1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



247 



For the New England Fanner. 



FEMALE HELP. 



Foreign help is now almost universally employed, 

 in our families in New England, not only in the 

 towns and cities, but in the countr)'. This help 

 constitutes a class by itself — a distinct caste. They 

 associate together, and compose a separate society. 

 They are ignorant, and are looked upon as an in- 

 ferior class. I will refer to only one of the effects 

 of the existence of such a distinct class in the coun- 

 try, viz., its tendency to degrade labor ; like the 

 presence of slaves, in slaveholding communities. 

 AVhen the laborer, from whatever cause, is in a de- 

 graded condition, labor itself comes to be consid- 

 ered a degradation. While Cincinnatus held the 

 plow, the cultivation of the soil was an honorable 

 employment. But when the prisoners who were 

 taken captive by his courage and prowess, were 

 compelled to hold the plow, the cultivation of the 

 earth soon became too degrading an employment 

 for the Roman soldier or citizen. Household la- 

 bor is by no means as reputable as it was, when 

 it was done by the members of our own families. 

 The younger members of the family, especially, are 

 growing up with the idea that the washing and 

 scouring and cooking, the harder and more un- 

 pleasant part of the labor, which is done by Irish 

 help, is unsuitable for them, is a degradation; and 

 they learn to despise it. Household labor is con- 

 ducive to health and vigor. The health of our fe- 

 males has deteriorated since spinning and weaving 

 have been given up, and the labors of the kitchen 

 and dairy have been transferred to foreign females. 

 The pernicious effects of this change are manifest 

 in our families and in our children. The remedy 

 must be found, either in a return to household la- 

 bors, or in a vigorous course of exercise in the open 

 air, such as is adopted by English females. 



There is a mistaken idea connected with our sys- 

 tem of education, which is, that education — cultiva- 

 tion of the mind and manners — is designed to raise 

 us above the necessity of bodily labor. Our daugh- 

 ters seek education, that they may be fitted to 

 teach, or engage in intellectual pursuits, and light- 

 er avocations. The true idea of education, that 

 which should be kept before the mind of the young 

 while pursuing study, is that education will fit 

 them to labor better, more easily, more profitably, 

 more happily. Were this idea made prominent to 

 the young, education would not, as is now too often 

 the case, unfit those for labor, who are so fortunate, 

 — or shall I rather say unfortunate — as to have the 

 means of obtaining it. They would not, then, at 

 the same time with their education, acquire the 

 foolish notion that labor is a degradation, but would 

 be taught that the object of education is to qualify 

 them to apply, understandingly and successfully, 

 their faculties of mind and their physical powers to 

 any kind of labor that they may be called upon to 

 engage in by their circumstances or situation. 



Now our young men and women think and say 

 that their education will all be lost, if they engage 

 in bodily labor. An Irish man or woman can do 

 this as well as they can. Why should they get an 

 education, if they must labor ? But is this true ? 

 Can an ignorant Irish man or woman labor as well 

 as an intelligent, educated man or woman ? Can 



accomplish his labor in less time, and with less out- 

 lay of muscular strength. He will make his brain do 

 the work of his hands. He will labor for the fu- 

 ture, as well as for the present. The labor of to- 

 day, will not only serve the purpose of to-day, but 

 to a certain extent, will be a preparation for the 

 work of to-morrow. He will use his time, and 

 strength, and capital, to the best advantage, and 

 where they will be most productive of profit or 

 gratification, and thus he will save time for the fur- 

 ther cultivation of his mind, and for the exercise 

 of his public spirit or his benevolence. This is no 

 less true in the house than in those labors that are 

 more appropriate to the stronger sex. And why 

 should it not be so ? 



The intelligent and educated woman applies, not 

 only her hands, but her mind, to her work. She 

 works to better advantage. She does not make 

 mistakes and failures. She does not waste her 

 time and strength in labors which accomplish noth- 

 ing. She works with a will, and with the expecta- 

 tion of finding time for mental improvement, and 

 social enjoyment. While her hands are employed, 

 she arranges her plans for the future, so that one 

 duty, or one occupation shall not conflict with 

 another. She has a time for everything, and every- 

 thing in its time; and thus she accomplishes much 

 more in a given time, than one who works without 

 plan or forethought. She understands the nature 

 and properties of the materials she uses, and her 

 cultivated taste leads her to M'ork out all her re- 

 sults in accordance with the laws of fitness and pro- 

 priety. Hence, in these results, are not only the 

 demands of necessity met, but the love of order 

 and beauty is gratified, and with a much less ex- 

 penditure of time and strength. She accomplish- 

 es much more necessary work, and at the same 

 time, surrounds herself with an atmosphere of neat- 

 ness and comfort, and even elegance, which is 

 wholly unknown to the ignorant and uncultivated. 

 Her home is rendered a place of enjoyment and 

 happiness. She surrounds herself with objects of 

 attraction and beauty, suitable to her circumstan- 

 ces. She is herself the central object of attraction 

 and moral beauty. 



But how shall this state of things be brought 

 about ? How shall the mistake in education be 

 corrected ? Says Olmsted, in his Travels in the 

 Slave States, "A man in New Orleans told me that 

 he now had one slave, and he got along very well ; 

 but if he married he would have to purchase three 

 more, and he could not afibrd it." A young man 

 in Massachusetts married an Irish girl. When a 

 lady acquaintance remonstrated with him, asking 

 him how he could do so, he replied, "If I married 

 an American girl, I should have to get an Irish girl 

 to take care of her, and I cannot afford to maintain 

 two." Hundreds of young men are deterred from 

 marrying for the same reason ; and hundreds who 

 have married have bitterly regretted their impru- 

 dence. How many wives live in a state of unhap- 

 piness, because they consider it a degradation to do 

 their own labor ; and how many families are kept 

 poor and unhappy by indulging their foolish pride, 

 and employing ignorant foreign help to do their 

 work, which they might do, not only with much 

 greater economy, but with much greater comfort 

 and satisfaction, themselves ; and which they would 



they labor as skilfully, as successfully, and with as! do, did not the mistaken notions which they im- 

 good results? One great advantage of intelligence 'bibed in early life stand in the way. Says the 

 is, that it saves labor. The intelligent laborer will [Prophet, "as is the mother, so is the daughter.'' 



