The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-15
BY MRS. J. u. REID

| we had the very place for her, IN good
family we know, and a bunch of beautiful
and interesting. children. The mother
wanted general help and wanted to pay
well for it. We found the applicant and
told her We had the very place, and she
said she had never cooked, and didn't
| like children; we lost our patience then,
and asked her if she could write poetry.
| There is great deal of suffering here
| from poverty, and much from prolonged
sickness, especially among the old folks
they are to be pitied and helped-but the
well and >Sung will have no trouble in
getting job as long as they are willing
to work, but they can't all do fancy work.
there must be some hewers of wood and
drawers of water. 1t is very disappolnt-
ing to find many who really dread labor
at the same time we can but pity them,
because it is false education; they have
been badly trained; what they term pride
is false.
Real pride is in doing WELL no matter
what the task the humiliation is in fail
ure, not in trying If we could only real
ize the job does not make the man, but
the man makes the work, raising the
standard of any service when he gives 1t
his best
With reference to the idle women, who
need the money-it Is a pity so many or
them think domestic service degrading
when really woman is at her best when
making her own homo and helping to
make others. The young woman who
seeks work downtown will probtbly be
very glad to make So or 81 a week. From
this she must pay board and room rent,
laundry and clothes, and sometimes she
| is improvident enough to pay car fare
she is never without worry, or often temp
| i z. f,,.a.x Q
no contentment is her share. If she would
| render domestic services she would re-
ceive as much per week, and sometimes
more, II she is efficient; has her room and
| board and If she is managing, hours Oh
| recreation and rest, with a chance TO
| save the money earnings Why dread
houseworl1 with these facts before US!
! The reply is they ''do not want to be a
| servant" We are all servants in some
cause: if we are not we are amiss IN
duty; If we do not give service to 9TH
ers we are surely not living the life worth
| living, and the fact that service is our
trade should only make us want to DO
| 1t better and more cheerfully.
| One day a young stenograpner who was
looking for a job came to us She pre-
faced her inquiry with few remarks OF
why she left her last office, and what
she would do and what she would not
l
| old country home, where mother and
father lived in comfort, not wealth, just
a-plenty and suggested she would be
| better off there raising chickens ana
cited her to successful poultry raisers with
| less opportunity than would be hers anu
| she shook her head-'no cnlckens III
mine; I never expect to go nome again.
| the roads are too rough. and IL is TOO loiie-
some and even in the country they can
not keep a cook What terrible di-
| lemna. home without a cook, and never
| cooked a meal in my life and never ex-
| pect to-
She could not be made to believe to be
! a real good cook was great accomp-
lishment: she could see nothing TO IL
| but greasy pots and pans, skiiiets ana
ovens. and if our own girls feel that way,
what can we expect of our less for-
| tunate.
| The American poor seem to have but
one idea. that is to get rich lelsurely.
There is some error in our nome tralnihs
| or there would not be so many ldie wom-
en- wondering where to start to make
living-if home had for its motto, What
| we learned very young:
| Honor and shame from no condition rise,
Act we'll your part, there the honor lies, .
| hopeless young women today waiting to
do fancy work, or going to ruin. We
once took a Scotch girl into our service;
| she had but one accomplishment: she
could sing well and tell the children
Scotch legends. This kept them quiet, and
for this we had much to be thankful.
We did the real work while she fur
nished the music. After she had watched
our work. doing all of the household
duties, without the use of a ''mother hub
bard" or soiled apron. that we could cook
and still be lady In appearance and in
| fact, she began to help, and finally, after
| /, months, she was doing it all, and doing
! it so well ard so cheerfuly that she
| showed she was at home and had our
interest at heart. She saved some money
| and after three years married music
teacher from a nearby city, and moved
| into home of her own. She afterward
| wrote us II taught you to make Scotch
scone bread, but you taught me how to
! live"
Besides being a. faithful servant she be-
came true friend; we really served each
other,
| There is no reason why our working
girls cannot have friends in our homes,
| the spirit of helpfuness one to the other
will give the best service, and rebound in
most successful results.
! Only by this ambition to do our best
| in any service can we succeed, and the
| timidity experienced in beginning domes-
tic service can only be overcome by de-
termination to make the position worthy,
and making ourselves Indispensable to the
| work.
| We can never do anything well we are
| ashamed Of and remember never to be
ashamed of well doing. The sooner we
throw away false ideas the sooner will
the wants of the people will be less. Pow
erty and crime will only be decreased by
labor.
There are many too far on the journey
hence to work-those should be our
charges and we their friends. No cry
OF want should part their lips. and there