New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-28
Rights and Wrongs Of Servants.

The suggestions we lately made as to
the practicabiity and means of inducing Ia
teligest, capable and trustworthy young
women to engage as Servants in respecta-
bic Families, appear to have excited atten-
ton and opposition. One adversary writes
US as follows
7eae Editor Of The N. Y. tribune
Being SO eminently practical person yourself, 1t
seems surprising that some practical difficulties have
not presented themselves to the carrying out of
various suggestions made in your recent articles
Household Service" &c.
For instance, the Of servants sitting at the
table with the families whom they serve Suppose
you have in your family, of these Amercan-born
girls" IA class by the way, in whom feel lively
iHterest) a Cook, Waiter, and Nurse: We will
suppose them TO be not only intelligent, refined and
hishspiri,ed" but highly so, capable by the charm
other conversation Of adding greatly to the enjoy
men. and improvement of yourself and family, atthe
social board Is one Of these young women, afte,
having cooked and served your dinner, fresh from
the fumes and heat and worry a. OF the kitchen, In
situation to appear at table WITH your anlly ana per
haps guests with enjoyment or even comfort TO her,
self OF 70 YOU And how is your w after 10 wait ana
sit at table at ono and the same time Or your
Nurse @ to be at her post up stairs In the nursery,
lending the baby, and at the same time taking her
meals with you .,
Again Y gu propose tina; household servants shall
cease labor at given hour, for the purpose OF re.
CREATION improvement, &c. | Will say nothing oil
the probable manner IN which, Ill nine cases on: of
ten, those evenings would DC Spent 10 especially IN
cities nor OF the great difference between the corn
paratiyely light and varied duties of househ0 SER
vice. particularly where there ara several servants IN
family, and those OF Factory HE, where gwen
number OF hours only is required. but VIII merely
INQUIRE as to the practcatty of the thing proposed
Let US imagine case which every housekeeper
knows is by TO means an imaginary one suppose
that, after or o'clock in the evening, friend or
company of friends arrives at your house, and claims
your hospitality for the night now how is your wfc
At one and the same time 10 receive her guests, TO
descend TO the kitchen and prepare their tea to Keep
the baby from crying up stairs, TO pour tea fof hf
company to wait upon the door II the bell rings, 70
prepare bed for the night, and many other things
which she would be obliged 10 90 herself, II all her
servants we're diSbanded Again suppose your
wife wishes TO spend an evening OUT. % not at the
opera, Of some great ball or party but In ever so
proper ana rational manner, socially with friend,
OF TO hear some interesting lecturer Are her ser
sants to have all their evenings, ana she never TO
have one She would DC 4 slave indeed! These
are but one two of the many practical objections
.osuch plan, which would present themselves %
the MIND OF any housekecpo..
In your remarks in The Tribens OF Nov. l4th, YOU
make an assertion which cannot allow 20 pass UNI
noticed You say shat servants are allowed ON
sundays 70 attend church las a iayoI, ou' moi as
keeper for several Years and my acquaintance las
been, and sun u.s. a Somewha. extended one, ana
have never yet known the instance (o) where SCR
rants did not attend church as risAt ana H't as d
hvor; and if your experience either IN your own
family. those of your friends, has been diieIen'
has been sad one
Do not infer from the fore gong remarks that AN
cot Interested In the elevation (6) and improvement
Of the lower classes, especially of the class now
Under confederation. In ali your EFFORTS III henan Vi
suffering and degraded Humanity, ieel ine.l
nf
me 70 be of the most sensible and pracncai chaiav
Hr but IN the present instance, II am not much
mistaken, you have got h'ue beyond VIVA; !"
Remarks.
We will endeavor to solve all our cor
respondents difficulties except such as grow
out Of her own implacable and ill-disguised
contempt for those she designates 1.-the lower
classes, which leads her 20 exaggerate what
ever difficulties actually cxis. and invent several
which 90 not. The drilt Of her sarcasms WIZ
ee perfectly appreciated. Leaving these TO
themselves, We proceed to solve her practical
dl'iicultles-viz
l. We do hold it unnecessary that the comfort
~ seiirespect Of any one human being should be
"erihced to secure the well-6eing of all. Con-
eSsen'iy, We deny the existence Oh any he0eS'
My tina, cook should be rendered SO offensive
T"the fumes and heat and worry" OF cooking
cn'er as TO annoy those with whom she might
"sown to eat It Wherever anything Ike TINS
nay occur, either the cook docs not understand
net ocsiness or she is not supplied with proper
nhse and proper implements for cooking The
A"ehen in which an intelligent, capable woman
cannot cook dinner without rendering herself a
nuisance with " fumes and heat and worry,
aeces reforming, aud the master OF that house
"sm to eat with sweaty and flustered COOK
Until he shall have set his house in order
T. Nobody has suggested that all the Servants
family must inexorably sit down at the
'ainiiy table at the same time, nor thought OF
'uch thing All that is essential is such DO
nestle economy as will quietly demonstrate tia,