,,work ,,for ,,women ,,by ,,george ,j4 ,,manson ,,new ,,york ,g4 ,p4 ,,putnam',s ,,sons #bg #bi ,,west #bc;,d ,,street #ahhc ,,copyright ,,by ,g4 ,p4 ,,putnam',s ,,sons #ahhc ,,preface4 ,when a woman1 either from choice or through necessity1 makes up her mind to work for a living1 and has selected the employment that seems most suited to her1 she probably asks herself such questions as these3 ,is there a good chance to get work8 ,how long will it take me to make myself competent8 ,are there many in the business8 ,how much do they earn8 ,how hard will ,i have to work8 ,are there any objections against entering this employment2 if so1 what are they8 ,to answer1 as far as it is possible1 these and similar questions is the object of this little book4 ,some of the most important avocations1 professions1 trades1 businesses1 in which women are now engaged1 have been selected1 and the effort made to enlighten the would-be woman-worker as to the practical points of interest connected with each occupation4 ,the information thus given has1 in each case1 been gained from the most reliable sources4 ,in the winter of #ahhb-c ,i contributed to the columns of the ,new ,york ,christian ,union a series of articles under the title of ,work for ,women4 ,they were written with the aim of furnishing to women useful information in regard to various industries in which the gentler sex are successfully seeking employment1 and met with considerable favor from the readers of that excellent journal4 ,through the courtesy of ,rev4 ,lyman ,abbott and ,hamilton ,w4 ,mabie1 editors of the ,christian ,union1 the publishers of this book are allowed to use the title of that series4 ,it should be stated1 however1 that the chapters in the present book are made up from new investigations1 and that none of them are reproductions of any of the articles in the series alluded to4 ,g4 ,j4 ,m4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,industrial ,,designing #a ,,short-,,hand ,,writing #aj ,,telegraphy #bj ,,feather ,,curling #bi ,,photography #cg ,,professional ,,nursing #dg ,,proof-,,readers1 ,,compositors1 ,,and ,,bookbinders #fj ,,the ,,drama4--,,lecturers ,,and ,,readers #gc ,,book-,,agents #ig ,,dress-,,making--,,millinery #aji ,,teaching #aaf ,,brief ,,notes3 ,market ,gardening1 ,poultry-raising1 ,bee-keeping1 ,house-keepers1 ,cashiers1 ,button-hole ,making1 ,floriculture1 ,authorship1 ,type-writing1 and ,working in ,brass #abc ,,work ,,for ,,women4 ,,industrial ,,designing4 ,a great many women have1 or think they have1 a taste for art4 ,they can make a pretty sketch1 or draw a landscape quite fairly1 and so they think they will take up art as a profession4 ,and nearly all of them fail of success4 ,the trouble seems to be that they lack originality2 they are mere copyists1 and too often very poor reproducers of the things they copy4 ,one branch of art--that of industrial designing--offers golden opportunities to make an excellent living in a pleasant way1 but1 before deciding to enter it1 a woman should be very sure indeed that she has the necessary qualifications to pursue the study successfully2 otherwise her time will be wasted1 and probably her heart will be so discouraged that she will be sadly unfitted for any kind of work for a long time to come4 ,it is industrial art of which ,i am speaking4 ,a few introductory words may be necessary1 for the benefit of some persons ignorant in the matter1 to show what women are doing1 or rather successfully attempting to do1 in that line at the present time4 ,industrial or technical designing means designing for wall-paper1 lace1 silk1 chintz1 calico1 oil-cloth1 linoleum1 book-covers1 embroidery1 wood-carving1 silver-ware1 jewelry1 silks1 handkerchiefs1 upholstery goods1 and carpets of all grades1 from ingrains to moquettes4 ,up to within a very short period all this work has been done by men1 principally foreigners2 but talented and enterprising women saw that they were able to do the work equally well1 and it is only a question of time when women will entirely monopolize this field of industry4 ,it will be seen at once that the woman who is ambitious to become an industrial designer must have1 first of all1 originality4 ,she must have good taste and an eye for color4 ,drawing must come natural to her4 ,the mere ability to copy pictures1 or make sketches from nature is not enough4 ,she must be full of ideas1 and for some of the work mentioned 7notably carpet designing7 she must have what might be called a combining mind--that is1 the ability to get ideas from several designs1 and by combining them together1 make something new4 ,it must be confessed that this kind of ability is rare4 ,very few men possess it1 and fewer women4 ,manufacturers of carpets and wall-papers say that they have to import nearly all their help of this kind from ,europe2 they cannot find in this country the right kind of men to do the work4 ,but because a woman has not this talent for originating largely developed1 she should not be discouraged from becoming an industrial designer4 ,if she has even a little talent in that direction she may find1 after taking a few lessons1 that the study is very congenial to her1 and that she has more ability than she imagined4 ,the kind of designing of which ,i am particularly speaking in this chapter is designing for carpets1 oil-cloths1 and wall-paper4 ,that seems to be the most popular at the present time1 though there is a good chance for skilled workers in the other branches to which allusion was made4 ,it is surprising what a demand there is for new designs in carpets1 wall-paper1 and oil-cloths4 ,one would suppose that a single design would last for a long time2 but such is not the fact4 ,the demand of the public is continually for novelty2 the fashion changes in these matters1 just the same as it does in bonnets and dresses1 and each manufacturer is competing with his neighbor to get something pretty and original4 ,a good design can always be sold at a good price2 an ordinary or a poor design has no chance at all4 ,there are two schools in ,new ,york where industrial designing is taught to women4 ,they are both carried on by women1 and both present their claims to the public under very favorable auspices4 ,some of the instruction1 however1 is given by men--practical workers in the various branches of art--who lecture on the special subject with which they are familiar4 ,here are some of the subjects of these lectures3 ,conventionalization in ,design1 ,practical ,design as ,applied to ,wall-paper1 ,principles of ,botany 7delivered by a lady71 ,historical ,ornament in ,design1 ,harmony in ,color in ,design1 ,design as ,applied to ,carpets1 ,geometry in ,design1 ,the ,influence of ,color in ,design1 ,purity of ,design1 ,oriental ,influence in ,design1 ,plant ,forms3 their ,use and ,abuse4 ,this last lecture was delivered by a lady4 ,but the pupil gets most of her learning in the class-room1 the lectures being considered simply as adjunct to the regular system of instruction4 ,in one school the first term begins ,october #b;d1 and closes ,december #bb;d4 ,the second term begins ,january #dth and closes ,march #cjth4 ,the post-graduate course commences ,april #b;d1 and ends ,may #beth4 ,those pupils who have no knowledge of drawing are obliged to enter the elementary class4 ,those who enter the advanced classes are obliged to present specimens of free-hand drawing1 such as flowers from nature1 ornamental figures or scrolls4 ,during the year each pupil in the elementary class must complete nine certificate sheets1 of uniform size 7#ae x #bb inches71 one each of geometrical problems1 blackboard and dictation exercise1 enlarged copy in outline1 conventionalized flowers in a geometrical figure1 applied designs1 outline drawing from objects1 outline drawing from flowers1 historical ornament1 botanical analysis4 ,in the flower painting class1 three outline drawings1 and four paintings of flowers from nature4 ,in the carpet class1 one each of a two-ply ingrain on the lines1 three-ply ingrain on the lines1 tapestry sketch1 body-,brussels sketch1 moquette sketch1 optional sketch 7for either stair-carpet1 rug1 chair back and seats1 hall carpet1 or borders1 body-,brussels working design on the lines1 tapestry working design on the lines47 ,the terms of tuition in this school per term are3 for the elementary class1 #ae2 the advanced class1 #be2 the teachers' class1 #ae4 ,ten lessons in wood-carving and designing for book-covers cost #ab4 ,six lessons in embroidery cost #e1 and for a course of instruction in flower-painting the charge is #ae4 ,the materials used in the elementary class cost from #g to #aj1 and for the advanced classes from #aj to #ab4 ,the elementary class studies an hour and a half a day three times a week2 the advanced class the same length of time twice a week4 ,according to the prospectus of this school1 it takes three years to become thoroughly proficient4 ,one year is spent in the elementary class1 and in obtaining a knowledge of flower-painting and making simple designs for calico1 muslin1 stained glass1 inlaid woods1 jewelry1 etc4 ,the second year is devoted to making advanced designs for oil-cloth1 linoleum1 silk1 and carpets4 ,the third year is spent in doing practical work under the supervision of the principal and her assistants4 ,it would not seem to be necessary for a pupil to return to the school the third year for this purpose4 ,after her first two years' instruction she ought to be able to put her knowledge to business use1 and seek to sell her work among the various manufacturers4 ,in the other school to which ,i have referred the terms for tuition in drawing are #ab for a term of three months--thirty-six lessons4 ,in the design class the fee is #bj4 ,the method of instruction is substantially the same as in the school first mentioned4 ,and now comes the interesting question1 ,how much can a woman make in this profession1 after she has become thoroughly qualified8 ,i do not think she can hope to get a permanent salaried position1 at least just at present4 ,for this profession1 albeit a good one1 is a new one for women2 it is less than two years since the first school was started4 ,men still hold the best positions1 and they receive large salaries1 from #a1jjj to #d1jjj a year4 ,in the present condition of affairs1 hedged in as the female industrial designer is by the masculine doubt of the employer as to her ability1 and the masculine jealousy of the employ whose work she seeks to do1 it would be the best plan for her to do piece-work at her own home1 or office4 ,her earnings1 under this plan1 cannot even be stated approximately4 ,the pay for a good carpet design would be #bj to #cj1 and the design can be made in two and a half days4 ,wall-paper designs bring #aj to #ae2 an oil-cloth sketch1 #h or #aj--the technicalities to be mastered in this latter branch are not so great as in the others4 ,,short-,,hand ,,writing4 ,the custom of employing women as amanuenses has grown very largely of late years4 ,it is said on good authority that1 fifteen years ago1 there were but five females in the city of ,new ,york who made their living by writing short-hand2 at the present time there are1 as nearly as can be estimated1 between one hundred and fifty and two hundred4 ,which is the best system of short-hand8 is generally the first question asked by the person desirous of entering this profession4 ,and that is a very difficult question to answer1 and many of the answers that have been given to it have been very far from honest4 ,in the first place1 it must be stated that there are about a score of systems of short-hand before the public1 each of which has its defenders and advocates4 ,each is highly recommended in commendatory letters from this or that distinguished court or newspaper reporter4 ,each can show1 and does show1 first-class notices from prominent daily and weekly papers1 and each has a circle of followers who loudly proclaim that the particular system they follow is not only the best in existence1 but really the only one worth learning4 ,in the search after short-hand truth1 it is but natural that the would-be learner gets bewildered1 and asks1 ,what shall ,i do8 ,the system of short-hand practised by the vast majority of writers1 both in this country and in ,england1 is phonography1 invented by ,isaac ,pitman1 of ,bath1 ,england1 in #ahcg4 ,that system is based on an alphabet representing the sounds of the language1 instead of the ordinary alphabet we use in spelling words4 ,since #ahcg there have been many phonographic text-books written by as many different authors1 and each author has added a hook here or a circle there1 lengthened this stroke1 or made that one heavier2 and that accounts for the variety of systems4 ,the fact is1 they are all based on the original phonography of ,isaac ,pitman1 who himself1 by the way1 was the first to set the example of making changes and improvements4 ,for all practical purposes phonography is no better now than it was thirty years ago4 ,i dwell upon this point1 for ,i know the best system has been a sad stumbling-block to many young people who were naturally anxious to start on the right road4 ,which system1 then1 is the best8 ,answer3 any system will answer the purpose of the woman who desires to become simply a phonographic amanuensis4 ,and it is only of that branch of work of which ,i write1 for though there are a few female court reporters in the country1 the number is so small and the positions so exceptional in many respects that it is not worth while to speak of woman's employment in that direction4 ,let not the student1 then1 waste any time in listening to or reading arguments in favor of the various systems1 but go to a bookstore and get some one of the various manuals on the subject1 and begin to study4 ,these books cost from fifty cents to a dollar and a quarter each4 ,a teacher is not really necessary1 but will prove a help1 provided he has a practical knowledge of the art4 ,the trouble is1 however1 that many of the so-called teachers of phonography have never done any actual reporting in their lives1 and their advice and suggestions are not of much value4 ,the best way for the pupil would be to get the assistance of some man engaged in actual reporting4 ,one lesson from such a person would be worth a dozen from some of the teachers who advertise to teach short-hand1 or who are connected with the various colleges4 ,the price for such service cannot be accurately stated4 ,short-hand schools and colleges have courses of one hundred and twenty lessons1 charging #ge for the same4 ,students can and do learn at these schools1 but the cheaper and more sensible way for the student learner to do would be to get the help of a teacher1 as ,i have suggested1 and then only as it was needed4 ,the text-books ,i have mentioned are very plain1 and a teacher really cannot do much to make them plainer4 ,in six months' time1 if the pupil is diligent1 she should be able to write eighty words a minute1 and enter upon actual work1 when1 with practice1 her speed will gradually increase4 ,if she can reach a speed of one hundred and twenty words a minute1 she will be as good as the average2 if she can reach one hundred and fifty words a minute1 she will do what few women ever accomplish4 ,she need have no fear about getting a position1 if she has made herself competent4 ,the demand for good workers in this profession is constant and increasing4 ,out of several large classes taught by a lady teacher in ,new ,york not one pupil failed1 when qualified1 to secure a position4 ,a gentleman connected with a large corporation1 who employs two lady amanuenses1 and obtains positions for others1 says that he could secure situations for two or three a week4 ,it should be added1 however1 that a knowledge of working on the type-writer should accompany the ability to write phonography4 ,this instrument has come into such general use that no detailed description of it is here required4 ,briefly1 it may be said that it is an instrument to print letters and documents with despatch1 and it is worked with keys like a piano4 ,to learn this art of type-writing requires but a very short time1 and there are schools or offices in most of the large cities where it is taught4 ,a lady can learn phonography as young as sixteen1 or at the mature age of thirty-five2 but it is almost needless to say that the art can be mastered much easier at the former than the latter age4 ,at one of the schools in ,new ,york where it is taught free to women no pupils are received under the age of eighteen4 ,it is a study that requires considerable application1 a good memory1 nimble fingers1 and quick apprehension4 ,there are some people 7and this remark applies to both sexes7 who would never be able to learn enough short-hand to be of any practical service4 ,but the study is nothing like as difficult as it has often been represented to be4 ,every thing depends on the student4 ,if she makes haste slowly1 and learns even a little thoroughly every day1 she will soon find herself mastering the theoretical part of the art1 and if she practises constantly1 in season and out of season1 what she has properly learned1 the secret of short-hand success is hers4 ,the necessity of practice cannot be overrated4 ,hence it is that a teacher is ordinarily of little use4 ,the exercises in the latest manuals on this subject are very well arranged1 and it would seem that the art could not be presented in a plainer way than it is at present4 ,the pay of a lady amanuensis at the start is seldom more than #h a week4 ,it is not to be supposed that she is fully competent when she starts at that rate2 that is to say1 she will not be able to write very rapidly1 and she will be liable to make mistakes in transcribing her notes4 ,the actual practical experience which she will get in her first situation will very soon serve to correct these faults4 ,it might1 at first thought1 be supposed that few persons would desire to employ inferior help of this kind2 but such is not the fact4 ,editors1 lawyers1 occasionally doctors1 and some classes of business men who are obliged to make rough drafts of papers which go at once to the printer1 are often glad of such help4 ,their short-hand writer can write fast enough to save some of their time1 at a moderate charge1 and it is immaterial as to the appearance of the copy sent to the printer1 so long as it can be plainly read by him4 ,but of course the lady will soar higher than a salary of #h a week1 and just so soon as she has become more expert1 she will be able to obtain a position requiring greater speed in taking notes and more accuracy in writing them out4 ,her salary will then be #aj or #ab a week1 and finally #ae a week4 ,it is not likely she will earn more than #ah a week1 though mention is made of some ladies who are making #bj or #be a week1 but the situations are exceptional1 and1 it may be added1 the ladies are exceptional ladies4 ,they have some peculiar business ability aside from being able to write short-hand4 ,the employer of one1 for instance1 can merely indicate by two or three words the kind of letter he wants written to a certain correspondent1 and the lady clerk1 having simply received the idea1 will write a satisfactory letter4 ,if a woman could possess herself of a thorough knowledge of phonography1 be able to work rapidly on the type-writer1 and have a fair knowledge of bookkeeping1 she could be certain of obtaining a good position at an extra large salary1 say #a1ejj a year2 but there is no doubt that she would have to work hard for the money4 ,the hours of work in most all offices are from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon4 ,the employment is not more arduous than any other sedentary occupation4 ,in large offices an amanuensis will receive from thirty to sixty full-page letters in a day and transcribe them on the type-writer4 ,she could not do so much work without the aid of that instrument4 ,it is sometimes the case that a woman can take dictation work for professional people who only occasionally need such assistance1 and be paid for it by the job4 ,in such a case the rate of pay for taking and transcribing the notes will range from six to twenty cents per hundred words1 depending partly on the class of work1 but more particularly on the liberality of the employer4 ,,telegraphy4 ,there is one thing favorable to young women who want to become telegraph operators3 the qualifications required for success in this line of business are very simple4 ,an ordinary common school education1 with a special ability to spell well1 and to write plainly and more or less rapidly1 is all that is required in a pupil before commencing to learn this art4 ,this may account for the large number of young ladies who1 of late years1 have sought employment in this field of labor4 ,another thing1 it is office work1 with just enough bustle and activity about it to keep it from being dull1 with the occasional chance1 in times of public excitement1 of its being exceptionally interesting4 ,in the city of ,new ,york there are1 at the present time1 about two hundred ladies engaged in this occupation4 ,they are nearly all employed by the ,western ,union ,telegraph ,company1 three fourths of the number being employed at the main office of the company4 ,here and there a lady may be found employed in a broker's office1 a position1 by the way1 which is considered exceptionally good1 the pay being generous1 with the sure chance of the employ receiving a present at the ,christmas holiday-time4 ,but the great majority of women are employed by the companies1 in hotels1 in the smaller stations situated throughout the city1 and throughout the country in the offices located in various villages and towns4 ,instruction in telegraphy has become a special feature in about forty colleges in different parts of the ,union1 and in several special schools1 among which the ,new ,york ,cooper ,union ,school of ,telegraphy is preminent4 ,instruction in this last institution is free1 and the ,western ,union ,telegraph ,company is so far interested in the success of the school1 that when operators are needed1 graduates of the ,cooper ,union are preferred over anybody else4 ,the school is always crowded2 it is difficult to gain admission1 and situations are not provided by the company alluded to for all the graduates4 ,last year 7#ahhb7 one hundred and sixty applied at the regular examination of the school and passed1 but they could not be admitted to the class for want of room4 ,the school admitted sixty pupils during the year4 ,the number receiving certificates was twenty-eight4 ,some time since the ,kansas ,state ,agricultural ,college added telegraphy as a branch of industrial education1 using ,pope's ,hand-book of the ,telegraph as a text-book4 ,women can learn to become telegraph operators at almost any age4 ,young girls of fifteen have successfully studied the art1 and women as old as forty have also learned it4 ,but the age which is recommended by good judges as being the best1 is not younger than eighteen1 nor older than twenty-five4 ,the time it takes to learn to become an operator depends1 of course1 on the aptness of the pupil1 her general intelligence1 and previous education4 ,some learn very readily1 others after months of study never become sufficiently proficient to take positions4 ,the course of instruction1 in most of the institutions where telegraphy is taught1 covers a period of six months4 ,it is said1 on good authority1 that practising four or five hours a day for a period of six months1 will enable a young woman to master the art4 ,probably telegraphy is1 in this respect1 very much like phonography--a person may learn the principles of the latter science in a comparatively short space of time1 but to avail himself really of its advantages1 a great deal of practice is required4 ,the principles of telegraphy are far simpler than those of phonography1 but the necessity for practice is equally important4 ,young girls learn easier than women over the age of thirty1 and yet there are several instances of women past the age of forty1 who have quickly qualified themselves to become operators4 ,the salary of lady telegraphers ranges from #be to #fe per month4 ,in the office of the ,western ,union ,telegraph ,company they commence with a salary of #be per month2 the highest wages paid being #fj a month1 unless in some special cases1 where they take full charge of important offices1 when they are given #ge a month4 ,what is called a good position may be either in the city or the country4 ,in fact1 the term good1 used in this connection1 is a purely relative term4 ,for instance1 the salary may be larger in a city1 but the expense of living will be greater1 and the work more arduous than it will be in some small country town1 where the wages will be lower4 ,but1 as a rule1 the positions in the city seem to be preferred1 probably on the general principle that most young people prefer the excitement and gayety of metropolitan life to the more quiet and healthful enjoyments of country towns4 ,during the summer months positions at the various watering-places are particularly sought after1 the pay of the operator being #cj a month and her board4 ,in the large city hotels1 where business is quite brisk and important1 the salary is from #dj to #ej a month4 ,operators in the country towns and villages receive from #cj to #dj a month4 ,but1 as was stated above1 the brokers' offices supply the positions most sought after by telegraph operators4 ,there are very few of these positions4 ,the salary paid an operator in such a situation is from #ge to #ij a month4 ,the hours of work are light1 being from #i4cj ,a4,m4 to #c ,p4,m4 ,a woman1 however1 to hold a position of this kind must be thoroughly competent1 and not only rapid1 but accurate in her work4 ,she must1 too1 be a woman in whom the utmost confidence can be placed1 and possessed of that rare womanly gift--the ability to keep a secret2 for she is1 in reality1 a sort of confidential clerk4 ,a gentleman occupying a high position in one of the leading telegraph companies in ,new ,york says1 that telegraphy is a good occupation for a young woman1 and1 provided she has no talent to do any thing better1 it will furnish her a reasonably pleasant1 profitable1 and sure means of employment4 ,but the opportunities of eventually getting a large salary1 or of obtaining an enviable position1 do not exist in this field of work4 ,women1 he says1 do not make good managers4 ,they do not seem to possess the ability1 so common even with many ordinary men1 of grasping the varied details of a large business1 and conducting it with system and regularity4 ,in the company alluded to1 there are ladies who have been employed for the last twenty years1 but they are receiving no more pay now than they received ten years ago1 and ten years from now their salary will be no higher than it is at the present time1 if1 indeed1 it is as much4 ,it might be thought by some1 that from the comparative ease with which this art is acquired1 many might take it up as a temporary means of subsistence1 and leave it1 either for some better employment1 or to assume matrimonial relations4 ,but this is not the fact4 ,the occupation seems to be one in which few die1 and none resign4 ,it should be added1 however1 that with the growing use of the telegraph by private individuals1 and the starting of new telegraph companies1 good operators may be reasonably sure of obtaining positions4 ,telegraphy is generally learned at some business college1 or some school which makes a specialty of teaching it4 ,the lady who desires to become an operator should be very careful in making her selection among institutions of this kind4 ,the ,cooper ,institute ,school is not included in this remark1 but attention is called to the many firms throughout the country1 who advertise largely in the weekly papers1 to teach telegraphy in an astonishingly short space of time1 and1 it may be added1 at astonishingly high rates of tuition4 ,some of these schools are good1 but many of them cannot be recommended4 ,before entering any one of them1 the would-be pupil should get the honest advice of some man or woman who is engaged in the business1 and who knows something of the character of the institution she proposes to enter4 ,,feather ,,curling4 ,fashion has1 of late years1 made feather curling a good trade for women1 and fashion1 at almost any moment1 may make it a very poor business4 ,for the last thirty years feathers have been used every year1 but1 until within a very short time1 their use has been confined to the fall and winter season4 ,during the past four or five years they have been in great demand during the spring and early summer1 taking the place of flowers for ornamental purposes4 ,as a consequence1 the occupation of feather curling has offered unusual good opportunities for girls and women to earn a living1--that is to say1 as female workers are paid in the trades4 ,there are several processes used in preparing the feathers before they are ready for sale4 ,some of this work is done by men1 but the larger part of it is done by girls and women4 ,when the feathers arrive from abroad1 they are of a dull brown color1 and the first process consists in washing them thoroughly with a peculiar kind of chemical soap4 ,then they are wrung through an ordinary clothes-wringer1 and tied on to lines and hung out in the hot sun to dry1 or put in a drying room if the weather is not favorable4 ,the work of washing and wringing is done by men2 the tying on to the lines by little girls4 ,after this men put them in big vats where they are dyed1 black1 blue1 red1 yellow1 or any other color that may be desired1 and again dried4 ,then comes the work of the women1 who first scrape the rib of the feather to make it soft and pliant4 ,this is done with a piece of glass4 ,then they are curled with a blunt knife4 ,after this they are packed in boxes and are ready to go from the wholesaler to the jobber1 from the jobber to the retailer1 and from the retailer pass to the purchasers whose hats they are meant to adorn4 ,except in rare cases1 the people employed at this business are paid by the piece1 and all ages are represented in the different branches of the industry4 ,there are girls as young as fourteen1 and women as old as forty4 ,the little girls tie the feathers on to the lines1 and make from #b to #e a week4 ,the work of preparing and curling the feathers pays the best1 and women who devote themselves to this branch make from #aj to #dj a week4 ,this last sum is large pay2 but it must be stated that those who make it do so in the busiest season1 and they work hard1 not only during the day1 but at night1 or1 may be1 they have some one at their homes to whom a portion of the work is sent from the shop1 and in that way they are assisted to receive such large pay4 ,nevertheless1 if a woman thoroughly understands the trade1 she can always be sure of making good wages4 ,some exceptionally proficient women will average #cj a week the year round4 ,take a hundred expert workers1 and each of them will average #ae to #bj a week during the twelve months4 ,the little girls never earn very much1 because the work they can do is limited to stringing the feathers1 which is the technical term for tying the feathers on a line4 ,when a girl enters the establishment1 she generally works the first two weeks for nothing1 then the superintendent is able to see what she can do1 and she makes #b1 #c1 or #d a week1 as the case may be2 in six or eight months she ought to be quite expert at the business4 ,to be successful she must have good taste4 ,she should be able to lay the feather out nicely1 so that it will have a graceful appearance when it is finished4 ,and then she must have good judgment in putting the feathers together1 for it may not be known1 but it is the fact1 that the plume which appears on the hat to be a single feather is made up of a number of small pieces2 this good judgment1 then1 consists1 as one manufacturer frankly stated1 in not being wasteful in selecting1--in short1 in being careful not to pick out too many good pieces4 ,though there are a great number of girls in this business1 there are very few who possess all these qualifications4 ,that class of help is of course a great saving to the employer1 and consequently is always sure of employment4 ,one man said that on account of high rent alone he wanted to hire all such women4 ,we have to economize our room1 he remarked1 and one such woman would be worth to us half a dozen poor workers1 who would take up just six times as much space and waste a lot of material in the bargain4 ,such expert workers will make three or four times as much as other women1 doing the same kind of work4 ,the trade is a healthy one1 or1 to speak more accurately1 there are no special features about it to make it unhealthy4 ,probably the worst feature about it is the crowding together of so many girls and women in one large room4 ,they sit on benches1 or stools1 without backs1 working at a long1 low table that runs the length of the apartment4 ,on damp days the windows have to be shut1 making the atmosphere of the place close and unwholesome4 ,but the rooms are generally large1 with high ceilings4 ,five hundred girls are employed in the largest establishment of the kind in ,new ,york4 ,the nominal hours of work are from eight in the morning until six in the evening1 though very often1 in the busy season1 the girls are required to work at night as late as half-past seven or eight o'clock4 ,there are a few women in ,new ,york who profess to teach feather curling2 ,i say profess1 for ,i have it on good authority that some of them have no practical knowledge of the business1 and aim only at securing a generous tuition-fee from the pupil4 ,now and then1 however1 a teacher can be found who is able to impart the necessary knowledge4 ,it has been charged by women that those who learn privately in this way are not able to secure good positions in any of the feather curling establishments1 the allegation being that the proprietors of the same have formed a ring to exclude such help4 ,from such investigation as ,i have made in regard to this matter1 ,i do not believe that this statement is correct4 ,doubtless many such pupils1 after working for a short time in such establishments1 have been discharged1 but ,i think the real reason has been that they were not competent to do the work4 ,and it can readily be imagined that the facilities for learning a trade like this would be far better in a large house1 where several hundred girls were employed1 or even fifty or seventy-five girls1 than they would be in a class of half a dozen pupils1 who had probably between them about as many feathers upon which to work4 ,it would be much pleasanter to learn the trade from a teacher2 but there are many practical objections against the feasibility of so doing4 ,if the girl has not worked herself up from the very foot of the business1 and does not have a knowledge of its preparatory stages1 she will be likely to find that if a feather has been misplaced1 or is out of order in any way1 she could not put it in proper shape as well as one who had commenced at the beginning of the business4 ,rather than have any girl or woman hastily decide to learn this trade1 ,i will1 at the risk of repetition1 briefly recapitulate3 the earnings are good if you are thoroughly competent2 and this may be said to be true of the future1 although there is a prospect1 probably a very strong prospect1 that feathers may not be in such demand as they have been1 and as they are now4 ,you will have to work hard to make good pay4 ,the work is tolerably cleanly1 but your associates1 if you are particularly nice in your ideas of companionship1 may not always please you4 ,if you are competent you may be able to take work home1 but the facilities for doing it1 and the want of that spirit of competition which prevails1 to a great extent1 in a large work-room1 may not enable you to do so much work4 ,,photography4 ,it is a little singular that in a great city like ,new ,york1 there should be but one lady photographer1 while in the western part of our country there are quite a number4 ,the photographers ,i speak of do all the work of making a picture1--posing the sitter1 preparing the chemicals1 and operating the camera4 ,one reason why there are so few ladies in this business is the fact1 that up to within a short time it has been a very disagreeable occupation on account of the nature of some of the chemicals that were used--they would soil the hands very easily1 and the stains could not be removed4 ,but recent improvements in the art have removed this objection1 and prominent male photographers predict that it will not be long before their business will be largely carried on by women4 ,a contributor to a ,london magazine1 writing some years ago1 on the subject of the employment of women in photography1 said3 ,i have pleasure in bearing testimony to the fact1 that in photography there is room for a larger amount of female labor2 that it is a field exactly suited to even the conventional notions of woman's capacity2 and further1 that it is a field unsurrounded with traditional rules1 with apprenticeship1 and with vested rights1 and it is one in which there is no sexual hostility to their employment4 ,these remarks may1 with perfect safety and propriety1 be applied to photography in this country4 ,there are several branches of the art in which women and girls have always been engaged1 viz41 the mounting of photographs1 the retouching of negatives1 and the coloring of photographs4 ,the mounting of photographs is apparently a very simple kind of work1 consisting simply in trimming the photograph and pasting it upon the card-board4 ,but1 simple though it seems1 it requires great neatness and considerable skill1 if the work is to be done fast1 and rapidity of execution is a prerequisite to employment in nearly all the large galleries4 ,as an illustration that it is not a very simple accomplishment1 it may be mentioned that out of forty young ladies who came to work on trial for a prominent photographer1 he could find only nine who were suitable to fill positions4 ,the pay for this work is not very munificent1 ranging from #f to #aj per week4 ,the retouching1 or taking out the marks or spots on negatives1 is a much more difficult branch of work4 ,the pay1 however1 does not seem to be as large as it should be1 considering the amount of skill required4 ,young women receive from #h to #ab a week4 ,a man doing the same kind of work1 and working the same number of hours1 would be paid #af a week4 ,there have been cases where ladies have received larger salaries than the sums just mentioned1 but such instances are rare4 ,the coloring of photographs is the most important1 or rather the highest paid1 of the three branches of work that have been mentioned4 ,it is said that to be successful at this calling one must have some taste for drawing1 and what is commonly called a good eye for color4 ,very few photographers employ colorists on a salary1 for the reason that they do not have enough work to keep them constantly employed4 ,there are probably but eight or ten galleries in ,new ,york where colorists are employed all the year round4 ,the truth is1 that it is not alone necessary to be a good colorist--one must be very good2 and if very good1 she can have her studio and take work from the galleries as well as from private parties4 ,photograph coloring has come to be considered as important as portraiture4 ,another qualification for success in the work1 therefore1 should be the rare ability not only to preserve1 but sometimes to make1 a likeness4 ,there is one branch of the picture-making business that has grown to large proportions within the past fifteen years2 it is what is called the copying business4 ,there are many establishments in various cities of the ,union that constantly advertise for agents to collect pictures4 ,the agent goes through the rural districts1 visiting each dwelling1 and inquiring of the inmates if there are any old pictures of living or deceased friends that they would like to have copied1 enlarged1 and colored4 ,in nearly every farm-house there are such pictures--old daguerreotypes of long-lost aunts1 uncles1 and grandfathers1 old-fashioned photographs of mother1 together with newer photographs of the living taken by the perambulating picture-taker1 and taken so badly with the use of bad chemicals that they are fast fading away4 ,out of this motley group the family will be pretty sure to select one or two pictures which they will deem it worth their while to have copied and enlarged4 ,when the agent has collected a sufficient number of pictures in this way1 he sends them by express to the home office1 where the work is done4 ,some years ago ,i chanced to know a gentleman who was in this business2 in fact1 he claimed to have originated it1 and1 as he was a shrewd1 smart ,yankee1 born and brought up in the ,state of ,new ,hampshire1 ,i never had the temerity to question his statement4 ,he had a good-sized brick building in a pleasant little ,new ,england city1 and employed a countless number of agents1 who travelled in all parts of the country1 and1 if ,i remember right1 he had nearly a score of ladies1 whose business it was to color the pictures and to touch some of them up into something resembling life1 after they had been copied and enlarged4 ,i use these statements with due deliberation1 and say that the effort was made to give them the appearance of something resembling life1 for often they looked like mere blurs4 ,here and there a nose would be gone1 or an eye would be missing1 the lower part of the face would be entirely absent1 but would be counterbalanced1 or1 rather1 overbalanced1 by a heavy head of straight1 black hair4 ,these1 of course1 were very bad specimens1 but they came to the office in the regular course of business1 and had1 to use the ,yankee expression of the proprietor1 to be fixed up4 ,these worst specimens were given to a middle-aged single lady1 who really had a genius for making something out of nothing1--at least in the matter of pictures4 ,it should be mentioned1 however1 that the worst of them were generally accompanied with some written description of the subject4 ,but we may well believe that such crude data were of but little service to the artist4 ,the salaries of these colorists were from #ac to #be per week4 ,the lady ,i have just mentioned received the latter sum1 and often made a few more dollars weekly by doing extra work4 ,at present1 she and another lady from the same establishment1 conduct an art school in a city near ,new ,york1 and are very prosperous4 ,there are now opportunities for doing this same kind of work1 but there is not so much of it to do1--thousands of active agents having very thoroughly worked in the best districts of the country4 ,still1 there is something to do1 and the salaries paid1 though not so high as ,i have mentioned1 are fair4 ,as ,i have written above1 few photographers in ,new ,york employ a colorist on a regular salary4 ,the largest sum paid to a woman is #be a week1 and that is given by probably the most prominent photographer in the city4 ,others receive from #bj down to #ab a week4 ,but there are quite a number of ladies who have studios1 and who work on their own account1 among them a firm of two sisters1 who employ a dozen young women as assistants4 ,without a doubt1 this plan1 provided the woman is competent in the art1 and has good business qualifications1 is the best and most lucrative course to pursue4 ,there has been lately introduced a new process of coloring pictures for which very strong claims are made4 ,it is said that the secret can be learned in one lesson2 the cost of the instruction is but #e4 ,the method consists in the application of water colors to any kind of picture on paper4 ,some photographers say there is nothing new in the method1 and that the pictures will not stand the light of the sun2 others claim that it is a good process1 and say that the pictures are both brilliant and effective4 ,the teacher of the art asserts that he can1 in half a day1 paint a picture1 and give all the necessary effects4 ,with the usual method1 he says1 a colorist would require two days and a half4 ,the process has not yet been introduced among photographers1 but several ladies are soliciting work at private houses1 receiving1 it is said1 #d and #e for painting a panel picture1 and making a good living at the work4 ,for obvious reasons ,i do not enter into the particulars of this method1 or even mention the name by which it is known4 ,that1 however1 can easily be learned from almost any photographer1 and the searcher for information can then satisfy herself as to whether the business is worth a trial4 ,,professional ,,nursing4 ,it may not be known to many that1 of late years1 nursing has come to be a regular profession4 ,women are trained to become nurses by going through a regular course of study in what are called training schools1 and they receive on their graduation a diploma signed by an ,examining ,board and a ,committee of a ,board of ,managers4 ,for some women this is an excellent occupation4 ,the work is rather hard1 but the pay is exceptionally good4 ,at the present time there are seventeen of these training schools in the ,united ,states4 ,there is one in each of the following cities3 ,new ,haven 7,conn471 ,chicago1 ,new ,orleans1 ,st4 ,louis1 ,syracuse 7,n4 ,y471 ,washington 7,d4 ,c471 ,burlington 7,vt471 and there are three in ,boston1 two in ,brooklyn 7,n4 ,y471 three in ,new ,york ,city1 and two in ,philadelphia4 ,in order to gain admission to any of these institutions certain conditions of admission have to be complied with4 ,first of all1 the woman must have good health1 she must be unmarried or a widow1 she must furnish satisfactory references as to moral character1 and have a fair common-school education4 ,all these are essential prerequisites4 ,her age must not be under twenty or over forty-five4 ,in the ,boston schools the rule is between twenty-one and thirty-five2 in ,brooklyn1 twenty-one to forty2 in ,new ,york ,city1 twenty-five to thirty-five2 in ,philadelphia1 twenty-one to forty-five1 and in ,washington ,city1 the same as it is in ,brooklyn4 ,aside from these qualifications1 the woman who would enter upon this employment must have considerable nerve1 for she will be obliged to witness some very painful sights1 and often be called upon to render assistance in some very dangerous surgical operations4 ,and yet1 at the same time1 while possessing the necessary amount of self-control to go through her duties properly1 she must be possessed of that gentleness1 forbearance1 and good temper1 without which the most scientific nursing will be of little avail4 ,she may shudder at the first operation in the hospital1 even faint1 but that is no sign that she will not be able to overcome her want of self-control4 ,some of the best surgeons have confessed to the same weakness at the beginning of their professional experience4 ,the nurse will soon get used to seeing such unpleasant sights1 and1 as it was the case with the grave-digger in ,hamlet1 custom will make her business a property of easiness4 ,she1 too1 will learn that the hand of little employment hath the daintier sense4 ,the pupil1 having made her application to the superintendent of the school1 is required to answer1 in writing1 certain questions2 to give her name2 to state whether she is single or married2 to give her present occupation2 her age last birthday1 and date and place of birth2 her height and weight2 to state where educated2 to tell whether she is strong and healthy1 and has always been so2 whether her sight and hearing are good2 whether she has any physical defects1 or any tendency to pulmonary complaint2 if she is a widow1 to state if she has any children1 their number1 ages1 and how they are provided for2 to tell where she was last employed1 and how long she was employed1 and to give the names of two persons as references1 one of whom must be her last employer1 if she has been engaged in any occupation4 ,and then she signs her name to the statement1 declaring it to be correct4 ,if the answers are satisfactory1 and there is a vacancy in the school1 she goes on trial for a month1 and if1 at the end of that time1 she decides that she likes the position1 and the superintendent finds she is able to fulfil the duties properly1 she is engaged4 ,for this trial month she receives no pay1 but gets her board and lodging free of expense4 ,having been accepted as a pupil1 she signs articles of agreement to remain two years and obey the rules of the school and hospital4 ,all the schools are connected with some hospital2 they are not always in the same building1 but in the immediate vicinity4 ,the pupils reside in the ,home1 or school1 and in the large schools--the one connected with ,bellevue ,hospital1 for instance--there are two sets of nurses1 one set doing day duty1 and the other going on at night4 ,the day nurses are on duty from #h ,a4,m4 to #h ,p4,m41 with an hour off for dinner1 and some additional time for exercise or rest4 ,they have one afternoon during the week1 half of ,sunday1 and a two weeks' vacation during the summer4 ,if sick1 they are cared for gratuitously4 ,the course of instruction covers two years1 when the pupil1 after passing a satisfactory examination1 graduates and receives a diploma4 ,then she chooses her own field of labor4 ,in one of the large ,new ,york schools the course of instruction includes3 #a4 ,the dressing of blisters1 burns1 sores1 and wounds2 the application of fomentations1 poultices1 cups1 and leeches4 #b4 ,the administration of enemas1 and use of catheter4 #c4 ,the management of appliances for uterine complaints4 #d4 ,the best method of friction to the body and extremities4 #e4 ,the management of helpless patients2 making beds2 moving1 changing1 giving baths in bed2 preventing and dressing bed-sores2 and managing positions4 #f4 ,bandaging1 making bandages and rollers1 lining of splints4 #g4 ,the preparing1 cooking1 and serving of delicacies for the sick4 ,they are also given instruction in the best practical methods of supplying fresh air1 warming and ventilating sick-rooms in a proper manner1 and are taught to take care of rooms and wards2 to keep all utensils perfectly clean and disinfected2 to make accurate observations and reports to the physician of the state of the secretions1 expectoration1 pulse1 skin1 appetite1 temperature of the body1 intelligence--as delirium or stupor1--breathing1 sleep1 condition of wounds1 eruptions1 formation of matter1 effect of diet1 or of stimulants1 or of medicines2 and to learn the management of convalescents4 ,this teaching is given by physicians1 some of whom are connected with the hospital1 while others1 often prominent men1 occasionally give lectures4 ,the superintendent1 assistant superintendent1 and head nurses also give practical directions to the pupils as to the management of the sick4 ,each school has its favorite text-book on nursing4 ,one of the most popular works is the ,new ,haven ,hand-book of ,nursing1 which is used in the ,east and ,west1 and in ,new ,york4 ,in the ,new ,york schools the ,bellevue ,manual is also used4 ,among the other text-books studied in the different schools throughout the country are ,anatomy and ,physiology1 ,domville's ,manual1 ,woolsey's ,hand-book for ,hospital ,visitors1 ,williams and ,fisher's ,hints to ,hospital ,nurses1 ,lee's ,hand-book for ,hospital ,sisters1 ,cutter's ,anatomy and ,physiology1 ,putnam's ,manual1 ,huxley's ,physiology1 ,smith on ,nursing1 ,frankel's ,manual1 ,west on ,children1 ,notes on ,nursing1 by ,florence ,nightingale1 ,draper's ,anatomy1 ,physiology1 and ,hygiene1 ,bartholow's ,materia ,medica1 and ,miss ,veitch's ,hand-book for ,nursing4 ,the ,boston and ,new ,york schools use the largest number of text-books1 averaging six4 ,at one of the schools in ,philadelphia1 but one book is used2 in ,connecticut1 ,chicago1 and ,washington two text-books are studied4 ,while the nurse is receiving her training she is boarded free of expense1 and receives a stated salary per month during the time she is in the school4 ,the amount varies throughout the country4 ,in ,new ,haven it is #agj for the term of eighteen months4 ,in ,chicago1 #h a month for the first year1 #ab a month for the second year4 ,in ,boston1 at two of the schools it is #aj a month for the first year1 and #ad a month for the second year4 ,at the third school it is #a a week for the first six months1 #b dollars a week for the second six months1 and #c a week for the last four months4 ,brooklyn1 #i a month for the first year1 #ae a month for the second year4 ,in ,new ,york1 at the ,charity ,hospital on ,blackwell's ,island1 it is #aj a month for the first year1 and #ae a month for the second year2 at ,bellevue ,hospital1 #i a month for the first year1 #ae a month for the second year2 at the ,new ,york ,hospital1 it is #aj1 #ac1 and #af a month for the first1 second1 and third six months1 respectively4 ,in ,syracuse #aj a month4 ,in ,philadelphia1 #e a month for the first six months1 #aj a month for the second six months1 and #af a month for the second year4 ,it will be seen at a glance that this is merely nominal pay1 but it must also be borne in mind that the nurse is receiving instruction in what is to be to her a profession4 ,then1 again1 she is under little or no expense2 she is boarded1 lodged1 has her washing done in the institution1 and the dress or uniform which she is obliged to wear costs but a trifle1 the material of which it is made being generally what is called seersucker4 ,after the nurse has received a certain amount of training1 she is deemed competent to go out to private service4 ,she receives no extra pay for this1 her salary being paid into the institution1 which1 in that way1 is enabled partly to maintain itself4 ,when she goes to a private house1 she carries with her a certificate of recommendation signed by the lady superintendent of the school4 ,when she returns to the school1 she brings with her a report of her conduct and efficiency1 either from one of the family or the medical attendant4 ,while engaged in this service1 the people employing her must allow her reasonable time for rest in every twenty-four hours1 and when her services are needed for several consecutive nights1 she is to have at least six hours in the day out of the sick-room4 ,except in cases of extreme illness1 she is to be allowed opportunity to attend church once every ,sunday4 ,appended to the rules of the ,bellevue ,hospital ,training ,school1 in regard to this subject1 are the following remarks3 ,it is expected that nurses will bear in mind the importance of the situation they have undertaken1 and will evince1 at all times1 the self-denial1 forbearance1 gentleness1 and good temper so essential in their attendance on the sick1 and also to their character as ,christian nurses4 ,they are to take the whole charge of the sick-room1 doing everything that is requisite in it1 when called upon to do so4 ,when nursing in families where there are no servants1 if their attention be not of necessity wholly devoted to their patient1 they are expected to make themselves generally useful4 ,they are to be careful not to increase the expense of the family in any way4 ,they are also most earnestly charged to hold sacred the knowledge which1 to a certain extent1 they must obtain of the private affairs of such households or individuals as they may attend4 ,the field of employment which has just been described1 offers great opportunities for the proper kind of women to make an independent livelihood4 ,the work is hard and confining1 but the pay1 as women are paid1 is very good4 ,a trained nurse never receives less than #bj a week1 her board being1 of course1 included1 and more often she will get #be1 or even #cj1 a week2 in fact1 she can command her own price1 and that price will depend upon the wealth and liberality of her patrons1 and the ability which she brings to bear on the case in hand4 ,good nursing is very often more important than good doctoring1 and thousands of people are willing to pay liberally for such exceptional help4 ,the demand for trained nurses far exceeds the supply1 and1 provided a woman has made herself fully competent in this peculiarly appropriate branch of women's work1 the extent of her employment will only be limited by her physical strength to render the services required4 ,,proof-,,readers1 ,,compositors1 ,,and ,,bookbinders4 ,men who employ women in trades and businesses where they have to work for some length of time before they become skilled laborers have one very strong objection against female help4 ,no sooner1 they say1 do we really begin to get some benefit from the woman's work1 after having borne long and patiently with her sins of omission and commission1 than along comes a good-looking young fellow and marries her4 ,for this reason women sometimes find it difficult to obtain entrance into the most desirable establishments where trades can be learned4 ,and yet these same employers are not hostile to female labor2 on the contrary1 they are strongly in favor of it1 but they say that they are not willing to encourage it to the extent of sacrificing the necessary time and trouble in making a woman perfect in a trade1 and then seeing her leave them to enter upon the presumably more congenial duties of matrimony4 ,the woman1 therefore1 who desires to learn a trade may find this difficulty meeting her at the threshold4 ,all employers1 however1 are not alike1 and some establishment can generally be found where a woman can learn the first principles of the occupation she wishes to follow2 as soon as she has attained a reasonable degree of proficiency in it1 she can get a position in a larger and better establishment1 where the pay will probably be higher and the surroundings more agreeable4 ,of the three employments mentioned at the head of this chapter proof-reading is probably the most pleasant4 ,a woman to be properly qualified must have a good education1 and must have graduated from the printer's case4 ,a great many young women who know nothing about the compositor's trade think they can be good proof-readers1 but they may have a good collegiate education1 and if they are not familiar with the practical details of printing1 as they can be learned in a printing establishment1 they will never amount to much as proof-readers4 ,this is the class of proof-readers who get interested in what they are reading2 they are on the look-out for bad sentences which1 having found1 they promptly proceed to correct1 a self-imposed duty for which they receive no thanks from either their employer or the author whose language or style they seek to improve4 ,a good proof-reader reads mechanically4 ,the moment she takes a personal interest in what she is reading1 or becomes critical on the matter in hand1 she is apt to overlook typographical errors of the most common sort4 ,of course1 she must be a first-class speller and have a good knowledge of punctuation1 though how far she will have to apply the latter knowledge will depend very much on what kind of proof she is reading4 ,if she is engaged in an establishment where books are printed exclusively1 she will find that authors1 as a rule1 have their own systems of punctuation1 with which 7supposing the authors to be men and women of ability7 she will not be expected to interfere4 ,but if she is engaged on newspaper or general work1 she will have ample opportunity to display her knowledge and exercise her judgment in the matter of punctuation4 ,in all important work female proof-readers seldom read the second or revised proof4 ,that is generally given to a male proof-reader of large experience1 who gives the matter a critical reading4 ,the pay of good women proof-readers is from #ae to #bj a week4 ,those who receive the latter sum are capable of reading revises4 ,now and then a woman receives exceptionally good pay for this kind of service4 ,a prominent ,american historian paid a lady proof-reader #cj a week2 but she was unusually well educated1 and capable of often making valuable suggestions to the author4 ,no encouragement can be given to the woman desirous of becoming a proof-reader who will not learn the practical details of the calling in a printing establishment4 ,in connection with proof-reading it may be mentioned that young girls or young women find employment as copy-holders4 ,their duty is to read aloud to the proof-reader the copy of the author4 ,if they can read rapidly and correctly they can earn about #h a week4 99 99 99 99 99 ,female compositors are now largely employed in job and newspaper offices1 but it is only fair to state the objections to their following this trade4 ,in some establishments they are obliged1 like the men1 to stand at their work4 ,physicians state1 and the experience of the women themselves proves1 that this is very detrimental to health4 ,it has been urged by women1 also1 that in printing-offices they are forced to hear profane and improper language from their male companions1 who sometimes1 doubtless1 in this way1 harass the women1 sometimes with the purpose of expressing their dissatisfaction at the employment of female labor4 ,but too much weight should not be given to this complaint4 ,in all the large1 well-regulated establishments such conduct would not be tolerated1 provided the men and women worked in the same room1 which1 however1 is rarely the case2 as a rule1 the female help are set off in an apartment by themselves4 ,employers who have employed female compositors say that they cause a great deal of trouble4 ,they have to have a separate room1 and require to be waited upon a great deal1 especially if they are learning the trade1 while men readily get along by themselves4 ,they are sure to lose more or less time through sickness1 and that1 too1 very often in the busiest season1 when there is great pressure of work1 and their services are in especial demand4 ,of late1 the female compositors in one of the largest establishments in ,new ,york demanded to be paid the same rate as the men4 ,the demand was not acceded to1 and the proprietors came very near discharging all their female compositors1 urging the objections which have just been stated1 together with the general objection to the employment of female help stated in the beginning of this chapter4 ,notwithstanding all these objections1 however1 which a woman can weigh and take for what they are worth1 the trade of a compositor is a very good one4 ,among men1 a type-setter has always been considered the most independent of mortals4 ,if he is thorough master of his trade1 he is always sure of work1 and with the great development of our country1 there is hardly a spot to which he may drift where he will not find a printing-office and an opportunity to earn money4 ,numerous instances might be related of printers who1 being of a roving disposition1 have travelled all over the ,united ,states1 earning their living as they went4 ,the trade is just as good1 or nearly as good1 for a woman4 ,she is never paid1 it is true1 the same rate that the men receive1 but if she is a quick worker she can make much more money in a week1 as a compositor1 than she could at many other occupations4 ,she can never hope to perform as much work as a first-class male compositor2 that is a physical impossibility4 ,good compositors in the large ,new ,york establishments where books are printed 7and it is only in such places that women are employed in the large cities71 earn from #ad to #ae a week4 ,the poor ones average #i and #aj a week4 ,sometimes good women make more than #ae a week1 earning as much as #ah or #bj a week4 ,this kind of work1 it must be understood1 is paid by the piece1 so that how much a woman earns depends entirely on her ability4 ,in many small cities and country towns1 especially throughout ,new ,england1 young women are employed as compositors in newspaper offices4 ,their rate of pay is never as high as it is in the cities1 but their living expenses are proportionately less1 so that really they are just as well off4 ,it would seem1 indeed1 that such situations were to be preferred4 ,there is less noise and hurry in such small establishments1 and1 therefore1 less wear and tear on the human system4 ,the papers are generally afternoon papers1 and1 therefore1 the work is all done in the daytime4 ,the women are allowed to sit at their work4 ,in such situations they will be able to earn from #e to #ab a week4 ,it is1 at present1 difficult for a woman entirely ignorant of the trade1 to get into any of the large establishments in ,new ,york1 where such help is engaged1 for the purpose of learning to become a type-setter4 ,if her ambition lies in this direction1 and she lives outside the large cities1 she could do no better than obtain an introductory knowledge of the art in some country newspaper office1 or1 failing in that1 get the necessary practical instruction in some job office1 in either city or country4 99 99 99 99 99 ,certain parts of the work of bookbinding are monopolized by young girls and young women4 ,they are employed in folding1 collating1 sewing1 pasting1 binding1 and gold-laying4 ,there is probably no large establishment in the country where men are employed to do this kind of work4 ,the industry seems to be peculiarly adapted to young women who are quick with their hands4 ,employs in this trade are paid by the piece1 with the exception of the collaters1 who receive a stated salary of #h a week4 ,collating1 it may be mentioned for the benefit of those who are not familiar with the term1 means the gathering together of the various folded sheets or sections of the book1 and seeing that the pages run right1 preparatory to their being handed over to the sewers1 who stitch them together4 ,the pay of folders1 binders1 pasters1 and sewers will average1 during the year1 from #f to #g a week4 ,gold-layers are paid by the hour and make a dollar or two more a week4 ,this average1 it must be understood1 is for the whole fifty-two weeks4 ,some weeks the girls make #ab and #ae1 other weeks not one third as much4 ,girls as young as fourteen years are employed1 and women forty and fifty years of age may be found working beside them4 ,nine hours and a half constitute a day's work4 ,some girls will make more than the average named4 ,those are the steady workers who1 to use the expression of one employer1 work just like a man and don't care to hurry home and crimp up to see company in the evening4 ,such employs will1 the year round1 average each week two or three dollars more than the ordinary run of help4 ,it is said that there is always work in this trade for competent women4 ,but it is a trade that no woman of ambition would want to enter1 unless she was unable to find any thing better to do4 ,there is no chance to rise in the business and get a better paying position1 for the rule is to employ male foremen4 ,in only one large establishment in ,new ,york is there a woman occupying such a position4 ,it is proper to state1 however1 that she gives perfect satisfaction1 that her employer would not replace her for a man1 and that he believes other bookbinders will eventually see the advisability of having a female instead of a male overseer4 ,a man1 it is said1 is apt1 in giving out work1 to favor the pretty girls at the expense of the plain-looking damsels1 thus creating jealousy among the employs1 while a woman is not influenced in that way4 ,the proprietors of the large bookbinderies make every effort to secure a respectable kind of help1 but young women of loose principles1 and sometimes1 it is to be feared1 of actual immoral character1 get employment at the trade1 and1 when they do1 their influence is any thing but good on their companions4 ,it must1 however1 be largely a girl's own fault if she allows herself to associate with such company4 ,during working hours1 of course1 nothing but business is attended to4 ,lunch is eaten in the establishment1 and during the lunch hour the girls gather together in little knots and talk about the last picnic or the coming ball4 ,but the place is so large1 that a girl of reserved manners can generally keep by herself1 or select such companions as she prefers4 ,the trade is not difficult to learn1 the work is neat and clean1 the rooms where the girls work--that is1 in the large bookbinderies--are commodious1 well lighted1 and airy4 ,if a young woman1 getting her board free at home1 wanted to make a little money by working only a few months1 or a year1 she could probably accomplish this object by entering a bookbindery4 ,,the ,,drama4--,,lecturers ,,and ,,readers4 ,a woman need not have the genius of a ,rachel1 a ,modjeska1 or a ,clara ,morris1 to be able to make a good living in the theatrical profession4 ,probably the great majority of young ladies who go upon the stage are inflated with the notion that they are creatures of wonderful genius1 and for this reason they fail2 they are so taken up with the good opinion they have of themselves that they will not go through the necessary amount of work1 in the subordinate positions1 to perfect themselves for places up higher4 ,they want to fly before they can walk4 ,it would seem as if common-sense deserted a woman the moment she felt a desire to go upon the stage4 ,an old theatrical agent whose views were sought on this subject did not offer much encouragement to the aspirants for dramatic honors4 ,i will give a paraphrase of his views so that the gentle reader may have the benefit of the pessimistic presentation of the question4 ,the great majority of young ladies1 he observed1 who sought positions had been members of some amateur dramatic company1 which they had joined from a love of recreation and amusement4 ,the friends of a young woman continually spoiled her by undeserved praise1 and1 finally1 she believed herself capable of taking the highest and most difficult parts1 and forthwith rushed to the nearest theatrical manager or dramatic agent and sought a position4 ,in the majority of instances such young ladies had not the slightest amount of ability2 besides1 experience in an amateur dramatic company was of no benefit4 ,people might come to an agent with the highest recommendations from stage instructors1 or actors who had taken upon themselves the task of giving them instruction--who had spoken of them as 'promising pupils'--and yet1 when they came to go upon the stage1 they did not show the slightest degree of talent for the profession4 ,an amateur experience was no criterion to go by4 ,when1 said the dramatic agent1 ,i managed the tour of ,mr4 ---- 7mentioning the name of one of our leading tragedians71 ,i had to select the company which was to support him4 ,yielding to the solicitations of an old friend ,i engaged a young lady who had been studying with ,miss ----1 one of the brightest stars on the ,american stage4 ,miss ---- told me that she considered her a most promising young woman1 and had it not been that her manager had already selected her company1 she would have been glad to have had her in her own company4 ,she felt sure if ,i took her ,i would be pleased4 ,i engaged her1 and was never more mistaken in my ideas in all my life4 ,she thought she could act1 but she did not know the first principles of acting4 ,offended at my plain criticisms on her efforts she went to ,mr4 ----1 the star1 and complained that she thought ,i was prejudiced against her1 and had been unjust and unkind4 ,but ,mr4 ---- repeated1 kindly but plainly1 the substance of what ,i had said4 ,she had left a good paying position to seek dramatic fame only to find dramatic failure4 ,at the end of the season she became convinced of the truth of our criticisms1 and quit the stage forever4 ,it must be stated here that the stage is largely run on what is called the combination plan1 and a very poor plan it is4 ,in the old times the theatres had what were called stock companies2 that is1 the company was made up of a certain number of members1 each member having a particular line of business1 and keeping to that line year after year1 in the same company1 which remained in the same theatre4 ,at the present time there are only two stock companies in the ,united ,states4 ,the great majority of theatrical enterprises are called combinations4 ,in old times the actor had to suit himself to the play2 nowadays the play is written to suit the actor4 ,a comedian can sing and dance1 or make up good as a ,jew1 a ,negro1 or an eccentric ,german1 and forthwith he gets some author to write a play for him in which his strong points will be made to plainly appear4 ,then he selects his company1 picking out men and women that he may deem suitable for the characters they are to assume4 ,then the company is christened ,the ,great ,jones ,combination1 or ,the ,great ,scott ,combination1 as the case may be1 and off it starts for a more or less successful tour throughout the country4 ,sterling1 old-time actors like ,john ,gilbert1 ,william ,warren1 ,joseph ,jefferson1 and men of that school1 lament the decadence of the stock company system4 ,but1 in the dramatic as in the real world1 we must take things as we find them1 and the fact is that there is very little chance for a young lady who would be an actress to get a thorough knowledge of her art--that is1 thorough as it is understood by those in the front rank of the profession1 who have reached their position by following the old methods4 ,on the other hand1 the stage never offered so many opportunities for bright young women with dramatic talent to make a living as it does at the present time4 ,every city1 both large and small1 can boast of its theatre or opera-house1 and in many of the large towns throughout the country there are town-halls arranged with a view to accommodate some of the minor theatrical combinations4 ,the young lady who would succeed in making a fair living on the stage must1 first of all1 be attractive4 ,the stage appeals as much to the eye as it does to the ear1 and there is scarcely an instance of an ugly actress being successful1 or1 indeed1 even having the opportunity of exhibiting herself on the stage4 ,it seems to be the general opinion among actors and theatrical managers that the instruction received from professors of elocution is of little or no account4 ,as to the experience gained from performing in amateur companies1 there is a difference of opinion4 ,the dramatic agent whose views have just been given speaks1 it will be seen1 very strongly against the amateur actor4 ,others1 however1 whose opinions are entitled to great weight1 say that experience gained in amateur organizations is always valuable4 ,the manager of one of the principal theatres in ,new ,york--a theatre1 too1 that has had an unusually large number of travelling companies on the road--told the writer that he had employed a large number of amateur actors1 and that some of the greatest pecuniary successes had been made by actors and actresses who had come to him from some amateur theatrical company4 ,of course1 the new-comers were not successful at first4 ,they had to serve an apprenticeship on the regular stage2 but he meant to say that their previous experience1 amateur though it was1 had been a benefit to them1 and that they had got along quicker than they would if they had been without it4 ,utility business is the kind of work a young woman going upon the stage must first expect to do2 or1 to speak more accurately1 according to the technique of the profession1 she will first be allowed to make an announcement4 ,she will come on the stage and say1 ,my lady1 a letter1 or make some other simple speech to the extent of one or two lines4 ,if she does this well1 she will be given parts where there is more to say1 until1 finally1 she has reached thirty lines1 at which point she is capable of being entrusted with a responsible part4 ,the salary of this class of actresses ranges from #ae to #cj per week4 ,if she does not start in this line of business1 she may be a ballet lady1--not a dancer1 but one of the group of ladies that make up the ballroom or party scenes4 ,in this case1 she will start on a salary of from #e to #g per week4 ,if she is very pretty1 she will get #g2 if she is an ancient1--that is1 rather old and decidedly plain1--she will get only #e4 ,the ability to sing commands an extra dollar per week4 ,the manager of the theatre alluded to above said1 that in one of their companies they employed a young lady without previous theatrical experience4 ,she was1 however1 very quick to learn1 and commencing on a salary of #bj a week1 she quickly made herself valuable4 ,after a while a part was given her in which she made a hit1 and her salary has been increased until now it is #gj a week when she is travelling1 and #ee a week when she plays in ,new ,york ,city1 the extra #ae given to her when she is away being for hotel expenses4 ,there has been so much said and written on the morals of the stage that it will not be necessary here to warn the young dramatic aspirant that this is a branch of the subject which she should well consider4 ,that there are actresses who are good women1 fulfilling nobly all the duties of wives1 mothers1 and sisters1 nobody pretends to deny4 ,but that the stage offers very strong and dangerous temptations to young and pretty women is a fact which every one who knows any thing about the subject will admit4 ,these temptations are not in the theatre itself4 ,the profession of acting is conducted on purely business principles4 ,life behind the scenes is dull1 uninteresting1 matter-of-fact4 ,the actors and the actresses are full of their work1 and the whole place is decidedly unromantic4 ,but there are great temptations from without the theatre1 into the details of which it is not necessary to enter4 ,it is not necessary that she should yield to these temptations1 nor are they1 probably1 all things considered1 any greater or stronger than the pretty shop-girl has to meet4 ,but if she values her character she will1 when she enters this profession1 make up her mind to devote herself thoroughly to work1 and she will be particularly careful about the acquaintances she forms with the opposite sex1 and above all avoid that large and growing class of silly men1 both young and old1 who love to boast that they number an actress among their female acquaintances4 ,in the ,north ,american ,review for ,december1 #ahhb1 there was published a symposium on the subject of success on the stage4 ,there are so many young ladies whose ambition lies in the direction of the drama1 and the contribution referred to contained such wholesome advice1 that ,i am tempted to quote from it at considerable length4 ,there were six contributors3 ,john ,mc,cullough1 ,joseph ,jefferson1 ,lawrence ,barrett1 ,william ,warren1 ,miss ,maggie ,mitchell1 and ,madame ,helena ,modjeska4 ,the views of the lady contributors will be found of especial interest to the readers of this book4 ,the article was addressed more particularly to those whose ambition it is to reach the highest rank in the profession1 but the extracts contain many useful hints for those who are simply looking forward to a respectable1 well-paying utility position on the stage4 ,miss ,mitchell says3-- ,to succeed on the stage1 the candidate must have a fairly prepossessing appearance1 a mind capable of receiving picturesque impressions easily and deeply1 a strong1 artistic sense of form and color1 the faculty of divesting herself of her own mental as well as physical identity1 a profound sympathy with her art1 utter sincerity in assuming a character1 power enough over herself to refrain from analyzing or dissecting her part1 a habit of generalization1 and at the same time a quick eye and ready invention for detail1 a resonant voice1 a distinct articulation1 natural grace1 presence of mind1 a sense of humor so well under control that it will never run riot2 the gift of being able to transform herself1 at will1 into any type of character2 pride1 even conceit1 in her work2 patience1 tenacity of purpose1 industry1 good-humor1 and docility4 ,she must behave1 in her earlier years1 very much as if she were a careful1 self-respecting scholar1 taking lessons of people better informed than herself1 with her eyes and ears constantly open and ready to receive impressions4 ,she should begin by getting1 if possible1 into a stock company1 even in the most inferior capacity1 keeping within reach of the influence of her home1--or by joining a reputable combination on the road4 ,managers1 no matter what may be said to the contrary1 are always eagerly looking for talent in the bud1 and if a young girl1 with reasonable pretensions to good looks1 who is modest and well-behaved1 and shows the slightest ability with a common-sense readiness to begin at the bottom of the ladder1 should offer herself for an engagement1 the chances are that she would get it with much less difficulty than she imagined4 ,there are1 no doubt1 numerous candidates1 even for the smallest positions on the stage1 but those who possess even moderate qualifications are extremely rare4 ,managers have1 at present1 to take the best they can pick from a host of worse than interlopers4 ,i do not think that novices reap any practical benefit from private lessons4 ,the neophyte learns not merely of her professional teacher1 but of her audience2 and to be informed by the one without being influenced by the other is to have very lopsided instruction4 ,the stage itself is the best1 in fact1 the only school for actresses4 ,it is a profession made up of traditions and precedents and technicalities4 ,mere oral advice1 or training in elocution or gesture1 counts for very little4 ,they are1 in fact1 too often obstacles which have to be eventually and with difficulty surmounted4 ,in some instances ,i have known 'instruction'--of this sort--to bring about as prejudicial effects as if the victim had tried to learn the art of swimming at a dancing academy1 and then put the knowledge thus gained into practice4 ,the modulations of the voice and the language of illustrative gesture ought to be either taught by example or insensibly acquired by experience4 ,to learn them by precept and rule has for a result1 usually1 that woodenness and jerkiness which one cannot help noticing in the 'youthful prodigies' of the stage4 ,to be an actress one has to learn other things than merely how to act1 and that is why nobody ever succeeded in the profession who tried to enter it at the top4 99 99 99 ,the early bent of her studies and reading should be precisely the same as that of any other woman aspiring to be liberally educated4 ,she should1 if possible1 speak ,french1 at all events read it4 ,she should be familiar with ,english literature4 ,she should cultivate an acquaintance1 through books and otherwise1 with the highest as well as the lowest forms of human society4 ,refinement and general information ought to be the characteristics of every actress4 99 99 99 ,it would be bold for me to pretend to descry the chances of success for the actress of the future4 ,it is a lottery1 this profession of ours1 in which even the prizes are1 after all1 not very considerable4 ,my own days1 spent most of them far from my children and the comforts and delights of my home1 are full of exhausting labor4 ,rehearsals and other business occupy me from early morning to the hour of performance1 with brief intervals for rest and food and a little sleep4 ,in the best hotels my time is so invaded that ,i can scarcely live comfortably1 much less luxuriously4 ,at the worst1 existence becomes a torment and a burden4 ,i am the eager1 yet weary1 slave of my profession1 and the best it can do for me--who am fortunate enough to be included among its successful members--is to barely palliate the suffering of a forty-weeks' exile from my own house and my family4 ,for those of our calling who have to make this weary round1 year after year1 with disappointed ambitions and defeated hopes as their inseparable company1 ,i can feel from the bottom of my heart4 ,each season makes the life harder and drearier2 each year robs it of one more prospect1 one more chance1 one more opportunity to try and catch the fleeting bubble in another field4 ,madame ,modjeska writes3 99 99 99 ,it would be a great mistake to choose the profession with the idea that money comes easier and work is less hard in this than in any other4 ,there is little hope for the advancement of such aspirants4 ,there is no greater mistake than to suppose that mere professional training is the only necessary education4 ,the general cultivation of the mind1 the development of all the intellectual faculties1 the knowledge how to think1 are more essential to the actor than mere professional instruction4 ,in no case should he neglect the other branches of art2 all of them being so nearly akin1 he cannot attain to a fine artistic taste if he is entirely unacquainted with music1 the plastic arts1 and poetry4 ,the best school of acting seems to me to be the stage itself--when one begins by playing small parts1 and slowly1 step by step1 reaches the more important ones4 ,there is a probability that if you play well a minor character1 you will play greater ones well by and by2 while if you begin with the latter1 you may prove deficient in them1 and afterward be both unwilling and unable to play small parts4 ,it was my ill-fortune to be put1 soon after my entrance on the stage1 in the position of a star in a travelling company4 ,i think it was the greatest danger ,i encountered in my career1 and the consequence was that when ,i afterward entered a regular stock company1 ,i had not only a great deal to learn1 but much more to unlearn4 ,the training by acting1 in order to be useful1 requires a certain combination of circumstances4 ,it is good in the stock companies of ,europe1 because with them the play-bill is constantly changed1 and the young actor is required to appear in a great variety of characters during a short period4 ,but it may prove the reverse of good in a theatre where the beginner may be compelled for a year or so to play one insignificant part4 ,such a course would be likely to kill in him all the love of his art1 render him a mechanical automaton1 and teach him but very little4 ,private instruction can be given either by professors of elocution or by experienced actors4 ,i know nothing of the first1 as there are no professors of elocution1 to my knowledge1 outside of ,america and of ,england1 and ,i never knew one personally4 ,but speaking of private lessons given by experienced actors1 there are certainly a great many arguments and instances in favor of that mode of instruction4 ,of course1 a great deal depends upon the choice of the teacher4 ,but1 supposing he is capable1 he can devote more time to a private pupil than he can to one in a public school4 ,some of the greatest actresses that ever lived owed1 in great part1 their success to the instructions of an experienced actor1 of less genius than themselves4 ,take1 for instance1 ,rachel and ,samson4 ,strange to say1 it happens often that very good actors make but poor professors1 while the best private teacher ,i ever met was1 like ,michonnet1 but an indifferent actor himself4 ,the danger is that the pupil in this kind of instruction may become a mere imitator of his model4 ,imitation is the worst mode of learning1 and the worst method in art1 as it kills the individual creative power1 and in most cases1 the imitators only follow the peculiar failings of their model4 ,there are many objections to dramatic schools1 some of which are very forcible4 ,there is in them1 as in private teaching1 the danger of imitation1 and of getting into a purely mechanical habit1 which produces conventional1 artificial acting4 ,yet it is not to be denied that a great number of the best ,french and ,german actresses and actors have been pupils of dramatic schools1 and that two of the schools--those of ,paris and ,vienna--have justly enjoyed a great celebrity4 ,of the schools ,i have known personally ,i cannot speak very favorably4 ,one point must be borne in mind2 a dramatic school ought to have an independent financial basis1 and not rely for its support on the number of its pupils1 because in such a case the managers might be induced to receive candidates not in the least qualified for the dramatic profession4 ,of the three elements that1 in my opinion1 go to make up a good dramatic artist1 the first one1 technique1 must be acquired by professional training2 the second and higher one1 which is art itself1 originates in a natural genius1 but can and ought to be improved by the general cultivation of the mind4 ,but there is yet something beyond these two3 it is inspiration4 ,this cannot be acquired or improved1 but it can be lost by neglect4 ,inspiration1 which ,jefferson calls his demon1 and which ,i would call my angel1 does not depend upon us4 ,happy the moments when it responds to our appeal4 ,it is only at such moments that an artist can feel satisfaction in his work--pride in his creation2 and this feeling is the only real and true success which ought to be the object of his ambition4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is but very little chance for women to succeed as lecturers at the present time4 ,some few years ago the country seemed to be overrun with orators1 both male and female4 ,probably the woman-suffrage excitement had a great deal to do with this2 at all events1 there is not much demand now for female eloquence4 ,twelve years ago a number of distinguished women were before the public4 ,anna ,dickinson spoke on politics2 since then she entered the dramatic profession4 ,susan ,b4 ,anthony1 ,elizabeth ,cady ,stanton1 spoke about woman-suffrage1 a subject which seems for the time to have died out4 ,olive ,logan talked on social topics2 now she is in ,europe4 ,mrs4 ,livermore is the only female orator of that time who is now before the public1 and she is as successful now as she was then4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as public readers1 women who have a talent in that direction have an excellent chance at the present time4 ,readings are getting to be a very popular form of entertainment4 ,the theatres are offering such poor and trashy attractions that many educated people who want to be amused1 are forced to seek diversion in this way4 ,the general spread of culture is also1 probably1 creating a taste in this direction4 ,the lady who would succeed as a public reader must1 like the actress1 be good-looking4 ,the most successful lady readers now before the public are physically attractive4 ,some of them are large1 fine-looking women1 while others are petite2 but no matter what the particular style of beauty may be1 they are all pleasing in their personal appearance4 ,the woman who wants to make public reading a profession will do all she can to get her name and profession before the public4 ,at first she will give free readings before church societies4 ,in this way she will gradually become known1 and1 after a while1 she will be able to appear before some lyceum in the small outlying towns4 ,if she is favorably received she will be invited to come again1 and so1 gradually1 her name and fame will become known1 and if she has the necessary talent she will eventually command very good pay4 ,at first she will give free readings4 ,her readings for pay will1 in the beginning1 bring her from #aj to #be a reading4 ,after that the compensation will increase1 according to her reputation as a reader4 ,the very best female readers1 or elocutionists1 as they prefer to term themselves1 receive as much as #ejj for one entertainment4 ,the social position which a lady occupies will have much to do with her success4 ,if she has a large circle of influential friends in good social standing1 provided1 of course1 she is talented1 she will find the road to success much easier than it otherwise would be4 ,,book-,,agents4 ,canvassing for books is a business in which some men have been known to make #aj1jjj a year1 and a large number of other men have earned #b1jjj and #c1jjj in the same length of time4 ,this is an occupation which1 under certain conditions1 is admitted to be just as suitable for a woman as a man4 ,the newspapers have poked a great deal of fun at book-agents1 and their ridicule has1 doubtless1 deterred many a person from following the occupation4 ,a young man1 a book-agent1 once wrote for advice to the editor of a ,new ,york paper4 ,he said that he had followed the calling for some time1 and that he made1 the year round1 from #ej to #fj a week4 ,he liked the work of travelling from place to place1 but he had doubts as to whether his calling was a respectable one4 ,would it not be better for him to get some other employment8 ,the editor promptly informed him that the work he was doing was not only respectable but exceedingly useful2 that many persons were glad to see him present to their notice the new and useful books he was endeavoring to sell2 that his earnings were exceptionally large1 and that it would be a long time before he could hope to earn as much in any other business4 ,by all means he should remain a book-agent4 ,it is said by the publishers of books that women make excellent book-agents2 they cannot hope to make as much money as the very best male agents1 but if they have the necessary qualifications they can do very well4 ,the prerequisites required can be summed up under four heads3 ,first of all1 a woman must have pretty good health2 if she has not1 she will not be able to go through the necessary amount of physical exercise involved in the work4 ,but it is not necessary that she shall be perfectly sound in body4 ,many a woman enters the business because she has a delicate constitution1 and because she believes that the exercise she will be obliged to take will do her good4 ,and if her ailments are not too serious1 she is seldom disappointed in this respect4 ,second1 she must have a great deal of what business men call push1 and what some people might term impudence4 ,she cannot afford to be nervous about going into stores1 offices1 and houses1 and offering what she has for sale4 ,nor will it go well with her if she is bad-natured1 and shows temper when she is not greeted cordially by the master or mistress of the house4 ,she must have smiles and pleasant words for those who do not buy as well as for those who do4 ,third1 she must be a good judge of human nature1 and on this one commandment1 probably1 hangs all the law and the prophets of book-canvassing4 ,for1 if she has been a student of mankind she will use great judgment in her vocation4 ,she will call at the proper time1 at the proper place1 upon the kind of people who will most likely want to see her1 or rather the book she has to offer4 ,she will1 by her demeanor1 win the respect of the men1 the admiration of the women1 and the love of the children4 ,it seems like saying a great deal too much1 but it is a fact1 that there are some lady book-agents whose calls are remembered as angels' visits1 so agreeable were they in their manners1 so charming in conversation4 ,it must be admitted1 however1 that there are not many such women roaming up and down through the country4 ,last of all1 she must have great perseverance1 and work continuously4 ,women get very easily discouraged1 no matter what occupation they pursue1 if they do not very quickly see some substantial return for their work4 ,the idea that hope springs eternal in the human breast1 was certainly never meant to apply to women2 nor1 maybe1 was it meant to1 seeing that it occurs in the ,essay on ,man4 ,the female book-agent is very much depressed if she does not make good earnings at the start4 ,her depression so affects her spirits that she cannot be as industrious as she otherwise would1 and so she does more and more poorly until1 finally1 she gives up the business4 ,men agents do not1 as a rule1 become discouraged so easy4 ,they know that provided they have got a good book1 published by a good house1 it is only a question of time when they will be making good earnings4 ,women should go to work in the same spirit4 ,if poor success is apt to discourage a woman 7and1 in what ,i say now ,i am only the mouthpiece of several publishers ,i have seen71 a run of very good luck is liable to demoralize her4 ,it is said that some lady agents1 after making a considerable sum of money in a short space of time1 will at once stop work1 and1 retiring to their homes1 will not think of following the employment until their means are exhausted4 ,of course that is foolish4 ,while they are spending their time in idleness some new-comer has been assigned to the field they found so profitable4 ,when they return to work it is with a listless spirit1 and it will be quite a while before they can summon up that old-time energy1 which comes1 in any vocation1 from long and continuous performance4 ,women book-agents--and1 in defence of this ungallant remark1 ,i must state again that ,i say the tale as 'twas said to me--women book-agents are apt to waste a great deal of time in the spring and fall in getting their wardrobes ready for the coming season4 ,who ever knew of a man1 remarked a cynical publisher1 stopping work for two or three weeks because he was going to have a suit of clothes made8 ,no one4 ,and yet you will find a female book-agent stop canvassing in the busiest season in order to superintend the making of her dresses4 ,of course1 all lady book-agents do not adopt this practice1 but it is well to allude to the custom1 because it is very unbusiness-like1 and furnishes a hint in the direction of how not to succeed4 ,two classes of women1 publishers find1 seek the employment of book-canvassing4 ,a great many young ladies enter the business--it might be said skip into it--with all the gayety and with all the inexperience of youth4 ,these young persons are about eighteen or nineteen years of age2 they are buoyant of nature1 full of hope1 bursting with self-confidence4 ,they work a few days or weeks1 then abandon the business1 tearfully proclaiming that it wasn't any thing like what they thought it would be4 ,the really successful female book-agent belongs to the second class4 ,she is of middle age1 sometimes single1 sometimes a widow1 or1 it may be1 she is married1 and is bravely assisting a sick or unfortunate husband in the support of the family4 ,such a woman enters the business with the idea of making it her vocation4 ,if she is a single lady or a widow1 she is not on the look-out for a husband1 when she should be carefully watching for customers4 ,having passed the youthful stage of life1 she is apt to be a pretty good judge of human nature1 and1 at all events1 she will be quick to learn the ways and weaknesses of men when she is thus forced to daily come in contact with them4 ,the earnings of this latter class of women are sometimes very large4 ,of course1 the reader understands that book-agents almost invariably work upon a commission4 ,that commission varies4 ,on some books it is only ten per cent42 on others it is sixty per cent4 ,the better the book the less the per centage of profit2 but1 let it be remembered also1 the better the book1 the more ease in obtaining subscribers4 ,some women make #ej a week for many weeks running2 some earn #cj a week the year round4 ,one lady made enough money in two years' canvassing to send her boy to college1 and to purchase a home4 ,in fact1 the earnings of book-agents1 even the best of them1 cannot even be approximately stated4 ,it is sufficient to say that a woman with the proper qualifications1 who strictly attends to her business1 who is persevering1 full of courage1 and who works diligently1 is sure to succeed4 ,no1 there is one thing more needed--a good book4 ,there are a great number of subscription books offered to agents every year1 but out of the whole lot very few of them are of real value4 ,and yet1 it is not necessary that a book should be1 intellectually speaking1 first-class1 in order to meet with a sale4 ,some books issued by subscription at the present time cost #bj and #cj apiece4 ,there is a cyclopedia for which the price is over #ajj4 ,such books as these1 it has been found1 must be sold by male agents only4 ,it has also been discovered that women are most successful in the sale of books of a religious or semi-religious character1 issued at a reasonable price4 ,the reason for this is apparent4 ,they are brought in contact with the female members of families1 and in thus meeting members of their own sex they are at no loss for interesting topics of conversation4 ,for the successful book-agent1 it is needless to say1 does not1 the moment she enters a house1 present her wares and cry boldly ,buy2 she leads up to the business in hand4 ,in selecting a book a woman should go to a first-class publisher and pick out a work which1 according to her judgment 7and without much regard to what he may say1 because he may very often be wrong71 will meet a popular household demand4 ,let her beware of all the small catch-penny kind of publications2 reproductions1 from old and worn-out stereotype plates1 of books that no one1 who really cares for books1 will be likely to buy4 ,there are so many good subscription books coming from the press in the present day that there is hardly any excuse for a woman who will waste her time in canvassing for poor ones4 ,of course1 the hasty books outnumber the books of real merit1 but there are enough of the latter to furnish employment to all the women who will be likely to engage in this occupation4 ,to give an example of the kind of publisher to be avoided1 ,i may state that in a large ,eastern city there is a man who makes it his business1 at certain seasons of the year1 to advertise for young lady agents4 ,he always wants young ladies1 and he always wants them to be without experience4 ,he publishes but one book1 of which he is the putative author4 ,the young ladies receive their board and a trifle for spending money at the end of every week1 all living under one roof4 ,accounts are settled only semi-annually4 ,at the end of the first six months it is very generally found that the young lady agent is in debt to her publisher for board1 and1 at all events1 whatever the statement of affairs may reveal1 she is told that her services are no longer required1 and a fresh and inexperienced damsel is at once secured to take her place4 99 99 99 99 99 ,while writing on the subject of agents1 it may be well to put down a suggestion made to the author of this little book by a prominent florist4 ,he said that it was surprising to him that ladies were not employed to solicit orders for trees1 flowers1 and seeds1 etc4 ,to his knowledge1 no women were engaged in this occupation1 and yet it seemed to be one for which they were especially fitted4 ,agents of this character1 it appears1 carry with them large books containing highly illuminated drawings of the trees or plants they are endeavoring to sell4 ,a lady could appeal with particular propriety to females who would be likely to be purchasers4 ,the competition in the nursery business has been very great during the past few years1 but the profits of agents are said to be good4 ,as this is a new field of female labor1 it might be worth while for a woman who has a fancy for such work to endeavor to secure an agency4 ,,dress-,,making--,,millinery4 ,from the modest appearance of the thousands of dwellings throughout the country that bear the legend3 ,fashionable ,dress- and ,cloak-making1 no one would suppose it was a very lucrative employment4 ,indeed1 from the dingy and broken-down aspect of some of the establishments referred to1 grave doubts might be entertained as to whether the inmates were able to earn the most modest kind of a living4 ,the fact is that the great majority of dress-makers who set up in business for themselves are not very successful1 for the reason that1 in most cases1 they have a very superficial knowledge of the trade1 and cannot meet the demand for good work4 ,a really first-class dress-maker is always sure of work1 in either city or country4 ,in order to be first-class she must have served an apprenticeship with1 or learned the trade of1 a woman who is actively engaged in the business4 ,a great many women think they can get a good knowledge of dress-making by the use of charts and patterns4 ,this is not the fact4 ,undoubtedly charts and patterns are very useful for women who cut and make their own dresses1 and they are aids in cutting and fitting generally2 but so many changes have to be made1 depending on the size and style of the woman to be fitted1 and so much judgment is required to be used1 that competent critics say that they are of no value to the professional dress-maker4 ,one lady remarked that if all women were perfectly formed1 charts and patterns would be a great help2 but as the modern ,eves come very far short of physical perfection1 not much help could be got from them4 ,some authorities say that dress-making as a trade is not so good a business in ,new ,york as it was some ten years ago4 ,the large dress-makers who employ considerable help are obliged to select the best locations in the city for their establishments1 where the rent is very high1 and to furnish their places in a style very much more expensive than in former years4 ,as a consequence they do not pay as good wages as they once did1 on account of having to lay out money in these ways4 ,another change from the old methods is that the work of dress-making is1 at the present time1 divided into various departments4 ,one woman will make the skirt1 another will finish it1 another will work on the sleeves1 another will work the button-holes1 and the fitting and draping are branches by themselves4 ,the woman who would receive the highest wages to be obtained in this industry should master the whole business1 and make herself competent to do all1 or nearly all1 the kinds of work which have just been mentioned4 ,if she does do that1 she need have no fear about obtaining employment4 ,there are thousands of dress-makers in the country1 but very few good ones4 ,it is a trade of which it may be emphatically said that there is room at the top4 ,the dress-making season lasts from ,october #ast to ,february #ast2 then there is very little to do until ,march #ajth1 when business becomes brisk and remains so until about the #ast of ,august4 ,the hours of work are from #h ,a4,m4 until #f ,p4,m4 ,in the busy season it is often necessary to work in the evening4 ,the pay ranges from #f to #h per week for ordinary hands1 while competent women receive #aj1 #ab1 and #ad a week4 ,the forelady in a dress-making establishment will receive #ae or #bj a week4 ,it is her duty to superintend the girls1 to see that they arrive on time1 to give out the work1 and to see that it is done promptly and properly4 ,some women who follow this calling prefer to go out to private families and work by the day4 ,for such service they receive #c or #c4ej a day4 ,in many respects this is a pleasant method1 but it has its disadvantages4 ,a woman is not always sure of how much she will earn unless1 after years of work1 she has secured the custom of a certain number of families1 on whose patronage she can depend4 ,there is so much responsibility and worriment attached to this way of working at the trade that the majority of dress-makers prefer to hire themselves out by the week1 and feel sure of receiving each ,saturday night a stated amount for their services4 ,the objection that applies to going out to private service is urged against a woman going into the business on her own account4 ,besides1 in large cities it would require considerable capital to pursue such a course4 ,a dingy1 insignificant little place could not hope to get much custom1 and to compete with the large establishments a woman would have to be prepared to pay a high rent1 lay out a large amount in furniture1 and then1 probably1 have to wait a long time before she could be the owner of a good paying business4 ,still1 if she has plenty of capital1 thoroughly understands the trade1 and is enterprising in her methods of securing business1 there is no reason why she should not succeed1 provided she has a good location4 99 99 99 99 99 ,only the rich and the utterly incompetent patronize the milliner nowadays4 ,it seems that women are very prompt to attend the openings in the spring and fall seasons1 but the great majority of them do so only to see the styles4 ,they go home and1 unless they are very poor hands with the needle1 make their bonnets themselves4 ,a hat that would cost #e in the store1 a woman of taste could make for #a4ej2 and one that would cost #ae she could duplicate for a five-dollar bill4 ,an idea can thus be formed of the profits of the business1 and the suggestion will probably occur to the reader that it is a good business to follow4 ,if a woman could secure a good store1 at a reasonable rent1 in a nice neighborhood1 she would have a fair chance of doing well4 ,of course it is to be supposed that she understands the milliner's trade1 and that she has gained her knowledge in a practical way4 ,it is seldom1 however1 that women are successful as proprietors of such stores4 ,either they have made a mistake in selecting a location1 or their means become exhausted while waiting for custom during the early dull days of their venture4 ,it would take at least #b1jjj or #c1jjj to start a millinery store4 ,a woman of unusually good taste and sound business judgment might get along with #a1jjj4 ,the best location in ,new ,york ,city would be between ,fourteenth and ,thirty-third streets1 and ,broadway and ,sixth ,avenue2 or on ,broadway or ,sixth ,avenue4 ,,teaching4 ,the profession of teaching would seem1 at a first glance1 to be overcrowded4 ,school committees who are charged with the duty of selecting tutors are1 it is said1 overwhelmed with applicants for the positions that are to be filled4 ,young women are constantly striving to get places in academies1 and the host of females who are seeking situations in the public schools of ,new ,york is1 indeed1 mighty4 ,notwithstanding this discouraging view1 a thoroughly qualified teacher need seldom be without employment4 ,the women who have had a solid systematic training in the ,english branches1 and who1 in addition to mere mental qualifications1 have the knack1 or genius1 it might be called1 of reaching the minds of the young1 are very few4 ,there are plenty of superficially educated young women who take up teaching as their profession4 ,they are not thoroughly grounded in the very rudiments of knowledge2 they have no knowledge of1 or sympathy with1 children2 they go through their work in a purely mechanical spirit2 and they are utterly unfitted1 in every way1 for the profession they have selected for themselves4 ,the woman who makes teaching her profession must have real ability1 and feel herself thoroughly adapted for the calling4 ,no woman1 unless she has great influence1 can hope to obtain a position in the public schools of ,new ,york4 ,the western part of our country seems to be a good field for well-qualified teachers1 who must1 however1 be endowed with some courage4 ,the country is a good place for a young lady to begin work4 ,positions are more easily secured1 and the qualifications required are not so great as in the city4 ,in the schools throughout the country the salaries of female teachers range from #cjj to #a1bjj a year4 ,the smaller salary would be given in a country school2 the higher salaries would be paid in the academies in the large towns1 and in cities4 99 99 99 99 99 ,teaching young children by the ,kindergarten method has become very popular within the past few years1 and there is quite a demand for the establishment of ,kindergarten schools4 ,in ,new ,york young ladies can learn this method of teaching in two schools2 one a free school connected with a society devoted to ethical culture1 and a private school4 ,the instruction given in the former is free1 but the young women are expected to devote part of the day to the free scholars4 ,this is an advantage1 for it gives them a practical knowledge of the method4 ,during the week there are three theoretical lessons1 each lasting about two hours4 ,so many are desirous of entering this institution1 that it has been found necessary to have a competitive examination for the admission of candidates4 ,in the private school the price of tuition is #bjj4 ,in ,boston there are twenty kindergartens1 all carried on by a lady4 ,the salary of the teachers there is #fjj4 ,in private families teachers are paid from #djj to #fjj2 there is a good demand for instructors in that quarter4 ,the price obtained from scholars taught in a kindergarten school depends solely on how much they can afford to pay2 probably #ej for the school year of nine months would be the average price4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the educational market is overstocked with teachers of languages4 ,there are so many poor1 broken-down foreigners in ,america who are perfectly competent to teach their respective languages1 that there is a very small chance for home talent4 ,a good teacher1 in the city of ,new ,york1 will receive #a an hour2 but there are some who will teach as low as #be cents an hour1 and there are others who1 through their good address and social qualifications1 will secure an entrance into fashionable society1 and receive as high as #e an hour for doing no better service than their poorer-paid sisters4 ,in academies and schools a lady teaching ,french and ,german will receive her board and from #cjj to #hjj a year4 ,she must have learned these languages abroad1 and have the real foreign accent1 or she cannot obtain employment at these rates4 ,if she has obtained her knowledge in this country1 the salary will be from #cjj to #ejj4 99 99 99 99 99 ,music is now so generally taught to children1 that there is a good chance for competent female teachers of the art to obtain scholars4 ,there is a wide range in the prices paid for tuition2 some teachers receive only #ej cents a lesson1 and some as high as #h4 ,those who receive the latter sum are women of very great ability1 who train young ladies to become public performers4 ,the terms depend almost altogether on the wealth of the teacher's patrons2 among people in moderate circumstances she will receive moderate pay1 while the rich will very often give twice the amount for the same service4 ,the ability and reputation of the teacher will have much to do with her earnings4 ,to become a thoroughly competent music teacher will take three or four years' instruction4 ,it is said that a good musical education can be obtained as well on this as on the other side of the water4 ,many of the foreign music teachers in this country are as good as can be obtained abroad1 and the ,european instructors1 some critics say1 do not give as much time and attention to pupils as the ,american tutors4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if a woman has a thorough knowledge of short-hand1 she can do well1 as a teacher of the art1 in almost any community4 ,many persons1 even in remote and small places1 would learn phonography if the subject were brought to their attention by an instructor4 ,clergymen1 lawyers1 doctors1 many women of leisure1 young women who would study with a view to being amanuenses--all such people could be obtained as pupils4 ,the teacher could give from fifteen to thirty or forty lessons1 at a charge of from fifty cents to a dollar a lesson4 ,a great many learners of this art prefer to have a teacher's help1 though phonography can be mastered without such aid4 99 99 99 99 99 ,teachers of the art of decoration--the ornamentation of ,china screens1 plaques1 panels1 etc4--and drawing1 receive from #djj to #b1jjj a year4 ,a course of two or three years' study will fit a properly talented woman to be an art teacher4 ,there is a fair demand for such teachers in the large schools and academies throughout the country4 ,,brief ,,notes ,,on ,,market ,,gardening1 ,,poultry-,,raising1 ,,bee-,,keeping1 ,,house-,,keepers1 ,,cashiers1 ,,button-,,hole ,,making1 ,,floriculture1 ,,authorship1 ,,type-,,writing1 ,,and ,,working ,,in ,,brass4 ,it would be impossible1 within the limits of this little book1 to go into the details of all the employments suitable for women2 only the most important and best paying kinds of work have been mentioned in detail4 ,some brief notes are here given of various occupations in which females are now engaged1 and in which they are meeting with more or less success4 ,market ,gardening4--,some women make money by raising vegetables for the city markets4 ,the produce is sometimes sent by rail1 but1 as a rule1 it is brought in by trucks4 ,this industry is not1 as many might suppose1 confined entirely to foreigners4 ,there are thousands of ,american-born women throughout the country who are engaged in it1 and who are doing well4 ,mention is made of a woman who1 starting with a capital of #be1 made a good living in this way1 cultivating only an acre of ground4 ,her husband plowed and prepared the ground1 and in her part of the work she had the assistance of the younger boys and the older girls4 ,during the past year she made more money than her husband did from his farm4 ,a woman could not expect to be successful in this occupation unless she was unusually strong and healthy1 and had the taste for agricultural work very largely developed4 ,those who are born and brought up in the country do the best4 ,the raising of poultry for the large city markets is a lucrative occupation1 or rather it can be made so1 after a time1 if the poultry-raiser gradually increases her stock of fowls4 ,even if she does not care to do this she can be pretty sure of a fair living4 ,about #cjj would be required to start in this business--#ajj for the fowls1 and the balance for the erection of appropriate buildings for the animals4 ,bee-keeping4--,there is always a good market for honey1 and those who understand the art of raising bees can be sure of making a fair living4 ,women can do just as well as men1 and many ladies are very successful4 ,it would be necessary to start with not less than thirty swarms of bees1 at a cost of from #e to #ae a swarm1 or hive4 ,if the business is properly followed1 it will increase in a very short time1 as the colonies multiply rapidly4 ,there are excellent books showing how this business can be carried on1 but the theoretical knowledge gained from them must be supplemented by practical knowledge gained from experience4 ,house-keepers4--,the demand for house-keepers is very small2 that is to say1 there is very little chance for a strange woman to obtain a position of that kind4 ,there are plenty of house-keepers1 but when one is wanted she is generally found in the person of a poor relation or struggling friend within the immediate social precinct of the family who desire her services4 ,such positions1 however1 when they can be obtained in the large cities1 are looked upon as unusually good4 ,house-keepers are employed by widowers to take entire charge of a house and look after the children1 if there are any2 by husbands with sick and delicate wives2 or by couples who are wealthy enough to engage such service4 ,they are paid from #cj to #ajj per month1 the salary depending on the duties they are expected to perform1 and the wealth of the parties who employ them4 ,a house-keeper in a large hotel occupies a responsible position4 ,she must possess that rare feminine virtue--the ability to get along with servants4 ,the occupation is very confining1 and such workers can very seldom get1 at one time1 many hours' recess from their work4 ,their wages run from #bj to #fj a month and their board2 the larger the hotel1 the more responsible the position and the greater the pay4 ,cashiers in ,hotels4--,it requires a great deal of influence to get the position of cashier in a hotel2 it is a situation that is very much coveted4 ,as the cashier is employed in the restaurant1 it is only in hotels that are conducted on the ,european plan where such services are required4 ,in such hotels the guests pay so much for their room1 and get their meals where they please1 paying at the time for what they get4 ,as a rule1 they patronize the restaurant connected with the hotel4 ,the cashier has to work long hours4 ,for instance3 one day she will be on duty from #h ,a4,m4 until #h ,p4,m4 ,the next day from #g ,a4,m4 until #aj ,a4,m42 then a recess until #e ,p4,m41 then on duty until #ab1 midnight4 ,she receives her board and a salary of from #ab to #be a month4 ,the board is always good4 ,in the best hotels the cashier is allowed to order what she pleases from the regular bill of fare2 other hotels have a special bill for the officers 7as the better class of help are called71 and from this the selection of food has to be made4 ,button-holes4--,ladies do not need to be told that the button-holes in fine dresses are made by hand4 ,this kind of work has become a separate business1 although there are some seamstresses who combine the making of button-holes with their regular sewing4 ,dress-makers who employ twenty-five or thirty needlewomen usually keep one button-hole maker1 paying her from #i to #ab a week2 very few pay the latter price4 ,some women who work at this trade prefer to be paid by the piece4 ,in this case they are paid at the rate of two cents and a half per button-hole4 ,a good worker can make fifty button-holes in a day1 and earn #a4be4 ,it would be a very smart woman who could make eighty1 and earn #b a day4 ,one trouble about working by the piece is that the woman very often has to wait until the work is got ready for her4 ,as she is obliged to attend on several customers during the day she often suffers from this loss of time1 sometimes losing a customer through the failure to keep an appointment1 or being obliged to do a part of her work at night4 ,the button-holes in white vests are done by hand4 ,the pay is one cent a button-hole1 and a woman can make #a or #a4be a day4 ,the work is always done during the winter months1 there is plenty of it to do1 and never any time lost in waiting4 ,florists4--,there are eight or ten ladies in ,new ,york and ,brooklyn who have charge of floral establishments4 ,most of them assist their husbands2 some are widows who have inherited the business4 ,there is one lady in ,brooklyn who has built up a good business solely through her own efforts4 ,this is a very good occupation for women who love flowers1 who have good taste1 an eye for color and the necessary executive ability to carry on a business by themselves4 ,most of the florists in ,new ,york and ,brooklyn get their plants and flowers at wholesale from nurseries on the outskirts1 purchasing such stock as they may require from time to time4 ,land is so valuable in the city that florists have long since been compelled to give up the cultivation of flowers2 besides1 the streets in the central and business parts are so built up1 both in ,new ,york and ,brooklyn1 that the ground cannot be obtained at any price4 ,now1 they have small stores where they make a display of samples of the different varieties of flowers4 ,the work is hard at times1 the florist being obliged to remain up the best part of the night to fill an order1 given at the last moment1 for funeral or wedding pieces4 ,the decorating of churches1 halls1 etc41 is tiresome work1 especially where palms are used1 and where it is necessary to climb up and down ladders4 ,the keeping of plants in pots in the store requires a good deal of labor4 ,many women call and want to see what the florist has got4 ,she has to raise up the pots of plants many times a day1 and this is very tiresome to the wrists4 ,the amount of capital required to start the florist's business is nothing like as much as it was before the large nurseries supplied the florists with what they wanted at wholesale rates4 ,the sum would probably range from #bjj to #ajjj1 depending on the location1 the style in which the store was fitted up1 and the amount of rent that had to be paid4 ,the profits are good1 but vary1 depending on the class of custom the florist obtains2 twenty-five per cent4 is considered a fair profit4 ,the lady florist would not1 probably1 care to devote much time to potted plants4 ,she could keep a few of the more common varieties1 which would be sufficient4 ,most of her business--and the best paying part of her business--would consist in making bouquets1 and selling cut flowers4 ,that is more profitable and pleasant than the selling and propagation of plants1 and would require much less manual labor4 ,florists keep informed about their occupation by carefully reading the catalogues issued by the various large wholesale dealers1 in this country1 and in ,europe1 and the interesting and valuable books on ,floriculture that are issued from time to time4 ,to establish a regular greenhouse1 and raise plants and flowers for both the wholesale and retail trade1 would require at least #e1jjj4 ,a woman to carry on the business in that way would have to be possessed of a great deal of executive ability1 give her whole personal attention to the work1 and be able to manage a considerable number of men4 ,the business is better in the smaller cities than in either ,new ,york or ,brooklyn4 ,in ,schenectady1 it may be mentioned by way of illustration that1 six years ago1 there were no florists2 now there are three4 ,authorship4--,authorship has now become1 very largely1 a matter-of-fact business conducted on business principles4 ,if any woman has any thing to say that is worth listening to she will have no trouble in securing a publisher to reproduce her thoughts in book form4 ,the idea that publishers strive to crush budding genius has long since been exploded4 ,if they were guilty of doing that very often their occupation would be gone4 ,the woman who has a manuscript to offer for publication should first see that it is written plainly on one side of the paper4 ,then she should select a publisher who issues books of the same general character as the one she has written4 ,some publishers make a specialty of light summer novels1 some of society stories1 some of scientific books1 and so on4 ,the manuscript is read by a reader1 who passes judgment upon it4 ,if his opinion is favorable the publisher reads the manuscript and decides whether he will undertake to publish it4 ,the book may be bought for a certain sum outright4 ,or1 a certain amount may be paid on publication1 and an additional sum after the book has attained a stated circulation2 or1 a royalty of ten per cent4 on what will be the retail price of the book may be given2 or1 the author may pay for the cost of manufacturing the book1 owning the copyright1 the plates1 and the books printed1 and paying the publisher ten per cent4 for taking charge of the publication and sale of the book4 ,contributions for the daily and the weekly literary papers are paid for at the rate of from #f to #aj per one thousand words4 ,many young women are ambitious to write for the story papers4 ,there is but little chance of success in this direction4 ,nearly all of the story papers have a regular corps of contributors1 who often write under several different names1 and who are paid a salary1 or so much for each instalment of a continued story4 ,a publisher1 however1 will always buy a sensational continued story if it is very good1 and the fact that the author is unknown will not count against its acceptance4 ,a continued story should contain not less than eight1 nor more than thirteen1 instalments of about four thousand words each4 ,the pay for such a contribution would be from #aj to #bj an instalment4 ,there is a greater demand for short stories for the story papers1 stories containing from two to four thousand words4 ,the price paid for such tales would be #e or #aj4;,a ,footnote ,a3 ,the woman who contemplates authorship1 or journalistic work1 is advised to consult ,authors and ,publishers2 a ,manual of ,suggestions for ,beginners in ,literature4 ,price1 #a4jj4 ,published by ,g4 ,p4 ,putnam's ,sons1 #bg and #bi ,west #bc;d ,street1 ,new ,york4 ,this is not only the latest but the best book on the subject4 ,type-,writing4--,young women in the large cities do well working on the type-writer4 ,a girl with a good common-school education1 who is naturally bright1 and quick with her fingers1 can learn in four months' time to work on the type-writer4 ,in eight months she ought to be an expert at the business4 ,some pupils might be required to practise a year1 or a year and a half1 before they were thoroughly competent4 ,forty words a minute is considered a good average rate of speed4 ,salaries of lady type-writers in law1 newspaper1 and mercantile offices range from #aj to #bj a week4 ,a woman would have to be a very expert type-writer1 or have joined with the knowledge of type-writing some knowledge of short-hand1 to earn #bj a week4 ,in railroad offices type-writers are paid #fj a month4 ,type-writing offices1 where type-writing is done for the public by the job1 and where this kind of help is employed1 pay #aj and #ab a week4 ,some women open offices and depend on job work4 ,they receive five cents a folio 7one hundred words7 for furnishing one copy of a manuscript1 eight cents a folio for two1 and ten cents a folio for three copies4 ,some charge ten cents per page 7three hundred words7 for furnishing one copy1 twelve cents for furnishing two copies1 and fifteen cents for furnishing three copies4 ,several copies of a page can be taken at one time on the type-writer4 ,this is an excellent industry for women4 ,no special talent is required1 except that a woman should be a good speller and have a fair knowledge of the rules of punctuation4 ,a new telegraph company that has just been started is1 it is said1 going to employ lady type-writers in many of its offices to take down the messages as they are received by the operators4 ,this of itself will create a great demand for lady type-writers4 ,wood-,engraving4--,it requires four or five years' study for a woman to become competent in wood-engraving4 ,after three years of hard work she may hope to do some ordinary engraving for which she will receive compensation4 ,in the ,cooper ,institute 7,new ,york71 where the art is taught to women1 the course of instruction covers four years4 ,the pupils work every day from #i ,a4,m4 to #e ,p4,m4 the year round1 obtaining theoretical instruction from a teacher twice a week4 ,for engraving a block a trifle larger than this page a woman will receive #ej4 ,it will take her from three to five weeks to do the work1 depending on the amount of experience she has had in the business4 ,some women occupy themselves on catalogue work1 i4 e41 engraving the illustrations for mercantile books and agricultural catalogues4 ,at this branch of work they can make from #bj to #be a week4 ,there are very few female wood-engravers at present4 ,to women who have the necessary talent1 and who can afford to give the requisite amount of time to the study of the art1 wood-engraving will furnish a sure means of making a living4 ,working in ,brass4--,this is a new occupation for women that is being taught in one of the technical schools in ,new ,york4 ,a few women are successfully doing some work in the business and receiving fair pay4 ,a lady who has a good knowledge of drawing can1 it is said1 after a course of twelve lessons do marketable work4 ,pupils who are able to make original designs do the best4 ,a course of twelve lessons in the school alluded to costs #aj4 ,the work is by the piece1 and is paid for according to the style of the pattern4 ,for small leaves the pay is from #fj to #gj cents each2 leaves six inches in length #a each2 a panel #aj #f inches1 #d to #e1 according to pattern4 ,tiles are popular and well paid for4 ,the work is very well suited for a woman1 and her earnings ought to run from #aj to #be a week1 depending altogether on her talent4 ,after taking lessons and learning the theoretical part of the business it would be well for a woman to go1 for a short time1 into some establishment where brass-work is done4 ,there she would probably get some practical hints that would be of great service4 ,,the ,,end4 ,putnam's ,handy-,book ,series ,,of ,,books ,,for ,,the ,,household4 ,i4--,the ,best ,reading4 ,a ,classified ,bibliography for easy ,reference1 with hints on the selection of books1 on the formation of libraries1 public and private1 on courses of reading1 etc42 a guide for the librarian1 bookbuyer1 and bookseller4 ,the classified lists1 arranged under about #ejj subject-headings1 include all the most desirable books now to be obtained either in ,great ,britain or the ,united ,states1 with the published prices annexed4 ,new edition1 corrected1 enlarged1 and continued to ,august1 #ahgf4 #abmo1 paper1 #a4jj2 cloth #a4ej ,we know of no manual that can take its place as a guide to the selector of a library4--,independent4 ,the ,library ,companion4 ,annual ,supplement to ,the ,best ,reading4 ,five volumes1 for #ahgg1 #ahgh1 #ahgi1 #ahhj1 and #ahha1 each #ej ,,ii4--,hand-,book of ,statistics of the ,united ,states4 ,a ,record of the ,administrations and ,events from the ,organization of the ,united ,states ,government to #ahgd4 ,comprising brief biographical data of the presidents1 cabinet officers1 the signers of the ,declaration of ,independence1 and members of the ,continental ,congress1 statements of finances under each administration1 and other valuable material4 #abmo1 cloth #a #jj ,the book is of so comprehensive a character and so compact a form that it is especially valuable to the journalist or student4--,n4 ,y4 ,world4 ,,iii4--,what to ,eat4 ,a ,manual for the ,housekeeper2 giving a bill of fare for every day in the year4 #acd pages1 boards #ej ,it can hardly fail to prove a valuable aid to housekeepers who are brought to their wits' end to know what to get for the day's meals4--,san ,francisco ,bulletin4 ,,iv4--,till the ,doctor ,comes1 and ,how to ,help ,him4 ,by ,,george ,h4 ,,hope1 ,m4,d4 ,revised with additions by a ,new ,york physician4 33 ,a popular guide in all cases of accident and sudden illness4 #abmo1 #ii pages1 boards #ej ,a most admirable treatise2 short1 concise1 and practical4--,harper's ,monthly 7,editorial74 ,v4--,stimulants and ,narcotics2 ,,medically1 ,,philosophically1 ,,and ,,morally ,,considered4 ,by ,,george ,m4 ,,beard1 ,m4,d4 #abmo1 #aee pages1 cloth #ge ,dr4 ,beard has given the question of stimulants the first fair discussion in moderate compass that it has received in this country4 99 99 99 ,the book should be widely read4--,n4 ,y4 ,independent4 ,,vi4--,eating and ,drinking4 ,a ,popular ,manual of ,food and ,diet in ,health and ,disease4 ,by ,,george ,m4 ,,beard1 ,m4,d4 #abmo1 #ahj pages1 cloth #ge ,the best manual upon the subject we have seen4--,n4 ,y4 ,world4 ,,vii4--,the ,student's ,own ,speaker4 ,by ,,paul ,,reeves4 ,a ,manual of ,oratory1 comprising new selections1 patriotic1 pathetic1 grave1 and humorous1 for home use and for schools4 #abmo1 #bae pages1 boards #ge ,we have never before seen a collection so admirably adapted for its purpose4--,cincinnati ,chronicle4 ,,viii4--,how to ,educate ,yourself4 ,a ,complete ,guide to ,students2 showing how to study1 what to study1 and how and what to read4 ,it is1 in short1 a ,pocket ,school-master4 ,by ,,george ,,cary ,,eggleston4 #abmo1 #aea pages1 boards #ej ,we write with unqualified enthusiasm about this book1 which is untellably good and for good4--,n4 ,y4 ,evening ,mail4 ,,ix4--,a ,manual of ,etiquette4 ,with ,hints on ,politeness1 ,good-,breeding1 etc4 ,by ,,daisy ,,eyebright4 #abmo1 boards #ej ,the suggestions and directions are given with taste and judgment1 and express the habits of good society4--,louisville ,courier-,journal4 ,x4--,the ,mother's ,register4 ,current ,notes on the ,health of ,children1 ,part ,i41 ,boys4 ,part ,,ii41 ,girls4 ,the ,mother records for the ,physician to interpret4 ,from the ,french of ,prof4 ,j4 ,b4 ,,fonssagrives1 ,m4,d4 #abmo1 cloth #ge ,,xi4--,hints on ,dress4 ,by an ,american woman4 #abmo1 #abd pages1 cloth #ge ,,xii4--,the ,home3 ,,where ,,it ,,should ,,be ,,and ,,what ,,to ,,put ,,in ,,it4 ,containing hints for the selection of a ,home1 its furniture and internal arrangements1 with carefully prepared price-lists of nearly every thing needed by a housekeeper1 and numerous valuable suggestions for saving money and gaining comfort4 ,by ,,frank ,r4 ,,stockton4 #abmo1 #ahb pages1 boards #ej ,young housekeepers will be especially benefited1 and all housekeepers may learn much from this book4--,albany ,journal4 ,,xiii4--,the ,mother's ,work with ,sick ,children4 ,by ,prof4 ,j4 ,b4 ,,fonssagrives1 ,m4,d4 ,translated and edited by ,f4 ,p4 ,,foster1 ,m4,d4 ,a volume full of the most practical advice and suggestions for ,mothers and ,nurses4 #abmo1 #bdd pages1 cloth #a #jj ,a volume which should be in the hands of every mother in the land4--,binghamton ,herald4 ,,xiv4--,manual of ,thermometry4 ,for ,mothers1 ,nurses1 ,hospitals1 etc41 and all who have charge of the sick and the young4 ,by ,,edward ,,seguin1 ,m4,d4 #abmo1 cloth #ge ,,xv4--,infant ,diet4 ,by ,a4 ,,jacobi1 ,m4,d41 ,clinical ,professor of ,diseases of ,children1 ,college of ,physicians and ,surgeons1 ,new ,york4 ,revised1 enlarged1 and adapted to popular use by ,,mary ,,putnam ,,jacobi1 ,m4,d4 #abmo1 boards #ej ,dr4 ,jacobi's rules are admirable in their simplicity and comprehensiveness4--,n4 ,y4 ,tribune4 ,,xvi4--,how to ,make a ,living4 ,by ,,george ,,cary ,,eggleston1 author of ,how to ,educate ,yourself4 #abmo1 boards #ej ,shrewd1 sound1 and entertaining4--,n4 ,y4 ,tribune4 ,,xvii4--,manual of ,nursing4 ,prepared under the instructions of the ,new ,york ,training ,school for ,nurses1 by ,,victoria ,,white1 ,m4,d41 and revised by ,,mary ,,putnam ,,jacobi1 ,m4,d4 ,boards #ge ,better adapted to render the nurse a faithful and efficient coperator with the physician than any work we have seen4--,home ,journal4 ,,xviii4--,the ,blessed ,bees4 ,an account of practical ,bee-keeping1 and the author's success in the same4 ,by ,,john ,,allen4 ,boards #ge ,i scarcely looked up from the volume before ,i had scanned all its fascinating pages4--,prof4 ,a4 ,t4 ,,cook1 in ,american ,bee ,journal1 #ahgh1 p4 #dbb4 ,,xix4--,the ,handy-,book of ,quotations4 ,a ,dictionary of ,common ,poetical ,quotations in the ,english ,language4 #afmo1 boards #ge ,compact and comprehensive4 99 99 99 ,an invaluable little volume4--,providence ,journal4 ,,xx4--,from ,attic to ,cellar4 ,a ,book for ,young ,housekeepers4 ,by ,mrs4 ,,oakey4 #afmo1 cloth #ge ,an admirable collection of directions and counsels1 written by a lady of large experience1 in a style of perfect simplicity and great force4 99 99 99 ,i wish it were in the hands of every housekeeper and every domestic in the land4--,h4 ,w4 ,,bellows1 ,d4,d4 ,,xxi4--,emergencies1 and ,how to ,meet ,them4 ,compiled by ,,burt ,g4 ,,wilder1 ,m4,d41 ,prof4 of ,physiology and ,comparative ,anatomy in ,cornell ,university4 #afmo1 sewed #ae ,invaluable instructions1 prompt attention to which would often save life or serious disaster4--,providence ,journal4 ,,xxii4--,the ,maintenance of ,health4 ,by ,j4 ,,milner ,,fothergill1 ,m4,d4 ,third and cheaper edition4 ,octavo1 boards #a #be ,the most important book of its kind that has ever been published in this country4--,christian ,union4 ,,xxiii4--,the ,art of ,cooking4 ,a series of practical lessons by ,,matilda ,,lees ,,dods the ,south ,kensington ,school of ,cookery4 ,edited by ,,henrietta ,,de ,,conde ,,sherman4 #afmo1 cloth extra #a #jj ,the thoroughness of her preparation for the work which this experience has afforded is seen in the marked success of the experimental lessons that she is now giving4 ,they are so clear and methodical1 her manipulation is so deft and easy1 and the dishes produced are so excellent1 as to win the praise of all who hear her4--,n4 ,y4 ,times4 ,,xxiv4--,hints for ,home ,reading4 ,a series of papers by ,,edward ,,everett ,,hale1 ,f4 ,b4 ,,perkins1 ,h4 ,w4 ,,beecher1 ,,charles ,,dudley ,,warner1 ,,joseph ,,cook1 ,,lyman ,,abbott1 ,m4 ,j4 ,,sweetser1 ,,cyrus ,,hamlin1 ,h4 ,w4 ,,mabie1 and others4 ,edited by ,,lyman ,,abbott4 ,together with a new edition of ,suggestions for ,libraries1 with first1 second1 and third lists of #ejj1 #a1jjj1 and #b1jjj volumes recommended as the most important and desirable4 #hvo1 cloth1 #a #jj2 boards #ge ,we warmly commend the book for the guidance not only of bookbuyers but readers4 ,its suggestions are invaluable to both4--,boston ,transcript4 ,,xxv4--,first ,aid to the ,injured4 ,prepared under the authority of the ,first ,aid to the ,injured ,society4 ,by ,,peter ,,shepherd1 ,m4,d41 and ,,bowditch ,,morton1 ,m4,d4 ,square #afmo1 cloth extra #ej ,it is a book which ought to have a place in every family1 and its simple rules should be carefully studied and mastered by every one4--,providence ,press4 ,,xxvi4--,how to ,succeed1 in ,public ,life1 as a ,minister1 as a ,physician1 as a ,musician1 as an ,engineer1 as an ,artist1 in ,mercantile ,life1 as a ,farmer1 as an ,inventor1 and in ,literature4 ,a series of essays by ,senators ,,bayard and ,,edmunds2 ,doctors ,,john ,,hall1 ,,willard ,,parker1 and ,,leopold ,,damrosch2 ,gen4 ,,sooy ,,smith1 ,,hamilton ,,gibson1 ,commissioner ,,geo4 ,b4 ,,loring1 ,,lawson ,,valentine1 ,,thomas ,,edison1 and ,e4 ,p4 ,,roe4 ,with an ,introduction by ,,lyman ,,abbott4 #afmo1 boards #ej ,no book1 we fancy1 could more directly appeal to the mass of ,americans than one with this title4 99 99 99 ,will find solid help in these remarkable little essays that deal with great expectations4--,n4 ,y4 ,herald4 ,,xxvii4--,work for ,women4 ,being hints to aid women in the selection of a vocation in life1 and describing the several occupations of ,short-,hand ,writing1 ,industrial ,designing1 ,photographing1 ,nursing1 ,telegraphing1 ,teaching1 ,dress-,making1 ,proof-,reading1 ,engraving1 etc41 etc41 etc4 ,by ,george ,j4 ,manson4 #afmo1 boards #fj ,full of useful suggestions4--,philadelphia ,american4 ,,xxviii4--,health ,notes for ,students4 ,by ,prof4 ,,burt ,g4 ,,wilder1 of ,cornell ,university4 ,uniform with ,emergencies4 #afmo1 paper #bj ,the instructions are never extreme1 and always sensible4--,chicago ,tribune4 ,,xxix4--,the ,home ,physician4 ,a summary of ,practical ,medicine and ,surgery for the ,use of ,travellers and of ,families at a distance from ,physicians4 ,by ,,luther ,m4 ,,gilbert1 ,m4,d41 ,attending ,physician to the ,connecticut ,general ,hospital4 #afmo1 cloth #a #jj ,concise1 comprehensive1 and practical4--,st4 ,paul ,dispatch4 ,,xxx4--,bread-,making4 ,a practical treatise1 giving full instructions for the making of bread and biscuits1 #afmo1 boards #ej ,g4 ,p4 ,,putnam',s ,,sons1 ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,london4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,passages in italics are indicated by underscore4 ,passages in bold are indicated by bold4 ,other than the corrections listed below1 printer's inconsistencies in spelling1 punctuation1 hyphenation1 and ligature usage have been retained4 ,two different versions of spelling for housekeeper and ,hand-book occur in this book 7advertisements3 housekeeper and ,hand-,book2 main text3 house-keeper and ,hand-book74 ,the following misprints have been corrected3 changed ,abbot into ,abbott in ,preface changed they are familliar1 into they are familiar4 page #e changed or eight o'clock1 into or eight o'clock4 page #cd changed gratuitiously into gratuitously page #ea changed month into months page #ee changed treshhold into threshold page #fa added after to go by4 page #ge changed negro into ,negro page #gg changed about woman suffrage1 a into about woman-suffrage1 a page #id changed ,bee-,keeping4--,there is into ,bee-keeping4--,there is page #abe changed ,type-,writing4--,young women into ,type-writing4--,young women page #ace changed excellant into excellent advertisement changed and #ahha1 each1 into and #ahha1 each advertisement changed #acd pages1 boards1 into #acd pages1 boards advertisement changed #bae pages1 boards1 into #bae pages1 boards advertisement changed #afmo1 paper1 into #afmo1 paper advertisement