NOTES 07 THK MONTH. 39 



Encouragement to " accomplished " LaBies.— One of the morn' 

 ing papers, a few days since, contained the following announcement in 

 its advertising columns : — 



" Wanted, a daily Governess for a young Lady, to teacli English, French, 

 Drawing, Singing, Writing, and Aritlimelic. The required hours of attendance 

 are from eleven till four daily. Silary, £12 per annum. 



Parents who move in what is called a respectable sphere of society, 

 but whose means are so limited as to render them unable to make provi- 

 sion for their children when they are grown up, often stretch a point to 

 give one or more of their daughters as much education as will make them 

 sufficiently " accomplished," as it is technically called, to go out as 

 governesses. Those of them who may chance to cast their eye on the 

 above advertisement, will not congratulate themselves on the profession, 

 if so it may be termed, which thev have fixed on for their daufrhters. 

 To ofl'er such terms as a salary for the services of an educated ladv, is 

 synonymous with a regular proposal to starve her ; and if there be any 

 way of getting at the father of the young lady whom it is proposed to 

 educate in all the above branches of learning, to the tune of five hours 

 a-day, at £12 a- year, we would suggest to the public prosecutor the pro- 

 priety of indicting him for an attempt on the life of some unfortunate 

 governess. It is clear the fellow never intended she should have any- 

 thing to eat other than chameleon's fare. See how carefully, with this 

 view, he specifies the hours during which she is to teach the " Young 

 Lady English, French, Drawing, Singing, Writing, and Arithmetic." 

 They are to be from eleven till four — just such hours as wonld prevent 

 her presence during breakfast and dinner ; the first meal would be over 

 before she commenced her duties, and the second would not begin until 

 after she had finished them, and retired. The advertiser is evidently no 

 fool : be knows it would be dangerous to have a governess in the house, 

 at meals, with a stomach no better furnished than it would be by a salary 

 of £12 a- year. Why, the poor creature would not be able to find her- 

 self in tolerably decent clothes, putting washing out of the question, at 

 the sum. And yet, ten to one, it would be a sine qua non, in making the 

 engagement, that she should " go genteel." In the same paper which 

 contains this advertisement, which must literally outrage the feelings of 

 every governess without a situation and without friends, whose eye may 

 chance to see it, — in the same paper there is an advertisement wanting a 

 housemaid, where the washing is given out, and where several servants 

 are kept, in which the wages offered are £14, Let the circumstances of 

 the housemaid and those of the governess be compared, and then say 

 which of the two is in the most enviable condition. The one has 

 no feelings refined by education, and by previously moving in a 

 respectable sphere of life ; the other has. The housemaid has no appear- 

 ance as regards clothes to keep up ; the governess is expected to be in 

 appearance a lady: the housemaid has "her meals tied to her head;" 

 the governess, unless she get it through some other means, will never 

 have a meal at all. What a miserable prospect for those young crea- 

 tures who are, at a great personal sacrifice it may be on the part of 

 their ))arcnts, fitting out for governesses, in the hope of, by that means, 

 making out a livelihood ! Tlie schoolmaster, at this rate, had better 



