what diantha did-第13章

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small　parliament；　while　Miss　Miranda　L。　Eagerson；　describing　herself　as
'a　journalist；'　who　held　her　place　in　local　society　largely　by　virtue　of
the　tacit　dread　of　what　she　might　do　if　offendedled　the　more　radical
element。

Most　of　the　members　were　quite　content　to　follow　the　lead　of　the　solidly
established　ladies　of　Orchard　Avenue；　especially　as　this　leadership
consisted　mainly　in　the　pursuance　of　a　masterly　inactivity。　　When　wealth
and　aristocracy　combine　with　that　common　inertia　which　we　dignify　as
〃conservatism〃　they　exert　a　powerful　influence　in　the　great　art　of
sitting　still。

Nevertheless　there　were　many　alert　and　conscientious　women　in　this　large
membership；　and　when　Miss　Eagerson　held　the　floor；　and　urged　upon　the
club　some　active　assistance　in　the　march　of　events；　it　needed　all　Mrs。
Dankshire's　generalship　to　keep　them　content　with　marking　time。

On　this　auspicious　occasion；　however；　both　sides　were　agreed　in　interest
and　approval。　　Here　was　a　subject　appealing　to　every　woman　present；　and
every　man　but　such　few　as　merely　〃boarded〃；　even　they　had　memories　and
hopes　concerning　this　question。

Solemnly　rose　Mrs。　Dankshire；　her　full　silks　rustling　about　her；　and　let
one　clear　tap　of　the　gavel　fall　into　the　sea　of　soft　whispering　and
guttural　murmurs。

In　the　silence　that　followed　she　uttered　the　momentous　announcements：
〃The　meeting　will　please　come　to　order；〃　〃We　will　now　hear　the　reading
of　the　minutes　of　the　last　meeting；〃　and　so　on　most　conscientiously
through　officer's　reports　and　committees　reports　to　〃new　business。〃

Perhaps　it　is　their　more　frequent　practice　of　religious　rites；　perhaps
their　devout　acceptance　of　social　rulings　and　the　dictates　of　fashion；
perhaps　the　lifelong　reiterance　of　small　duties　at　home；　or　all　these
things　together；　which　makes　women　so　seriously　letter…perfect　in
parliamentry　usage。　　But　these　stately　ceremonies　were　ended　in　course
of　time；　and　Mrs。　Dankshire　rose　again；　even　more　solemn　than　before；
and　came　forward　majestically。

〃Members…and　guests；〃　she　said　impressively；　〃this　is　an　occasion
which　brings　pride　to　the　heart　of　every　member　of　the　Home　and　Culture
Club。　　As　our　name　implies；　this　Club　is　formed　to　serve　the　interests
of　The　Homethose　interests　which　stand　first；　I　trust；　in　every　human
heart。〃

A　telling　pause；　and　the　light　patter　of　gloved　hands。

〃Its　second　purpose；〃　pursued　the　speaker；　with　that　measured　delivery
which　showed　that　her　custom；　as　one　member　put　it；　was　to　〃first　write
and　then　commit；〃　〃is　to　promote　the　cause　of　Culture　in　this　community。
　Our　aim　is　Culture　in　the　broadest　sense；　not　only　in　the　curricula　of
institutions　of　learning；　not　only　in　those　spreading　branches　of　study
and　research　which　tempts　us　on　from　height　to　height〃（〃proof　of
arboreal　ancestry　that；〃　Miss　Eagerson　confided　to　a　friend；　whose
choked　giggle　attracted　condemning　eyes）〃but　in　the　more　intimate
fields　of　daily　experience。〃

〃Most　of　us；　however　widely　interested　in　the　higher　education；　are
stilland　find　in　this　our　highest　honorwives　and　mothers。〃　　These
novel　titles　called　forth　another　round　of　applause。

〃As　such；〃　continued　Mrs。　Dankshire；　〃we　all　recognize　the
difficultthe　well…nigh　insuperable　problems　of　the〃she　glanced　at
the　gallery　now　paying　awed　attention〃domestic　question。〃

〃We　know　how　on　the　one　hand　our　homes　yawn　unattended〃（〃I　yawn　while
I'm　attendingeh？〃　one　gentleman　in　the　rear　suggested　to　his
neighbor）while　on　the　other　the　ranks　of　mercenary　labor　are
overcrowded。　　Why　is　it　that　while　the　peace　and　beauty；　the　security
and　comfort；　of　a　good　home；　with　easy　labor　and　high　pay；　are　open　to
every　young　woman；　whose　circumstances　oblige　her　to　toil　for　her
living；　she　blindly　refuses　these　true　advantages　and　loses　her　health
and　too　often　what　is　far　more　precious！in　the　din　and　tumult　of　the
factory；　or　the　dangerous　exposure　of　the　public　counter。〃

Madam　Weatherstone　was　much　impressed　at　this　point；　and　beat　her　black
fan　upon　her　black　glove　emphatically。　　Mrs。　Thaddler　also　nodded；　which
meant　a　good　deal　from　her。　　The　applause　was　most　gratifying　to　the
speaker；　who　continued：

〃Fortunately　for　the　world　there　are　some　women　yet　who　appreciate　the
true　values　of　life。〃　　A　faint　blush　crept　slowly　up　the　face　of
Diantha；　but　her　expression　was　unchanged。　　Whoso　had　met　and　managed　a
roomful　of　merciless　children　can　easily　face　a　woman's　club。

〃We　have　with　us　on　this　occasion　one；　as　we　my　say；　our　equal　in　birth
and　breeding；〃Madam　Weatherstone　here　looked　painfully　shocked　as　also
did　the　Boston　Marrow；　possibly　Mrs。　Dankshire；　whose　parents　were　Iowa
farmers；　was　not　unmindful　of　this；　but　she　went　on　smoothly；　〃and　whose
first　employment　was　the　honored　task　of　the　teacher；　who　has
deliberately　cast　her　lot　with　the　domestic　worker；　and　brought　her
trained　intelligence　to　bear　upon　the　solution　of　this　great
questionThe　True　Nature　of　Domestic　Service。　　In　the　interests　of　this
problem　she　has　consented　to　address　usI　take　pleasure　in　introducing
Miss　Diantha　Bell。〃

Diantha　rose　calmly；　stepped　forward；　bowed　to　the　President　and
officers；　and　to　the　audience。　　She　stood　quietly　for　a　moment；
regarding　the　faces　before　her；　and　produced　a　typewritten　paper。　　It
was　clear；　short；　and　to　some　minds　convincing。

She　set　forth　that　the　term　〃domestic　industry〃　did　not　define　certain
kinds　of　labor；　but　a　stage　of　labor；　that　all　labor　was　originally
domestic；　but　that　most　kinds　had　now　become　social；　as　with　weaving　and
spinning；　for　instance；　for　centuries　confined　to　the　home　and　done　by
women　only；　now　done　in　mills　by　men　and　women；　that　this　process　of
socialization　has　now　been　taken　from　the　home　almost　all　the
manufacturesas　of　wine；　beer；　soap；　candles；　pickles　and　other
specialties；　and　part　of　the　laundry　work；　that　the　other　processes　of
cleaning　are　also　being　socialized；　as　by　the　vacuum　cleaners；　the
professional　window…washers；　rug　cleaners；　and　similar　professional
workers；　and　that　even　in　the　preparation　of　food　many　kinds　are　now
specialized；　as　by　the　baker　and　confectioner。　　That　in　service　itself
we　were　now　able　to　hire　by　the　hour　or　day　skilled　workers　necessarily
above　the　level　of　the　〃general。〃

A　growing　rustle　of　disapproval　began　to　make　itself　felt；　which
increased　as　she　went　on　to　explain　how　the　position　of　the　housemaid　is
a　survival　of　the　ancient　status　of　woman　slavery；　the　family　with　the
male　head　and　the　group　of　servile　women。

〃The　keynote　of　all　our　difficulty　in　this　relation　is　that　we　demand
celibacy　of　our　domestic　servants；〃　said　Diantha。

A　murmur　arose　at　this　statement；　but　she　continued　calmly：

〃Since　it　is　natural　for　women　to　marry；　the　result　is　that　our　domestic
servants　consist　of　a　constantly　changing　series　of　young　girls；
apprentices；　as　it　were；　and　the　complicated　and　important　duties　of　the
household　cannot　be　fully　mastered　by　such　hands。〃

The　audience　disapproved　somewhat　of　this；　but　more　of　what　followed。　
She　showed　（Mrs。　Porne　nodding　her　head　amusedly）；　that　so　far　from
being　highly　paid　and　easy　labor；　house　service　was　exacting　and
responsible；　involving　a　high　degree　of　skill　as　well　as　moral
character；　and　that　it　was　paid　less　than　ordinary　unskilled　labor；　part
of　this　payment　being　primitive　barter。

Then；　as　whispers　and　sporadic　little　spurts　of　angry　talk　increased；
the　clear　quiet　voice　went　on　to　state　that　this　last　matter；　the
position　of　a　strange　young　girl　in　our　homes；　was　of　itself　a　source　of
much　of　the　difficulty　of　the　situation。

〃We　speak　of　giving　them　the　safety　and　shelter　of　the　home；〃here
Diantha　grew　solemn；〃So　far　from　sharing　our　homes；　she　gives　up　her
own；　and　has　none　of　ours；　but　the　poorest　of　our　food　and　a　cramped
lodging；　she　has　neither　the　freedom　nor　the　privileges　of　a　home；　and
as　to　shelter　and　safetythe　domestic　worker；　owing　to　her　peculiarly
defenceless　position；　furnishes　a　terrible　percentage　of　the
unfortunate。〃

A　shocked　silence　met　this　statement。

〃In　England　shop…workers　complain　of　the　old　custom　of　'sleeping
in'their　employers　furnishing　them　with　lodging　as　part　payment；　this
also　is　a　survival　of　the　old　apprentice　method。　　With　us；　only　the
domestic　servant　is　held　to　this　antiquated　position。〃

Regardless　of　the　chill　displeasure　about　her　she　cheerfully　pursued：

〃Let　us　now　consider　the　economic　side　of　the　question。　　'Domestic
economy'　is　a　favorite　phrase。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　our　method　of
domestic　service　is　inordinately　wasteful。　　Even　where　the　wife　does　all
the　housework；　without　pay；　we　still　waste　labor　to　an　enormous　extent；
requiring　one　whole　woman　to　wait　upon　each　man。　　If　the　man　hires　one
or　more　servants；　the　wastes　increase。　　If　one　hundred　men　undertake
some　common　business；　they　do　not　divide　in　two　halves；　each　man　having
another　man　to　serve　himfifty　productive　laborers；　and　fifty　cooks。　
Two　or　three　cooks　could　provide　for　the　whole　group；　to　use　fifty　is　to
waste　47　per　cent。　of　the　labor。

〃But　our　waste　of　labor　is　as　nothing　to　our　waste　of　money。　　For；　say
twenty　families；　we　have　twenty　kitchens　with　all　their　furnishings；
twenty　stoves　with　all　their　fuel；　twenty　cooks　with　all　their　wages；　in
cash　and　barter　combined　we　pay　about　ten　dollars　a　week　for　our
cooks200　a　week　to　pay　for　the　cooking　for　twenty　families；　for　about
a　hundred　persons！

〃Three　expert　cooks；　one　at　20　a　week　and　two　at　15　would　save　to
those　twenty　families　150　a　week　and　give　them　better　food。　　The　cost
of　kitchen　furnishings　and　fuel；　could　be　reduced　by　nine…tenths；　and
beyond　all　that　comes　our　incredible　waste　in　individual　purchasing。　
What　twenty　families　spend　on　individual　patronage　of　small　retailers；
could　be　reduced　by　more　than　half　if　bought　by　competent　persons　in
wholesale　quantities。　　Moreover；　our　whole　food　supply　would　rise　in
quality　as　well　as　lower　in　price　if　it　was　bought　by　experts。

〃To　what　does　all　this　lead？〃　asked　Diantha　pleasantly。

Nobody　said　anything；　but　the　visible　attitude　of　the　house　seemed　to
say　that　it　led　straight　to　perdition。

〃The　solution　for　which　so　many　are　looking　is　no　new　scheme　of　any
sort；　and　in　particular　it　is　not　that　oft　repeated　fore…doomed　failure
called　〃co…operative　housekeeping。〃

At　this　a　wave　of　relief　spread　perceptibly。　　The　irritation　roused　by
those　preposterous　figures　and　accusations　was　somewhat　allayed。　　Hope
was　relit　in　darkened　countenances。

〃The　inefficiency　of　a　dozen　tottering　households　is　not　removed　by
combining　them；〃　said　Diantha。　　This　was　of　dubious　import。　　〃Why　should
we　expect　a　group　of　families　to　〃keep　house〃　expertly　and　economically
together；　when　they　are　driven　into　companionship　by　the　fact　that　none
of　them　can　do　it　alone。〃

Again　an　uncertain　reception。

〃Every　family　is　a　distinct　unit；〃　the　girl　continued。　　〃Its　needs　are
separate　and　should　be　met　separately。　　The　separate　house　and　garden
should　belong　to　each　family；　the　freedom　and　group　privacy　of　the　home。
　But　the　separate　home　may　be　served　by　a　common　water　company；　by　a
common　milkman；　by　a　common　baker；　by　a　common　cooking　and