Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1849-05-11
Concluded nert iceek.J
Something about Household Affairs.

1t is not our practice to disparage the
present age when comparing ii with the
past. We are moi Of their opinion who
think every thing old-fashioned right, and
every thing new-iashiohed wrong. Still
we cannot help thinking that the relation
Of master and servant, OF mistress aud
maid. was better understood in the clder
time than il is now. Then il ripened into
friendship. confidence. and real concern for
each others interests. Now, in too many
cases, il is so much work for so much wa
ges. and a perpetual Sinking Of duties ON
the one side, aud cheapening OF labor ON
the other.
In the old time, the servant looked
upon his or her masters house, not as a
temporary covert. till he could make bet
ter bargain, but as his HOME, where, for
aught he expected or wished, he was to
end his days. In the honor aud prosperity
Of the house he exulied-in the day Of its
calamity he was mourner.
Then the "eyes Of the maid we're to her
Mistress" and the same hand that decked
the babe for the christening" adorned
her when bride for her nuptials. In the
long winter evenings, when all grouped
themselves around the hig hickory FIRE,
(guillless as yet Of CRATES and anthracite
and the same jest went round that all had
laughed 81 dozen years before, while the
apples and nuts circulated from the patri-
arch pair TO the 'wee ones" in the chimney,
where was the discordani hear, that shared
not in the common joyi
Where was the restraint, and yet where
was the characterization or want of defer
ence There YVES a model government;
md while rank and order were duly recog-
Missed and honored, noae ssl: .h;;Ssssic r-mas-
ter, for these were his children; none felt
any seryile fear, for these were his parents
and friends.
Confidence, confidence THAT slow grow
ing plant, no mushroom or Jonah's goufd
growth-confdence we say. prevailed in
those old-fashioned times. and blessed were
its fruits.
A very foolish feeling has sprung up,
that some how or other, il is not reputable
TO be, or to be called a servant Need we
say, that any station is honorable that is
honorably filled Il is no disgrace TO be
servant, though il is to be bad one.
There is no honor in being master or mis-
iress, unless they ore good masters and mis-
tresses.
But some how, other notions have creep,
in The maid in the kitchen crimsons as
deeply il called a servant as il charged with
a crime. II afifonted, she losses her head
and threatens her mistress with the loss Of
her invaluable services; and in short, con-
trives pretty generally and successfully TO
have il felt that all the dependence and all
The obligation are on the MISTRESS side, A
few months, perhaps weeks. are sufficient
10 make the parties thoroughly dissatisfied
with each other, and they sepaaie-ihe
maid to seek among straugers'a new siiua-
ton for the next quarter, and the mistress
to take her chance OF finding among the
thousands of the unprincipled and vicious,
proper person 10 take charge Of the health
rand life, the manners aud morals OF faml-
ly Of children, or TO be entrusted with the
freedom OF her closets and drawers, and the
details OF her household economy.
! Ne,o York Organ,