| is still another contingency.
The mistress may be abundantly
| able. she may have the knowledge
| which gives her the right to teach. she
| may have the power to enforce the
teaching by the authority Of example.
! and vet manifest duty may point out
another path for her willing but re-
stricted feet. There are cases in which
a woman would not save but squander.
| would not do right hut wrong. in de-
voting herself entirely to the manage
ment of her household and servants.
| Sometimes the queen must go abroad
and work and war in sterner and
broader fields and forsake her closet
and her bread and honey. Sometimes
| it is she who has to count out the
money.
What then? The problem remains
stated, its solution indicated but inn
possible. Abigails come and 60. and
i the dirt and disorder and discomfort
remain. deficiency graduates with
out laurels and the new aspirant takes
her place, until the end.
There is no way out which IS in
:allible, though many may be suggest
ed. Possibly the awakening of selfish
| interest, which igncble thing is. after
all. a powerful mind tonic for the most
of us, might stir the sluggish nature
and rouse the dormant faculties to en-
ergy. What that selfish interest should
be could be proved by experiment.
Possibly small new privileges or re-
| wards, although those are always
doubtful; possibly system of profi:'
| sharing, or rather saving-sharinS,
might work we'll But that is all suS-
sestion. and the first experiment might
prove the futility of it. Possibly the
caste Of the domestic servant might be
elevated gradually by a careful and
| iudicious system until in time the po-
sit,on came to be considered more de-
sirable BY the intelligent class capable
| of skilled labor. That may seem to
advocate the old New England system
OF havin. hired man and girl sit at the
table With the family, but # need not
necessarily involve that. The servant
] might have her quarters made more
befi.ting a person in higher walk OF
life. her manner of dressing might 10
improved and she might be made to
feel that her work was her distinction.
instead Of her disgrace. and In time It
might all be better. But who knows?
The problem. although old as the
world and lightly spoken Of. Is serious.
involving as 1t does the power and
leisure to do lasting work Of the best
workers in the world. Unless Abigail
, serves well. the judge, the physician.
the teacher. the scholar. the writer. are
| in a great measure powerless: but Who
shall regulate the serving Of Abigail?
The Poet and the OH'eer.
carducci the Ireat Italian poet who