THE DULNESS OF DOMESTIC SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8610, 4 July 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE DULNESS OF DOMESTIC SERVICE.

It is startling to learn, on the authority of the chaplain of ilillbank Prison, that by far the largest proportion of those who fill the ranks of fallen women in England have originally been domestic servants. Mr. Merrick has taken the trouble to compile n, list of memoirs of more than 100,000 persons who have passed through Millbauk. Of that unhappy number no fewer than 14,790 belonged to the fallen women class. It will surprise a good many people to learn that of tliese 14,000 odd rather more than 8000 had fallen from tho ranks of domestic

servants, the remaining six or seven thousand being distributed among other female workers in the following proporttiona:—lo3o were barmaids, 2267 needle-women, IGI7 trade girls, 22S theatre and music-hall employees, 18,"> governesses, and 107 street-sellers. Thus the domestic servant class contributed more than all the other female occupations put together to the ranks of vice and crime. One would have thought, ji priori, that an exactly opposite condition of tilings would have been found, and there would seem to be every justification for such an expectation. Domestic servants are in immediate daily contact with the best educated and most virtuous of women. How, then, does it happen that they, more than any other class of female workers, make shipwreck of virtue? Is it because of their long hours of work, the indifference with which they are treated by their mistresses, and the intolerable dulness of their lives? Most probably it is to some extent. It seems certain that mistresses no longer take the interest in their servants which used to be taken many years ago ; it Feems certain, too, that in many eases the reason for this is the feeble mental capacity, and the narrow and silly pride and vanity of the mistresses. The modern town-bred woman of the middle class would feel as if she were charged with a monstrous social oflence if she were aceussed of being friendly to her servants. But every woman who employs servants ought to be friendly to them, and ought to make herself as far as possible responsible both for their character arid their outward bearing. An intelligent attempt should bo made to diminish the dulness of domestic servants. Female servants must necessarily work longer hours than most other women, but wherever it is poesible they should have relaxation and innocent amusements provided for them, and sufficient intervals of leisure. We are certainly approaching times when much more consideration will be given by all classes to one another than has hitherto been the case. Civilisation means above all things good behaviour, training in conduct, and eweet reasonableness.