338 Bukeau of Farmers' Institutes. 



instincts of her nature revolted, rather than remain the recipient 

 of a grudging hospitality. 



Let me say right here, that I am not urging all women to step 

 out into the world and assume a support which it is their privi- 

 lege to receive, and, I believe, that where it is not necessary, we 

 women can do more for the world by leaving the vacancies for 

 those who do need them, and that by thus lowering the compe- 

 tition and diminishing the supply, we can increase the wages paid 

 for the work. Neither would I lift one particle of the burden 

 from the shoulders of those to whom it rightfully belongs, for a 

 man never reaches his highest development nntil he knows what 

 it is to have others dependent upon him for their daily bread, 

 and from a close study of conditions existing in the factory towns 

 in Massachusetts and Connecticut it has been shown that almost 

 without exception, where a man's wife was working to support 

 the family, that that man never attained to the best paying posi- 

 tions, and that he lost his ability to earn as the necessity for it 

 was withdrawn. 



But my plea is that every woman should be ready to take up 

 the work that may come to her, and the increasing intensity of 

 the struggle for life makes it our duty to study the question as 

 to the possible and advisable lines of woman's work. 



There are a few exceptional women as there are exceptional 

 men who have no difficulty in answering this question : What 

 shall I do? They are so eminently fitted for certain lines of work, 

 that they cannot fail to find their proper place. But for one 

 Maria Mitchell, one Clara Barton, one Bosa Bonheur, there are 

 thousands of us average women, who must face the same ques- 

 tion, and who find it infinitely harder to answer. 



Some years back there were but two lines open, teaching and 

 some form of domestic service. To-day, the profession of teach- 

 ing stands first on the list, overcrowded by those to whom it is 

 tut a temporary occupation, by those who have no special apti- 

 tude for the work, but who are attracted to it because it is one 

 of the few occupations in which a woman can labor and still 

 maintain her social standing. 



Before we try to answer that question let us see under what 

 disadvantages we are laboring. The greatest disadvantage lies 

 in woman herself — unwillingness to submit to the necessary 

 training. Not long since a leading chemist offered to train a 

 class of women as apothecaries if they would submit to an ap- 

 prenticeship like men, but he received not one application. This 



