The Washington herald., 1910-08-07
Domestic Employment
Need Not Be Mental,
and Many Girls Could
Find Greater Freedom
in Homes than in Of
fees or Shops.

-AAtt AAtfN WVMAA AVNnAlEEE EDDI UuQ lnELIl-
selves at the summit
II certain officials Of the government
will have no women stenographers about
them. there IS a good and sufficient rea-
son fer the stand they have taken out
side of that OF sex. The women who
have served them have failed 70 measure
up TO the standard Of the men who have
served them. With their failure We are
not concerned, but 10 suggest that there
are fields Of employment other than cler-
ical in which a woman can earn her
daily bread and feed those dependent up
on her without losing her self-respect or
her friends-her real friends.
The worldwide cry is that the profess
slons and trades are all overcrowded. but
here in America there IS one trade. at
least. that IS not overcrowded. and that
IS domestic service. The crying want OF
the day is good servants. Well-to-do peo-
pie are declining housekeeping every day
because they cannot find trained and re-
sponsible men and women 10 care for
their households. Servants there are, to
be sure: but counting out a few-such
servants, Untidy. ill-kempt, undiscipllned
inexperienced. who gauge the value Of
their labor by what they feel they must
have 10 spend and by what the thorough
" trained. disciplined. and experienced
servant imported from abroad receives.
A colored man who has done occasional
chores for me threw up his position at
$50 a month the other day. and then came
to me asking aid in procuring another
But why" / asked did YOU leave Mr.
Blank? He seemed 10 be satisfied with
you" Yes" replied the man. but I
jes' can't live on so a month. and that's
all Mr. Blank is willing 20 pay" but"
I reminded him. you are an unskilled
laborer, and he gave you your board Il
seems 10 me that for what you did that
was rather good pay, since your board
countssfor at least SIS" Yes. ma'am. ]
know that" admitted the man. but I
can't live on it. leastwise me and Eliza
can't"
II never occurred TO him to measure his
labor by his worth 10 his master, but ne
insisted on receiving what he needed,
which is yer, much ike taking any COM
modify 10 a buyer and saying: Here.
TINS AAAAAlk II WI III 81 lllAElls Out AEEA
a third more than that sum. so YOU must
pay it." The buyer. Of course. goes across
the street and buys az the market price,
and you are left with your wares on your
hands. just as my negro friend is left
without employment because he was not
content with what his labor was actually
worth
Too Hot In work.
The other day I CHANGED upon two col
ored ladies" who were waiting. like
myself for a car. and while they waited
discussed their summer plans. NO
chile said one. II wouldn't work for
nobody this hot Weather-not for no.
body" But" said her companion. who
seemed 20 be the more respectable Of the
two. wasn't Mrs Norman sorry 10 see
you go Won't Il be hard for her TO get
somebody else this hot weather? And
then those poor little children. Couldn't
you have managed some way. Eliza2'
"'Cose I could a managed, said Eliza
L didn't want 70 manage. I amt a
workin' for Mis- Norman's It'll childen;
Use a workin' for my money"
a fine standard. and not unusual one
and the law. as It is understood and fol-
lowed. does not protect the poor Mrs.
Normans at the mercy of unscrupulous
servants who are apt to leave them in
the terrific heat OF summer without a
moments notice. or 10 hounce out OF tht
house in a snowstorm with as little cere-
mony Hence. with too few. inadequate,
and INSCRIPTIONS servants housekeeping
in America has become a problem. Some
anxious housewives have not tried tC
solve e. but have abandoned their homes
and gone TO boarding. while others
home lovers. are still wTes ing with i;
valiantly.
Opportunities A-pIenty.
When I hear Of woman losing this
position or that being dropped for in.
competency as clerk. or suspended be-
cause there Is lack Of work-when !
hear OF the sorrow and misery these dis
missaIs and suspensions bring about.
find myself saying with some Impotence
why don't these women train them
selves TO do some Of the things that are
begging to be done?" I have. in fact
asked some Of these unfortunate women
why they don't try something else, why
they don't definitely remove themselves
from the government service and make
themselves so valuable in other lines
that they will be wanted instead OF want
ing?
Il would never consent TO take q
mental position said a lofty lady who
came TO me for help. when suggested
could find a position for her in New York
to take entire charge Of a doctors house
hold-never in the world Il was toe
mental. If could have assured her thst
she would have eaten at the doctor S
table. and that he would have occasion
aIIy taken her 10 the theater she might
have accepted the offered position. As Il
was. she preferred to remain in Wash
ington and talk about her former gran
deur while she slowly starved but, then
she did not consider II mental 20 starve
Another woman. who lost her position
in the government service and who was
looking for something TO do. said the only
thing she really understood was cooking
she loved il. and she had mastered f.
Then why not cook?" I asked. She
almost tainted She. n Woolwich, or Wal.
wich, or whatever her name was, cook
II was not to be thought Of Her father
would turn over in his grave if he shout
know that his daughter was occupying a
mental position. She would rather. starve
and she deserved TO expect that she had
never been taught TO think properly, &c
regard things In the right light.
Might BE Good Cook.
It never occurred TO this lady OF an.
cient lineage that It is much better to be
a good cook than a poor clerk; 20 be ar
excellent anything, so long as the pro-
fession or trade is an honest one. thar
to be a poor something else, even though