The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-01-25
Wages - Margaret and Bridget
Hannah Peck

There is no greater error than for a girl tc
expect some standard amount Of wages-the
same that is allowed to girls who are expert,
cnccd, capable and trusty-without any re-
gard to her ability to earn what she demands.
A young girl, who has not been taught how.
to manage the details Of family work easily
and in the best manner, should by no means
expect the same pay rs one who has 1t all
by heart, and the ability to do it without
constant oversight. She may work early
and late, to be sure, and be ever 50 willing
and stout-both valuable qualities,-and be
of very little profit to her mistress after all.
II is what she can accomplish, and what her
services are really worth, which should be
considered. It is nothing uncommon in the
country, where help is scarce, for an untu-
tored and ignorant Irish girl to insist that
she must have six dollars month, because
I" her cousin Margaret gets it"-Nlarsrct by
the way, having been in this country some
dozen years; and being bright, smart, and
under good tutclage, has become an expert
cnced cook. Bridgct's" strength" does but
cndanger the household utensils, and her
Z" willingness" enables the mistress to tell
her the same thing dozen times, she being
just as willing with her "yes, ma'am," to
be told again or that the lady may do it
herself-a careless, needless girl, who has no
judgement, and can only relieve one from
the merest drudgery of houscwork, and max
ing one half the work she does.
Bridget is no fictitious character. She
had heard, while yet in Ireland, what fab
ulous wages were paid Irish girls in Amcri-
ca-stories which were corroboratcd at the
instant of telling perhaps, by handsome
remittance, in the shape of Enoch Train Il
Co.'S draft for Gj or El0 on the Bank of
Dublin. 50 Bridget packed her slender
wardrobe, and with some Of the guineas got
by one of the drafts, sent by Margaret, pur-
chased her stcenge ticket for Boston, and
sure enough, soon found herself in tho land
of promise. 1t fell to my lot to have Bridg-
ct sent to me almost from the ship, through
NIargaret's intcrccssion. She was sixteen,
short and thick, and wearing habitually
rather dazed expression of countenance, rs
though not yet recovered from her astonish-
ment at finding the natives white, or that
dollars were not dug up here like potatoes,
dozen to the hill. She never outgrew the
puzzled and vacant air, while living with
me, and she acted very much in accordance
with her looks.
In spite of her unpromising appearance, |
was willing to try what could be made oil
her. A dollar and a halfa week was the
least it had ever entered her head to demand,
and upon that rock we had nearly broken
Of before we commenced. She however, con-
cludcd to 90 to work, her money being ex-
hausted, for dollar week on trial; but
manifested with mental reservation and
protest, and with her chronic perplcxity on
the increase.
After three days ofexpcrimcnt-on Bridg-
cts part, to comprehend the uses of the
most common articles, and the way to use
them, and on my part, as to the elasticity
of my patience and the probable limit ofmy
continuance in well doing-Bridgct struck
for higher wages
"And Saint Pathrick knows wark from
morning till night, ma'am. ironcd, sure,
all day Tuesday and Wednesday, and 'dade
| didn't get through thin, nathcr. o, wor-
rah but must be having dollar and a
half, what Margaret gets"
TWAS my turn to look puzzled. Thismov-
ing appeal for more wages convinced me that
Bridget had not been aware she was more
hindrancc than help to me; that | had
given up all my time to assist and teach her
that / had to undo about all that she had
undertaken, or do it overafter her, and that
| could very much easier have done all my
work alone. This was dscounging.
I" Bridget" saidI, listen. Ifyou should
60 to n drcssnakcr to get her to make you a
gown, and the common price was dollar
and half, and you had to fit it and baste II
and pick out her sewing and do it over
again, would you think she had earned thc
dollar and half, and that you ought to pay
Iit?"
"'Dadc and that wouldn't, sure"
"Very well; serve her right, too, for ex
pecting pay for what she could not do,-ant
that is precisely your case, Bridget. Yor
want pay for doing my work, and yet yor
do not do it, nor do you know how. / d.
the work, and in addition, am trying Il
teach you. In justice, you ought to pay mt
something for my pains but to cncourag'
and stimulate you to apply yourself, ant
learn to be useful, l am boarding you an'
giving you dollar weck-giying it, yo'
understand--and here you ask for NOR
wages, just as if you were cheated out o
your dues" :,
{" Faix, and don't understand IL at all
fit amt the wark I'll bo paid for, and dom
wark as many hours as Margaret?"
"Yes, Bridget work oil day doing moth
ing right, and consequently, your work Il
worth nothing 80 far. What you havespoil
ed is of more value than anything You hav
yet done, and is loss to me by 50 much
When Margaret was with me, l had only t.
say, Margaret, we will have roast beef
with the proper vegetables, anda plum pud
ding for dinner to-day and the dinner wa
of my mind, and could employ myself a
chose, till dinner time, free from all care
and sure that everything would come on I
the table at the proper time and in goo
condition. But, since You have been wit