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　a　common
  cleaning　establishment。　　We　are　rapidly　approaching　an　improved　system
  of　living　in　which　the　private　home　will　no　more　want　a　cookshop　on　the
  premises　than　a　blacksmith's　shop　or　soap…factory。　　The　necessary　work
  of　the　kitchenless　house　will　be　done　by　the　hour；　with　skilled　labor；
  and　we　shall　order　our　food　cooked　instead　of　raw。　　This　will　give　to
  the　employees　a　respectable　well…paid　profession；　with　their　own　homes
  and　families；　and　to　the　employers　a　saving　of　about　two…thirds　of　the
  expense　of　living；　as　well　as　an　end　of　all　our　difficulties　with　the
  servant　question。　　That　is　the　way　to　elevateto　enoble　domestic
  service。　　It　must　cease　to　be　domestic　serviceand　become　world
  service。〃
  Suddenly　and　quietly　she　sat　down。
  Miss　Eagerson　was　on　her　feet。　　So　were　others。
  〃Madam　President！　　Madam　President！〃　resounded　from　several　points　at
  once。　　Madam　WeatherstoneMrs。　Thaddlerno！　yesthey　really　were　both
  on　their　feet。　　Applause　was　going　onirregularlysoon　dropped。