The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-10-24
The I'VE WasAerwensu,


Oh WHICH - BEET WORTH TIE HALF DOLLAR.
The following extract from the new book
for servants, entitled "Plain Talk and
Friendly Advice for Domestics," viii COM
mend himself to the approval OF all who
have had experience Of sshelp."
Said neghbor to me the other day "Is
it possible you pay Hannah Peck half dol
lar every week for doing your washing,
when sho goes only at eight O'Clock, and gets
done by noon? Why, they say che goes in
the afternoon Of the same day and does Mad
am Grey's ironing and gets half dollar
more! That's equal to q mans wages.o
s'Yes and she has mans energy and
powers Of endurance. She knows how to do
her work we'll and quick, spends no idle mo-
ments, INDUCES in no gossip, finds no fault
with the number OF pieces, expects to wash
dirty clothes, not all clean ones, wastes no
soap, burns only enough wood to do her work,
waits upon herself instead OF calling upon
the kitchen girl to spend half her time run
ming for er,--and, instead OF being oil day
in the suds, keeping the kitchen drenched in
slops and uninhabitable from steam, a. you
cay, she Is done by noon, her floor washed,
her dress changed-and, having had her
dinner, she says goodbye, with . pleasant
smile, and goes to Madam Crews where she
bakes, and irons, and accomplishes more
than many o girl would with the whole day
before her.
"Two weeks ago Hannah could not como
to do my washing, a. she had her sisters
sick child to nurse. | sent for widow Town.
She came at six. Had an early breakfast
prepared expressly for her. She could not
drink coffee, must have fresh meat (st Judge
jones' they generally had broiled chicken y
asked for cheese (they aIscoys had cheese ct
Judge Jones'.) She started her 6re, using
nearly a. much wood for her first kettle %
Hannah would for her whole wash-soap,
ditto. She complained Of the tubs, and Of
the hard water-said she was sure clothes
had been worn fortnight-shat it must be
We had . two weeks washing-our wash
bench was too high-our clothes baskst TOO
old to be decent-our clothes-line waaia an
awful anhandy place--and ended BY wondeN
ing why girls would live with people who
kept two tables, and said she knew lots
Of girls who had good wages, bat had little
to do, and could run in the steets half the
time.
s'She wanted lunch at ten, with old hy.
son tea, (only mean, stingy people drank
black, dinner at one, = cup Of tea again ct
three, Cat her regalar-washing places they
kept tho tea hot for her all the time) supper
At 6ve--and then, asking for some sweet
milk aud few slices OF bread, a. she had no
time to cook 1t home, (Mrs. Judge Jones Of
ten gave her . whole loaf } she took her de-
par,ure, without having washed the floor.
Tho washing was the same size that Han
nah gets out by noon. l need nos ask which
OF the two is best worth the half dollar.
This same Hannah lived with me several
years ago. She 10 an American woman, then
thirty, strong, healthy, good tempered, bu-
sy as bee from morning till night, obliging,
respectful, thoroughly educated TO her work
she was "worth her weight in gold.
Blind and inconsiderats was 1! She knew
her capability, and demanded higher Wages
which was we'll deserved. We did not
give 1t, and she went to the city, where she
became head manager Of . house full Of SER
wants, and received three dollars Q week
High wages for woman, know-but j,
would have been money in our pocket to
have paid it from that time to the present.
The time, and money, and horse flesh, spen,
in running after girls to replace the incspa.
bles and the intractables--the cook stoves
iron ware and crockery destroyed, and th,
wood unnecessarily burned, would much
more than pay the differences in expense, Il
cay nothing Of the wear and tear Of patience
and the comfort Of having woman 20 capa
tle and respectable in our household.
Hannah 10 now q land-holdcf, has money
in the bank to shield her from pov.
erty, should the evil day come when Oh
could not work. But she d not idle. She be-
an aged mother to support, besides brothers
and sisters children TO help on in the wori,
and better, happier, or more useful NO
man, in her sphere Of life, one seldom
meets. --T Portland Transcript.