The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-31
HOW | MANAGED MY HOUSE
5000 $4,000 A YEAR.
MRS. WARREN.
Published by Loring, of Boston.
MRS. WARREN.

lCOTnTtueuJTOHJ hOeTt"g Ie'egTdWt U geSteTddy.J
"And now, dear Milly, come to that very
prolific and almost universal source of dscom-
FORT
SERVANTS
at is fact, however incre lible II may seem,
that four women out of ten, perhaps a greater
number, suffer their servants to become their
mistresses-indeed are actually afraid OF them.
This arises more from the lnetficiency OF the
Mistress which renders her weak and power.
less dependent upon the servant tor everything,
llilly, is to learn everything you possibly can
belonging to domestic work, even wash and
iron, and never say to Brldgets success
sor, whenever she comes to YOU don't
feel that Bridget, with only the little
knowledge she possesses, is very tyrant
over you, because she feels that you are
dependent upon her for the most trihing
service-that all your cooking is guess work
that in washing clothes YOU would not know the
difference in the result 4 you were to throw your
sOiled collars into scalding or tepid water. The
strongest mind will ever be the ruler; it Is the
natural effect of cause Bridget would not
know how to receive company, or how to play
on the piano; and II she, by any change of
circumstances were suddenly called upon to do
so, she would run away in alright and throw
herself upon the mercy of any one who could
help her in her emergency; but had she such
knowledge, she would hold her own, fear no
one, and be respected.
lit is the ignorance of the mistress which
raises the servant into tyrant. This is one bad
state OF things; but those who clever in every
domestic detail and have limited income SO
as to be obliged to make one shilling do the
work OF two, have their trials. They can find
no servant who has experience beyond smat-
| tering knowledge of work or cooking, one who
| is too old to be taught, or one who knows not
the value of any article OF consumption. From
such domestics the mistress generally obtains
| the character of being mean near. and fidgety
| and never keeping her servants long, and thus
she gets into bad repute, so that good servants
| never offer themselves, and she obtains only
phn
elsewhere-though she has this reward in her
daily nartyrdom, that at the end OF the year she
makes both ends meet. II she conceal these grave
evils from her husband, she makes his home a
happy one, and her house orderly; punctuality
| is her handmade, and despatch and comfort re-
suits OF her management; but there is no deny
ing that, in her daily trials OF temper a more
| than Spartan courage is hers to enable her TO
| meet her husband in The evening with the win.
| ming gracefulness which he loves so we'll. am
| glad, dear Milly, that you now see your husband
| is one to be thought OF, 10 be welcomed, and all
| work and complanngs to be cast aside to make
| his home joyful. In the old, old davs OF court
| ship, when the loved one was expected, you
| looked forth many times as 1t to hasten him on
| his path, your work was cast aside, and all was
| unthought of but his presence. am certain
| you never dreamed OF amusing him with the
shortcomings of your servants, except it was t,
relate some ludicrous incident, and SO your con.
| duct then won hiH. II you now withdraw the
| screen, and show him the skeleton (for in
| middle-class lie, as in any other, there are
1 Is
| chance TO make HIM remember with sigh that
| such were not the days of old.
| "HiTing SerUdnts.-lt you yourself are edu-
| Gated for wife, not alone for an ENHANCEMENT
| in your husbands affairs, you will in hiring
| ask the servant who offers herself what she can
| do, and how she cooks any particular Joint or
| dish of fish; say 6rst How do you cook a leg of
muttonH You will be sure to be told, Il boils
| it, You ask, But how long will leg of eight
| pounds take" The reply VIII be an hour and a
half or two hours and hall, or even an hour,
/ md hnt rorn 10 inht Anh hnu do
| fry solesT Il fries 'em.' We'll, out howT Il
| puts little piece OF fat in the pan, and then /
| wipes 'em dry and puts 'em in Now, if you
| yourself don't know how to do better, no can
| you tell whether the girl is right or wrong?
| Supposing you don't know-you take her into
the house, and confusion, waste, and dirt are
| the consequence; but perhaps you are clever,
and discover that the girl is teachable and clean
| you take her in, instruct her, and make her
| render you service. ~"
| "Ayoid hiring one who has lived as Kitchen
| maid In a superior household-she knows but
| little more than to waste aud to make large fires
the latter being most essential to her i'm portance
| and has soul above saving dripping, excepting
| for her own purposes. There Is one thing
would mention. l have found Lowell tssed Lon
| don seryants to have a perfect kno Wedge o. the
| price OF dripping; therefore they Will use for
| The same purpose three or four times over that
| in which fish has been fried. Clean dripping,
| fresh from the meat, they can get hvepenee q
| pound for; hence, for themselves they have
| learned to save, and can do so for mistress if
| If, when hiring, it is mentioned that to sell
| grease is not permitted, he will understand her
| position, and II found doing so, the only remedy
| is TO DISCHARGE her.
Never attempt to hire a servant who pro-
fesses to be able to do everything. and who tells
you she doesn't like mistress TO come into the
| Kitchen Be assured she knows nothing, and
| will endeavor to upset all your household
Arrangements and plans. She is one also who is
prompt at giving notice.
| Have nothing to say to her who asks you If
| this or that is TO be done; one who has never
| cleaned knife or boot had no call to do sich
| things, havIn always been brought up respect
| able.' Hire no girl who speaks i'll of her former
mistress, or who eVinces readiness to betray
| the affairs OF the family" s ..
| It is all very well for Bertha to write thus;
| but where shall find a servant at all? men
| tally asked. In London good general servant
| is not to be had for ten pounds year; so Mrs.
| York, a lady who lives near, tells me, and she
never exceeds eight pounds; but then, certainly,
she is clever, ,,aud understands all the minuit@ of
| cooking and everything else. wonder who
| Mrs. York could have been, and what was her
| occupation before her marriage, for she sings
| and plays, draws, and teaches her servants to
| cook and TO wash, and she pakes her own
dresses and irons them; but then her husband
has only hundred and twenty pounds year,
| oOt of which he has managed TO insure his life
for two hundred pounds. think must take q
lesson from her book when Bridget goes, and
| for the moment l wondered If the latter and
should go on together 10 the end' so reverted
.'Respectinq a keyoanfs Characterization no
preteXt or pretense take one without character
| Tor honesty and cvilty. Lay not too much
| stress on anything else; what may be cleanliness
| in one house may not be thought SO In another.
Do not take q written character; the appearance
| AZ The ,niatraaa and the hOueo will 90 far TO