The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-10-09
] (sning Star and Catholic Messenger.
NV ORLEANS. SUNDAY OCTOBER O. 1870.
4sw View Of the Servant Question, BY Al House
keeper.

re, poor thlng, ls just bluuy, anu
Bthing more. For our part, we should be
S3rry enough to have SO much depending
JpOn us.
MI Consider what it is that we expect of her.
naaddition to satisfactory cooking, walt
bg, washing or sewing-as the case may
Ae-she must possess a perfect command
temper and tongue, as far as we are con-
erned; heatness, honesty, contented
hind, ready obedience to every order, an
1tdiNposition to change or go out ard
5bmDlete resignation to the society OF
er relations and sweet-hearts. And all
4 bis for $40 a mouth! Gentle reader, can |
kS%Ou lay your hand upon your heart, and |
Sseert that you would undertake to eyince
hese, or even half these, good qualities
~ elO, OF even Sl2, month"; We could
B Put yourself in her place. Imagine
yourself, twenty years old, with all the
Reckless impulse of Irish blood IN your
tseins, and poor little box of clothes fol-
Flowing in a wheelbarrow, ringing the door
hell Of new place. Everything Is
strange, rooms and walls and people. len
Ito one your new mistress is worn out VIII!
3Adoing her own work during an interval ana
her first desire is to shift the burden at
|SOnce on you, and go to bed, or to walk, or
I&omewh here else. Her orders are many and
3Sconfused. When you appear mystiiled,
Il, she runs them over again lmpatlentiy, ana
a You have the pleasure of hearing her tell
somebody, afterwards, through a haif-opch
49,
Ia perfect fool First aud foremost among
4 the orders is an edict against g company"
zee never allow it," she says.
M The first few days are hard enough. Inc
plumbers which you make, and winch are
natural to new place and ways, are very
E patiently borne. Nobody takes the
trouble to 60 about withsand teach you
what is expected. You are hurried
Sand interrupted. Bells ring and orders
4 multiply; the mistress says she hau no
y. 81 ,.at- O.
gfend yourself, it is considered impe rt'nence.
S# So things go on You don't strike Geep
M roots in your new home, which seems on
s& friendly like " from the first, and bye-and-
bye some explosion comes, and 1t Is easy
# to accept dismissal if it comes, or offer 1t II
NJ it doesn't, and try again in the great lottery
III of situations. Perhaps this time" you
al whisper to yourself, "l'll be lucky"
BE- Now suppose, instead of this, you found
Isl yourself received by "a different sort of mis-
81 tress, who had studied the situation rom
~ your point of view as well as her own, ana
IA knows how to meet it. She recognizes the
M forlornness of being stranger in astranse
X house, and has arranged things to render
" your start an easy one. Or, If cirenmstan-
81 ccs have made thisimpossible, and large
81 avoidably left for you, she tells you OF y
81 in this wise, I" I am sorry that You shouie
d have to begin with such a hard JOB
q but it wasn't possible to help 1t, ana YOU
% mustn't let yourself be DISCOURAGED II II
"A seems a little hard just at first. In Il DAY
or two things will straighten out, and yot
81 will begin to feel ut home; meantime 20.
u must come to me whenever you 90"
understand or want any help"
y These words, kindly said, with pleas
ant smile, will hearten poor biddy at once
d cpd do anything for such nice ia"y "a
q that. - Won say to yourself. She takes yo
u through kitchen, pantry and dining room
Il and poiuts out the places where each thlni
a is kept. " You will find 1t convenient L
do this she explains, or, " IKE 10 Ia,
Il that done So" For the first week Si Il
d riyes up a great deal of time eac! day I
s. instructine you. She helps set the taot
"a once or twice; and makes you understah
n thoroughly where each plate ana glass 3.
q and where the china aud linen are KEEP.
If YOU are cook, she starts you with s'lnpi
dishes and, as your powers become KNOW
she suggests Improvements an" ne
81 recipes. She never forgets to pfals
n though sometimes she does to biaihe' an
"a her little, encouraging word Is heNe
Z wanting. Poor Biddy," she says Us Oh N,
clothes up into the attic to dry, " m
sorry next week will be pleasant, q
hone; and Miss Mary shall set the tapl
tolday. to help along.n Her eye scar
daily the order of every thing III the nous
Sk Hers is not n system of alternate relax;
tions and pulliugs up, but steady, almo
=. unnoticed vigilance, with touch mere i'u
~ q toach there. As to company, she trea
h. Won considerably and kindly. We
y objection, Biddy, to Your seeing 20;
friends now and then, if they are qua
and respectable; but you know youi
r.. women can't be too careful about the pc
plet they associate with and II your cor
pany should be noisy, or hear anytin,p )
don't like about them, > shall tel y,
- frankly as l would to my dauShte
and expect you to regard what = SAY
b. In a quiet way you perceive thilt sue 10 ~
B.g5it. take notice. She learns to know ioH',~sn
Il =. ,taaysioue day that he seems aFSery'goe
IN e., steady fellow, at which praise your III
va, beart warns as to Phil, she respects 20
~ odd ahvness too much to ailude to 10
offair. still YOU know that her eye IS up
N 4 hin, also. Her few rules are llSidiy {
forced. If you outstay the regular hour
The eyen;ns. she rcproves-decidedly L
verv kindly. If yon commit a fault,
&l - tolls Won OF it, but in so gentle mann
Ei and with such true iuterAt i'll you q
e. vanr Improvement, that you are sorry,
angry. AS months go by you sct1le CO
fagtedIv "a in g home. 81 never tr'
Taina a servant until l can feel that she
a friend" the mistress says anu ny =,
some of the old feudal attachmehG III
manner in which you find yoursell gro
inr one of the household, sorrowlhS w
their sorrows, happy in their Prospe a
bearing part, though humole ON,
(, the family life, and secure OF sytnpasnS !"
e confidence from them in return l"T .
Won give. Happy Biddy Catch you ch'''
u inc that place for any other.