The Washington herald., 1909-10-31
ECONOMY inEIlRED

parts OF Great Britain. Even where the
fever Of emigration has unsettled the
old order Of things. there is always one
stay-at-home daughter 10 take her share
In tolls for which increasing age is dis
aiding the old mother. 1t is superfiuous
to add that Bridget and Thekla con
tribute steadily and literally Of their
earnings in the. new world to the SUD-
port OF the old folks at home" Wit
ness the incredibly large sums that 20
through the mails over the sea fro-,,
Foreign servants on this side.
Florence and Gladys are not To be
classed with the foreigners" They
DeIohg 70 native families; they were
graduated from good public schools.
they go with nice people, Including
nice young men. and esch has the sure
ana conndent expectation Of marrying
wei when she has had her ling In
what Is to her as truly Society" with
tai capital letter. as the same word
,slBRlhes Inc best people" to the mil
ltonaire's wife
Marrying welP implies the ability 10
keep girl when the bride becomes
wife. FOr-and here comes the most
pluIul side OF the story-nOt one OF the
operative daughters, who might live at
home II she would. knows the rudiments
OF practical hOGsewifery. A gardener
whom L once employed had married a
factory girl-a prettyish little doll, who
could not broil a steak or make a bis
cult 10 save her life. The husband did
the cooking and spent his evenings az
the sewing machine cobbling clothes for
the expected baby.
Keeping a girl" Gor Florence and
GLADYS nave not quite attained 10 the
maid nomenclature stands with them
Tor exemption from work they. with
other shOpg1rls. have been taught to re-
gard as degrading. II Mother has
Kept third-rate specimen OF the genus,
her daughter Will have a fOurth-rate
specimen OF the costly luxury. She IS
always that. She wastes more OF the
food bought with honest Johns wages
than would have suficed 10 feed the
irish or German or southern old folks
and their progeny; and our whilOme
operative Is exceptionally lucky II the
girl" does not Dilfer as well as waste
Would / make household drudge OF
a nne young creature who Is capable
OF higher aims?
That was the substance OF a reply
made by a professor in Hampton Insti
tute to my application for a couple OF
girls who would work IN a country
house for good wages during their vacs-
ton. / represented. timidly. as / saw
the gathering cloud upon the professor 8
face, that many college boys are walt
ers in hotels IN the summer. and thus
help 70 put themselves through the
course.
Please recollect that our pupils have
higher aspirations than domestic sery-
ice was the opening sentence OF the
retOrt that Quenched my desire TO Tend
hand" TO some ambitious and indie
pendent learner.
High-Sounding Heresy.
had a similar and. II possible, more
crushing answer from a noted Dhiian-
fhr0Tfgf yIrhn Cafflaroavfg nd rf~fa
clubs ia a metropolitan city:
Our girls have higher ideals than
homework"
is It a marvel that Florence and
Gladys should echo the high-sounding
heresyP Tor heresy hold Il TO be, IN
view OF the truth that II women do
not learn how TO keep houses, the
home will cease out OF the land.
A mother whose bright son Is ex-
pected 10 raise the family IN the world,
as mech anical engineer. told me
pridefully that she had not had a
plumber or other mechanic IN the
house for three years. Johnny mends
ali the locks and bells and puts in
window glass, and actually takes the
range and water pipes 10 pieces and
sets them right again told hts
father today that the boy had saved
US literally hundreds OF dollars in the
last four years"
The proud parent has two daughters.
one OF whom is q stenographer and
the other q 'salesiady" in a depart
ment store. A girl" is hired 70 cook,
do chamber and general housework
and TO assist IN the washing.
dare 10 assert, without asking
any questions. that either Florence or
Gladys could have saved as much IN
the four years as Johnny has done
had she remained at home 10 do all
the homework except the washing
and ironing and what part Is assumed
by the patient. white-haired mother.
1 learned. incidentally, that neither OF
the girls contributes anything 20 the
FAMILY income beyond table Boards
per week. She could save twice the
sum by putting her shoulder 20 the
domestic wheel Furthermore, she
could. by her companionship and care.
cheer and prolong the afternoon OF
life for the parent who is now the sole
homemhker.
7 believe firmly. and I have adyo-