New-York tribune., 1910-09-04
THE CHILD'S MAID
She Is Necessity, Not a La'a'-
uru, an City Streets.

"You never had a maid to take you
ahout. Why should Sallie need one?' said
the older woman to the young mother wRe
had been iamenting that Sallie had TO miss
a lot of parties last winter because she hao
no maid to take her to them
THAT is quite true" returned the young
mother 'but don't yeu realize that times
have changed since I was a child? IhlnsS
that were luxuries then are necessities now
and I don't know anything that Is more
aeutely necessary in any large city than 10
have the children constantly attended by an
older person when they go upon the streets.
That, in fact is why we came out mere 10
live, and l know any number OF young
married persons who are building MONIES Ill
the nearby country for the same reason 1t
really is the only solution Of the problem
When | read in the papers of the appall-
ing things that are constantly happening 10
children, can't understand how any parent
can allow a child to be unprotected for a
moment on the street The majority of
parents have to, you say. That Is true. put
il is no reason why parents more fortu-
nateIv situated should not protect their
children properly.
THE dangers from traffic alone have IN
creased tenfold in the last few years. and
though the policeman's hand may stay the
motors while crowd of youngsters crosses
some street, the last straggler has to mop
nimbly to the curb, for the waiting cars
shoot forward the instant his mana Is
dropped I have seen escapes that nave
y made me shudder- The papers tell us tfiat
niclpockets snatch purses from small chill
dren And these are lesser dangers Inc
greater ones are too dreadful to think Of
Ill
kent in the house It must go to school
usually and daily exercise in the open ali
is necessary for its health. mental and
physical. The mother cannot put aside all
her other duties and play the role of pro-
tector Even the time required to take
child to and from school is more than any
woman of the present day can spare from
her day. Nor can she. if a really busy
nerson make use of these walks for con-
stftutional purposes. School time, both
going and coming, is usually breakfast
time for the parents, luncheon hour.
and besides there are the orders to be
given so that the house may be we'll run
and peaCe prevail therein. [ had to hire
a voung woman lust to take Sallte to and
from school last winter, but she wasn't
always available for parties. and the poor
child was cheated out of number Of
good times.
..People who knew I wasn't wealthy
thought this a piece of extravaganza.
You thought so TOO, perhaps. But L d1dn'
mind that The thing that did worry me
was the effect it might have on Sallie
Some of her schoolmates made life per-
fectly intolerable for poorer children VINO
came to school unattended. They seemed
TO think that their maids were created
Just for their convenience. and they boast
ed OF being properly attended on all occa-
,cions Sallie, dear child, never got any
of these notions into her head. I really
don't believe that anything could spoil her,
hut | didn't like TO think that there was
any possibility OF her becoming like those
other children. and L didn't want TO have
her worried by constant attendance until
she was grown up. as / knew would be
necessary in the city.
so we came out here. where there is
To danger Of accident from scooting cars
and where the colony schoolhouse is so
near that one maid, whom the parents
take turns in providing can collect her
charges from gate to gate, leaving them
within their own domains on the way
back. The children can play in the gar
denS, or next door, where some best friend
lives. and the only possible danger IS from
some stray dog, But as each owner of 4
country place has one or more dogs. these
defend their little masters in such emer-
gencies. For parties, Of course. the same
plan of sending several children with one
maid can be adopted. but as the country
house staff Of domestics seems TO admit of
different manipulation, each child usually
appears with temporary attendant"