The book Home and Health (and) Home Economics, published in 1880, offers readers advice on everything from disease prevention to funeral etiquette. Authors CH Fowler, DD, LLD and WH De Puy, AM, DD also offer their thoughts on marriage. It is this advice, reflecting a prevailing attitude at the time, that stopped many struggling young women from marrying- and taking the (unfortunately) best route they had to economic stability and a better life.

Marry in your own grade in society, they advise, adding that it is painful to always be apologizing for any one. And, they added, it is more painful to be apologized for. They also offer this tidbit:

Do not marry downward. It is hard enough to advance in the quality of lie without being loaded by clay heavier than your own. It will be sufficiently difficult to keep your children up to your best level without having to correct a bias in their blood.

Unfortunately many young girls grew up in struggling families and philosophies like this drastically limited their options, consigning many to long hours, and years, at canneries, laundries and sweatshops earning starvation wages. It is no wonder some turned to prostitution, which was dangerous but offered more money and at least the possibility of gaining some financial independence.