THE TYRANNY OF THE BUTTON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 413, 23 January 1909, Page 11

THE TYRANNY OF THE BUTTON.

, An English paper has a quite revolutionary article about buttons, l'aking buttons as representative of hooks and eyes, darns and patches, and all the other small things requiring periodical attention and repair, it says straight out that women waste their time .over-.these hings, because of the want of cooperation. .There'was once a time when'it was thought- entirely admirable for a-woman to darn and sew on buttons. Her time was valueless, and these trifling occupations kept her out of mischief. But now that her work 15 s« urgently needed in administrative • and philanthropic fields, and a girl is more likely to have to buy her bread than to make it,' it is surely time,-, says-the'.journal, to'declare openly that a great deal of time and energy, might be saved by a little judicious co-opera-tion in household matters. The professional' 1 woman, or the mistress of- a one-servanted household, often gives precious time to this unprofitable task because there is-no one else to do it,for her. On the other hand, thero is many a poor-girl whose only skill is with her needle, who might well go from house to house and do the family mending at a'small, regular charge. Imagine the boon to 'the busy.mother or professional woman. The good fairy would arrive,at some fixed hour,-at one house on Monday, another on Tuesday, and so forth, and find awaiting her the week's pile of mending, together with a little basket containing all the sewing, materials, which the "mendress" would herself replenish when necessary at her employer's expense. ". Other little jobs could:be.added— , a skirt to tidy, a lace trimming to wash .ind put back in its place. A drawer or .shelf I might_be set aside for the things wanting attention/so;'that .the mendress might-find them without'asking questions. In this way I a neat-handed woman 'might,earn,.,not-cer-tainly; a large income,; but quite as .'much, as a girl in a typewriting office. 'The mender may or may hot be a ,"lady." All that.is essential is that she should be trustworthy and understand her. work. There' would _be various ways of 'fixing payment, according to 'the amount of. time -given. .A • sort.; of monthly, or yearly contract scheme might.be mqstconvenient'for both parties.': Of course, -this is only- a suggestion, and the'.'visiting needlewoman is not an unknown institution. But she might bo' immensely multiplied and her work; systematiscd, if only" we could get rid:.of'the'notion" that .mending -is an occupation to which some special virtue is attached. The household expert with university status ought:to,bejable to do much for us: J But even she must fail unless,we can learn to distinguish: between'i the ..essential 'and the' unessential, the physical and moral- welfare of; children, and the intellectual atmosphere of the home, between the work, which cannot be delegated, and the little worrying everyday tasks -that are often -better'per- : formed bythe'specialist. "And/we must get rid of pur false -ideals and' cease -to ijpfetend that we;, see.-'any virtue; in darning,' or cooking, or scrubbing* such<as vis not attached to any other, useful work.'';-The ■weary round of sewing' and cleaning 'the* woman's work "that is never done/' has not' a .wholly, inoral tendency.. -Its dulnesß'-"is'.re-sponsible for a good deal \ of reaction in the 6hape of frivolity and gossip.;. In,:the"true" interests of home happiness these false idols should be destroyed, and we should no longer pretend -to bow down and worship,where-wo have ceased' to .believe.;' : " ;.;.;: